Augustine of Hippo

The issue of evil and suffering in our world poses a serious challenge to the belief in a God, both from western and non-western perspectives. The problem of evil also called the problem of suffering, is an argument against the existence of God and is fundamentally the main argument for God’s non-existence by an atheist. In the western world, it is unmistakable that many theists believe in an omniscient, omnipotent and omnibenevolent God. However, these set of beliefs cannot all be true at the…

What is it to know something? In evaluating arguments, one need to check for both validity and soundness. To know that an argument is sound, one has to know that the premises—or the supporting statements—are true. But is it even possible to know something? The study of what knowledge is and whether it is possible falls within a subfield of philosophical inquiry called EPISTEMOLOGY. The verb ‘to know’ functions in various ways in our language. I can say that I know how to ride a horse, that I…

Saint Augustine of Hippo was an influential church father. His autobiography, The Confessions, described his moral struggle, the conflict between his spiritual and intellectual aspirations and his sensual and material self. Knowledge would lead to virtue was taught by many Greek and Roman philosophers and Augustine rejected that idea. He claimed that rational knowledge cannot make someone strong enough to avoid…

punishment as seen by the words of Bede, “If any shall be guilty of them, they are to be excluded from the communion”. In addition to the sacraments of the Church, the understanding and study of theology became more commonplace, with men such as St. Augustine of Hippo and Abelard as the front runners of theology during their respective time periods, and scholasticism as the system of medieval schools. However, sacraments and theology were not the only practices that struck a chord with…

or neither. This duality to choose or not to choose can be viewed in every philosophical way of thought, and often is the starting point of the process. For example, Saint Augustine of Hippo theorized that since man was made in the image of God he (and she) has the intrinsic will to choose to be good or to be evil. Augustine illustrated the duality between good and evil through a story from a childhood story about stealing fruit. In Augustine’s view, “I did evil for nothing, with no reason for…

The idea of peace is an ever changing concept that is influenced by the society of the time. In early ideas of peace, some philosophers concluded that peace is whatever God wills it to be and other believed that because peace is not something that is natural to humans and therefor peace is unattainable. In a society in which violence is not only occurring on a daily basis but seems to also be accepted by the general public, it is hard to imagine a world peace is a priority. This becomes an even…

Church Fathers began making lists of what the canon should include: Ss. Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory Nazianzus, John Chrysostom, Augustine, and others. And most western and eastern scholars agree that the most influential Father in defining the canon was St. Athanasius in 367 AD, who was the first bishop who used his position as head of an extensive and important diocese (Alexandria)…

Those who leave lasting impressions upon the world have done extraordinary things, whether evil as Hitler did, or good as St. Therese the Little Flower. Those people were all ordinary people at one point, but are remembered by their actions, all of which can be traced back to a certain point. This decision or change, affected their life, defined their legacy and imprinted their names into history. There comes in every life a dilemma or conflict, whether inwards or outwards. It is the reaction to…

behaviors while here on Earth. Furthermore, the viewer must apply their own life experiences when viewing this art piece, which allows subjectivity to take place and an appreciation for the overall message depicted in the portrait. As Saint Augustine of Hippo suggested through his teachings, it is imperative to understand the difference between fact and fiction and when viewing an art piece, or reading of any type, one should “demand a search for meaning” (Schreiner, Essay Three). The artist’s…

practices” (Bailey, pg. 638). In addition, as early Christianity was developing in the Roman empire, Christian writers stated that all pagan rites which had an association with Christian demons, were improper and superstitious. In the fifth century, Augustine of Hippo discussed the “pact” with demons was superstitious. It is evident that the authors writing in the fifteenth century were influenced greatly by the authors of the past. According to Baumann, a medieval scholar, he notes that while…