Augustine of Hippo

St. Thomas Aquinas was born into a wealthy, religious family. His concern was find a solution to a problem that has been bedazzling humanity for centuries; how to reconcile religion and science, and faith with reason. In fact, St. Thomas did not reject his religion, rather he found a way to explain how religion and science were linked to each other. In order to do so, he developed four kinds of law by which the world operated. His definition of law came from the belief that every rule should be…

Saint Augustine converted to christianity in the year 386 after reading a story from Saint Paul. and after reading the story he converted. Saint Paul also converted to Christianity on the road to Damascus. St. Augustine and St. Paul have some similarities. Like St. Augustine who was a philosopher so was St. Paul. They were both sent to or attended very prestigious schools. Saint Paul’s conversion story is a miracle. On the way to Damascus a blinding light came down and blinded Paul who was…

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…

umbo, Francis Burns Family! A couple months’ ago fifteen other colleagues, and myself from Candler School of Theology setoff on a mission trip to Kenya, Africa. To be the hands and feet of Christ Jesus in two differing parts of this region, Nairobi and Meru. A mission, which had me anxious yet excited, weary yet overjoyed, and fearful yet captivated. Nevertheless, God placed this once in a lifetime opportunity before me. I had a deep yearning to move forward on this trip with no expectation,…

Among theologians and reformed Christians alike, the works of prominent authors such as Richard Mouw, John Calvin, Barbara Taylor, Nicholas Wolterstorff, and Eugene Peterson are all alike and contrasting in numerous ways. For example, we know that these authors share both common ground and indifferences on God’s Lordship over all, Christian worldviews, how the Gospel is presented in God’s Kingdom, and how grace is presented to every human and living being through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus…

French Theologian John Calvin served as a pastor during the Protestant Reformation. Growing up Roman Catholic, he had values and traditions instilled which were thought to be critical in one 's relationship with God. However, after his exposure to reformation he experienced a shift in ideals, theology, and belief. This time of his life simply brought into light a spectrum of Christianity which had yet to be acknowledged in a depth which came across offensive and seemingly harsh. Now referred to…

During this class, which took longer than anticipated, because of unforeseen events, but overall, I enjoyed learning about those philosophers who questioned the norm and sought better understanding. Among those people early on in civilization, life must have been simple, because of a vague understanding of our natural world or any other supernatural questions. Today we can attribute many of our beliefs, customs, and traditions to these people who influenced religion and philosophy. Certainly,…

As an infant he recalls that his mother’s milk was from God that is a necessary nutrient needed for growth, nourishment, and development. Augustine was able to recount that everything happens because of God. He confesses his wrongdoings, sins, and acknowledged that He was behind it all. The root causes of all things that happen are on account of God. Augustine declared, “Thus, You brought good for me out of those who did ill, and justly punished me for the ill I did myself. So You have…

Saint Augustine and Thomas Aquinas are most prominently known for their discussions of God and the happy life. For them, God is related to a happy life but that happy life is vastly different for them both. In this essay, I’ll discuss Augustine and Aquinas’s view on the happy life but specifically the role of friendship in achieving happiness. I will focus on Augustine’s De Beata Vita (DBV) and City of God (COG) and Aquinas’s Summa Theologicae (SV). First, I will discuss Augustines view of the…

Another area of debate between John Calvin, Aristotle and Plato is on Epistemology, the study of knowledge. It comes as no surprise that John Calvin’s epistemology is based upon the knowledge of God. Calvin did not use the methods that most philosophers use to speculate on God; Calvin focused his epistemology views from the revelation that God provides in his scripture. Calvin rejects anything outside of the revelation of God through scripture stating, “not to indulge in curiosity, or to…