Notes covering the H573/03 Developments in Christian Thought topic of Augustine's Teachings on Human Nature, with explanation and notes covering all the necessary content for the exams.
Dillon Precious Augustine’s teachings on Human Nature
Augustine’s teachings on Human Nature:
Human nature is fatally damaged because of the fall of Adam and Eve.
People are created by God; they are fallen in nature and the can be redeemed.
The only hope of salvation is through the grace of God, made available to those God chooses
through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Timeline:
Born in North Africa (part of Roman Empire).
Grew up in an environment of religious and philosophical pluralism that Constantine
established 42 years later.
Augustine’s mother Monica was a devout Christian (this shaped a lot of his beliefs)
Even though he was from a poor background, Augustine showed promised at an early age,
so his parents sent him to school.
He loved rhetoric (a form of philosophy), and his student life more.
His talents soon became noticed, and he taught in Carthage (present day Tunisia), Rome,
and Milan.
Influences on Augustine’s ideas:
Manichees (group followed by Augustine): Plotinus (Neo-Platonism):
They believed that the world was in a cosmic battle of For Plotinus, there is only the Form of the Good (he
good and evil. directly went against Manichee’s views that there is
People had two different souls: one good and one evil good and evil).
(the constant internal struggle). He was negative about the body.
The soul is part of the Kingdom of Light but trapped in People should treat their own characters like a
the Kingdom of Darkness because of appetites of the sculptor with a statue, carefully reviewing all angles
body. and chiselling away at parts which are not quite right.
Looked to role models (especially Jesus) for guidance.
Augustine realised that evil is not a substance, but a turning away from goodness. Therefore,
in his opinion, the Manichees are wrong.
But still, Augustine was not completely happy.
He questioned that if Plotinus was correct and human intellect could understand the nature
of goodness, then there would be no need for Jesus and his guidance.
Augustine went to hear the preaching of the Bishop of Milan (who became known as St
Ambrose) who influenced Augustine to renew his interest in Christianity.
It was a combination of St Ambrose’s preaching and St Paul’s letters to the Romans that
Augustine concluded that:
o Humans cannot find truth through reason alone.
o We need to find the grace of God.
o We must turn away from bodily pleasures to concentrate on spiritual life.
, Dillon Precious Augustine’s teachings on Human Nature
This shows that Augustine believes that humans are naturally evil and will resort to a life of
sin and evil without the redemption of Christ. He is a strong believer in free will, as God was
allowing him to do this. He is delighted that God never gave up on him (“oh my tardy Joy”).
Augustine describes his intrinsic and constant need for sin, which he thought everyone had.
He was incredibly selfish and confesses his sin. Kerr talks about his belief in the failure of
human nature and being a realist in that regard.
Regardless of how well-mannered, everyone will fall to said desires. Alypius fell because he
viewed this as a challenge, and fell to the temptation, but Augustine believes that the
righteous will not even allow this temptation to fester.
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