Aurelius Augustinus Research Paper

Aurelius Augustinus was born in a small town in North Africa in 354 c.e. He was popularly known as Saint Augustinus. His father was a pagan. His mother was a Christian. Early on, he pursued a career in the secular direction per his father’s influence. During this time he was a follower of a Gnostic religion founded in Persia known as Manicheanism. At the age of thirty-two he converted to Christianity. He became bishop of Hippo at the age of forty-one. Augustinus never doubted the existence of God, however, he struggled to understand “problem of evil”. Manicheans believe in two primary deities. One is the father of greatness, source of all good, and the other is Prince of Darkness, responsible for evil. With his background knowledge of Manicheanism, this was a real struggle. Augustinus then experienced a religious vision that solidified his belief that God is incorruptible, all-knowing, and all-powerful. That there is no such …show more content…
His father fought against U.S. forces in the 1860’s. Beginning at the age of five, Black Elk began to have visions. As a result, he later became known as a holy man and healer. His visions gave him the insight to foresee certain events and knowledge to discover remedies for illness. Black Elk claimed that specific ceremonies were necessary in order for him to decipher the meaning of his visions and activate their power. He says, “The power in all the ceremony was in understanding what it meant; for nothing can live well except in a manner that is suited to the way the sacred Power of the World lives and moves.” He believed in spiritual power that he called the “outer world”. The power to heal people passes through this medium. The power from the outer world is what allowed him to heal people as a medicine man.
I think that Augustinus’ vision gave him clarity and peace to a question he struggled with. Whereas, the visions of Black Elk were progressive in regards to healing and