Christian Living

THE BIRTHING OF A SAINT Africa 354-430

week 2

His Life
A. From Birth to Conversion (354-386)
● Aurelius Augustinus was born in Numidia, on Sunday, November
13, 354. According to a writer, Jean Paul Richter, those who were born on
Sunday, are destined to accomplish great things.
● He was the eldest child of the couple Patricius and Monica. His
mother, Monica, was a fervent Christian. She has been considered
as an inspiration to mothers who are tempted to despair for the
growth of faith within their children.
● Patricius was a pagan who was a small land-holder and town
councilor. Despite the family’s limited resources, he provided his son
with all that was needed for his good education
● He had a brother, Navigius and a sister whom tradition called Perpetua.
He was African in descent, yet Roman in culture, education and
language. He grew up to be a sensitive, emotional and passionate
boy, but a self-controlled/self-disciplined one. He had a very social
and friendly character, that’s why he never wanted to be alone.
Friendship to him “might cost half of his soul.”

Elementary Education Thagaste (361-367)

● From the year 361-367, he began his studies under a Litterator of
Thagaste. His elementary education was concentrated on reading,
writing, and arithmetic. Latin was the language of his childhood

Secondary Education Madaura (367-370)

● Madaura was a more intellectual center of education in Roman
North Africa. He studied under the rigid training of the Grammaticus
teachers of language and Latin culture in Madaura, provincial
capital of the region
● Cicero’s HORTENSIUS greatly influenced him to study Philosophy
which is the seeking of the wisdom. The great advantage of the
education Augustine received was that of a perfectionist
 ● His education in Thagaste and Madaura had maid him what is
called a Roman pedant, or someone with mastery of knowledge,
especially of some authors like Cicero or Virgil

Back to Thagaste (370)

● He had to return to Thagaste for a year due to financial constraint
while his father tried to raise money to send him back to the final
stage of his schooling at Carthage. It was a year of idleness, which
he described as “the thorns of lust rose above my head, and there was no one to root it
out.”
● A year without schooling was marked by a disquieting act of
vandalism and overshadowed by the sudden onslaught of an
ambitious boy.
● Augustine and his friends, a group of native young boys bonded
together and called themselves, “The Seven against Thagaste.”
● Alypius, Rufus, Pamphy, Tullus, Sextus, Augustine and unnamed
member of the group.

Carthage (371-374)
● Rhetoric was the art of public speaking and writing, considered as
the highest form of culture.
● Augustine send to Carthage, the largest city in the region. He studied
literature and poetry in preparation for his career as a rhetor.
- Melania, the name of his concubine, bore him a son, whom they
called Adeodatus, a gift of God. Augustine was then 18 years old.
- He finished his studies in Rhetoric at the age of 20.

- At 19, reading Cicero’s Hortensius, he was converted to the love of

wisdom, which, disappointed by his reading of Scripture, he sought
among the Manichees, to whom he adhered for 9 years. Having
been disillusioned by the weakness of the Manichean system, he
returned to skepticism. When in Milan, aged 32, he began the
return-journey through St. Ambrose’s preaching on the catholic
interpretation of Scripture.
- He overcame skepticism by accepting the authority of the church.
He overcame his materialism by discovering with the help of
Platonism, the true notion of evil. He overcame his naturalism and
the problem of mediation by reading St. Paul and recognizing Jesus
Christ as mediator of grace and Redeemer.
 - Thus his return to the catholic faith was complete. Yet his problem
was how to live the Christian ideal. After struggles, he chose to
abandon all worldly aspirations, including marriage, and
consecrated himself totally to that ideal (Confess. 8,6,13-20,30).

B. From Conversion to Priesthood (386-391)

● Augustine withdrew to Cassiciacum (probably modern-day
Cassago Brianza), returned to Milan the following March, followed
Ambrose’s catechism and was baptized by him on the night of Holy
Saturday, April 24-25, 386.
● While planning to return to Africa with his family to carry out the
“holy aim” of living together in God’s service, Monica died at Ostia.
Thus he returned to Rome and spent 8-10 months interesting himself
in monastic life.
● Returning to Africa, he settled at Thagaste where “together with
those who were united to him he lived for God and instructed those
present and absent through discourses and books” (Possidius).

C. From Priesthood to Episcopate (391-396)

● Augustine went to Hippo Regius “to look for a place to found a monastery and live
with my brothers” (Sermon 355,2). There he was surprised by the priesthood,
which he reluctantly accepted as God’s wish. As he had planned, he
founded a monastery where he lived as priest and monk, in ascesis
and study, following the way and rule established at the time of the
Apostles”. (Possidius,5)
● In 395/396, he was consecrated assistant bishop. Leaving the lay
monastery, which would become a “seminary” of priests and monks
for the whole of Africa (Possidius 11), he withdrew to a clerical
monastery of Hippo (Sermons 355 and 356).

D. From Episcopate to Death (396-430)

Augustine’s pastoral activity comprised:
1. The Church of Hippo: preaching(2x a week- Sat. & Sun. often on
several consecutive days or even 2x a day), “audientia episcopalis”,
care of the poor and orphans, training of the clergy, organization of
male and female monasteries, administration of church property
(not enjoyed but submitted to), visiting the sick.
 2. The Church of Africa: participation in annual councils, frequent
journeys in response to colleagues’ invitations or ecclesiastical
necessity
3. The Universal Church: dogmatic controversies against the
Manichees, the Donatists and the Pelagians

Augustine died on August 28, 430. History tells that a group of African
bishops took the body of Augustine with them while fleeing from the
Vandals. It was deposited in Sardinia on payment of gold equaling the
weight of Augustine’s body.

A king of Lombardy brought it to Pavia where it was buried in the Church of

Ciel D’oro. A relic of his right forearm is retained in the Cathedral of Hippo,
present-day Annaba.

Augustine of Hippo
Important Persons in his Life

A. His Family
- Monica (his mother)
- Patricius (his father)
- Navigius (his brother)
- Perpetua (his sister who became Superior of a religious community for
women)
- Melania (mother of his son Adeodatus)
- Adeodatus (his son)
B. His Friends
- Alypius (“the brother of my heart”)
- Evodius (member of his Cassiciacum group)
- Nebridius (his disciple in Italy)
- Severus (a part of his first community)
- Possidius (his biographer)
C. His Inspirer
- Romanianus (rich friend of the family)
- Cicero (Latin poet author of Hortensius)
- Victorinus (famous philosopher of the 4th century)
- St. Ambrose (Bishop of Milan)
THE WORKS OF SAINT AUGUSTINE
I. BOOKS
A. AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WORKS
1. Confessions
2. Revisions
B. PHILOSOPHICAL – DOGMATIC WORKS
1. Dialogues
2. The Trinity
3. The City of God
4. On Christian Belief
C. PASTORAL WORKS
1. On Marriage and Virginity
2. On Morality and Christian Asceticism
D. EXEGETICAL WORKS
1. Christian Instruction
2. On Genesis
3. On the New Testament
4. On the Old Testament
E. POLEMICAL WORKS
1. The Arian Debate
2. The Manichean Debate
3. The Donatist Controversy
4. Answer to the Pelagians
5. Answer to the Semi-pelagians

II. LETTERS (1-270)

III. HOMILIES (1-400)
IV. EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS (1-150)

THE WORLD of AUGUSTINE: AFRICA

Week 3

INTRODUCTION
● “Africa is a continent of wide varieties and diversity of situation of
both church and society. One common situation without doubt is
that Africa is full of problems. In a world controlled by rich and
 powerful nations, Africa has practically become an irrelevant
appendix, often forgotten and neglected by all.
● The Church is part of this society in distress.” These were the words
of Cardinal Hyacinthe Thiandsum, the Archbishop of Dakar Senegal,
during the opening speech at the Special Assembly for Africa of the
Synod of Bishops in Rome, April 1994.
● The problems of Africa are historical problems. Ignorance of history,
racial prejudice and bias had weakened the efforts and the
struggles of Africans in explaining and liberating their once classical
civilization like the Egyptian Civilization, the Mali and Songhai
Empires and the formidable Mwene Mutapa Empire of Zimbabwe.

People in Africa
● The first effort in re-examining the History of Africa is to know that
Africans are a mixture of different races composed of different
complexion, culture, languages and religions. This is one of the most
important characteristic features of Africa, which has a significant
bearing on economic and political affairs because of the variety of
races, not only in the Continent as a whole but also in individual
countries.
Negros
● They constitute the largest racial group. They occupy most of the
continent south of the Sahara. They are dark skinned. The Negroes
can be roughly divided into two great groups.
1. A Southern Eastern group
2. A Northern Western group speaking a variety of languages
● Nigritic
● Serdanic
● West African
● Negroids

BUSHMEN / SAN PEOPLE

● They survive in the remote and arid lands of Southern Africa. They
have thin lips and hair tightly spiraled to form tufts. If anyone of you
have watched the movie “The Gods Must Be Crazy”, those are
Bushanoids. They are short, light yellow in color, broad nose and
kinky hair.
PYGMIES
● They are confined mainly to the Equatorial forests of the Zaire Basin.
Hunters, trappers and collectors, they are dark skinned, shy people
 with an average of only about 142 cm. (4 ft. & 8 inches). They are
short, medium brown in color, broad nose and kinky hair. Most of
them are living in at the Central part of Africa in Zaire, Angola, Congo
and Gabon.
CAUCASOID / ARMENOIDS
● They are pale-skinned people who have entered Africa from time to
time over thousands of years. Among the earliest arrivals were the
Berber speaking people of North Africa. They are tall, slender, light
complexioned, long haired. St. Augustine belonged here. The major
tribes, the major families are Berbers which is the tribe of St.
Augustine and Bedoins. Most of them are found along Sahara
Desert, Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Egypt. They got lighter
complexion and long hair.
ARABS
● Scarcely distinguishable from the Berbers. The Arabs invaded Egypt
and the rest of North Africa in the seventh century AD and brought
with them Muslim religion. Originally, traders or nomadic
pastoralists, many of them have settled down to become sedentary
cultivators

CAUCASOIDS / EUROPEANS
● The majority of the Caucasoids/ Europeans live in the Republic of
South Africa. More than half of them who mostly speak Afrikaan
descended from Dutch and German settlers at the Cape in the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and the remainder largely
descended from British immigrants who have arrived over 180 years
ago

INDONESIAN
● They came across the Indian Ocean into Madagascar over a
thousand years ago. And Madagascar has trade links with Indonesia
and Malaysia. That’s why, they look like you. So you can see how
hard it is to ask what is the language of Africa.

LANGUAGES
1. AFRO-ASIATIC with 5 coordinate branches:
● Semitic – in Asia as in ancient Egypt
● Berber – in Northwestern Algeria
● Cashitic – in Ethiopia
 ● Chadic – in parts of present-day Chad and Nigeria
2. KHOISAN – spoken in Southern Africa and East Africa
3. CONGO-KORDOFANIAN with 2 families:
● Niger- Congo Kordofanian in West Africa, grasslands of Cameroons
and Central Africa Republic
4. NILO-SAHARAN – spoken in South of the Sahara or in the desert of
Northeast of Lake Chad
● AUSTRONESIAN – in Madagascar, Southeast Asia
● AFRIKAANS – language of the overseas European minority in South
Africa; also of the colored people of Cape province.
● CREOLES – the blend of original alien languages (English, French,
Portuguese) with African tongues as now the home language for
scattered significant elements of the population

SOCIETY
The typically African society is based on kinship, the network of relationship
woven by descent and marriage. “The unity of social organization is the
family not just a man, his wife and their children, but the extended family
embracing three or four generations and including cousins.”

The family as a basic unit differs from place to place but essentially Africans
are family-oriented. It was the glue that blended the society and maintained
peace as Chief Awolano of Nigeria once said. “There was peace because the
people lived closely together, and there was peace because the family was
corporate, integrated and well-regulated.

NORTH AFRICA
Carthage was overwhelmed by Rome in 147 BC and by Cleopatra’s Egypt in
32 BC.” This was the beginning of the formal colonial occupation of North
Africa, including Algeria. For the next five centuries, North Africa, including
Egypt, formed a part of either the Western Roman or the Eastern Byzantine
Empire.

St. Augustine was born in 354 AD during the Roman occupation in North
Africa. It was already after the Edict of Milan in 312, and Christianity was the
Religion of the Empire. “Many of the townspeople of Roman Egypt and North
Africa were converted to Christianity. Augustine of Hippo was one of them.”
In order to be a good citizen who obeyed the Emperor, there was forced
conversion and resistance which led to persecution. For Augustine, the case
was different. It was a personal conversion. The Roman Empire was the pillar
which supported Christianity. When the Empire fell, Christianity had no
support and became vulnerable.

“But at the end of the period of several centuries of European rule in North
Africa, there came suddenly and dramatically the Arabs who invaded
Northern Africa in the seventh century AD.” The invasion drove a wedge into
the falling Christian Empire. “The Berbers, as they have always done, resisted
the new invaders and succeeded in retaining the ancient tribal structure by
retiring to the mountains.”

Augustinian Spirituality
Week 5

What is spirituality? 2. It has always to do with

- It refers to the totality of life in the concrete, with
human life energized by life as it is lived.
an inner drive for 3. Personal Spiritualities
self-transcendence, that 4. Group Spiritualities
is, for moving beyond 5. Theology and Spirituality
self-maintenance to
reach out in love, in free What is Augustinian Spirituality?
commitment to seek truth - It is about concrete/lived
and goodness. experiences of Saint
Augustine of Hippo, an
African-born on fourth
Spirituality according to Van Bavel,
century, monk and
OSA bishop, whose life,
1. Spirituality is a permanent teachings
inner attitude of the - For Augustine, the heart is
human mind, the human the metaphor for all that
heart, and the human is deepest, truest and
spirit. personal in one’s life.

Augustinian Spirituality
 ● reflects the actual life 4. Promotion of Justice,
story of Augustine and his Unity, Harmony, Peace,
experience of conversion and Reconciliation
- “Be of one mind and one ● “You give bread to a
heart towards God.” hungry person, but it
would be better if no one
were hungry.” -Augustine
In Augustinian Spirituality, all good ● Basic principles of
things come back to one thing; Augustinian life includes
Love is the very center of Christian unity in adversity, respect
existence for the dignity and
- “To carry one another’s promotion and sharing of
burdens” is the great all God’s gift.
secret and art of 5. Apostolic Service
Augustinian living. ● Augustinians work as
active contemplative in
Roots of Augustinian Spirituality preaching and teaching,
in spiritual direction and
Some Key Elements of
counseling; in parish,
Augustinian Spirituality
campus and hospital
1. The Word of God
ministries; in theological
● primary place of
encountering, discovering
the mystery of God’s love Characteristics of Augustinian
and action in our world Spirituality
2. Discovering God in 1. The Search for God
Community ● It is the basis which
● True friendship is a way of guides the spirituality. This
experiencing the love of search is an honest one,
God. -Augustine grounding itself in truth
3. Interiority and anchored in faith in
● It is deep within one’s Christ and the
heart that God is found. ● “A religious is a person
Meditation, who has determined to
Contemplation, personal seek God and God’s
reflection, and other kingdom.” (De Trinitate.
forms of prayer allow XV 28,51)
space in our lives to 2. Love as the Centre of
encounter the mystery of Christian Life
● Augustine’s spirituality is ● Augustine’s was fully
characterized by the fact convinced that a person
that the light, in which he must return to his heart if
views the whole gospel, is he hopes to find God.
LOVE; the new song of the 8. The Total Christ
New Testament. ● Augustine never stopped
3. Love of God as Love of searching for Christ, he
Each Other found at the first time in
● Our love for human being so dramatic way as the
is far more concrete than moment of conversion
our love of God. when he “put on the Lord
● “Authentic love for human Jesus Christ.”
being is at the same time 9. Faith-Hope-Love
love of God.” ● Augustine’s theology of
4. The Parable of the Last the theological virtues of
Judgment faith, hope, and love is
● For Augustine the really the key to his entire
Christian adventure spirituality- both gifts and
consists in experiencing actions of God.
love of God as love for 10. Grace and Freedom
each other. ● Freedom comes to the
5. Christian Community faithful through Grace. For
and Friendship Augustine, the greatest
● Unity of ideals and hopes, freedom is to have no
life lived in common, choice at all.
respect for the needs and
dignity of the human
On Che Confessions of St.
person: these are the
three colors which Augustine
characterize an Week 7
Augustinian
6. The Love of Scripture ● St. Augustine:
● One of the great services Confessions: " Either God
Augustine renders to the cannot abolish evil, or he
spiritual life of his will not: if he cannot then
followers is to bring them he is not all-powerful: and
to Scriptures and to help if he will not them he is
them develop a thirst for not all-good".
the Word of God. ● David Hume: "The rock of
7. Interiority atheism".
 ● Basil Mitchell: "Full force existence of an all Loving,
of the problem' All Powerful God
● Richard Swinburne said Augustinian Theodicy
that the atheist must ● named after the 4th
have a satisfactory Century Christian St
answer to this problem, Augustine of Hippo
otherwise there is no nothing to do with the
reason why the atheist animal
should share his faith (pg.
43 Tyler exact quote). ● God is Perfect
● Anthony Flew - biggest ● God made a perfect
challenge facing believer world
is admitting the existence ● God created a world
of suffering is a serious without moral evil or
question that demands natural evil
an answer. ● God saw all that he had
made and it was very
THEODICY good (Genesis 1:3 1)
● A term coined by the ● Evil is not a thing in itself,
great German but the absence of Good
philosopher Gottfried ‘Privatio Boni’ "Privation of
Leibniz. Good'
● Stems from 2 Greek ● God gave humans free
words: Theos (God) -and dike will but when they choose
(righteous) = 'righteous God'. to disobey
● Philosophical attempts to ● God they create an
show all-loving God has ‘absence of good’ within
morally sufficient reason themselves
allowing evil and suffering For when the will abandons what
to occur in the world. is above itself. and turns to what is
● Theodicy must NOT lower it becomes evil not because
qualify God, deny that is evil to which it turns but
existence evil, give up because the turning itself is
faith. wicked (Wicked bad, not wicked
good!)
Theodicy: to “Justify" God
● an attempt to explain how (City of God)
the existence of Suffering THE SIN OF ADAM & EVE
is compatible with the DESTROYED THE STATE OF
PERFECTION
 ● The Doctrine of the Fall of Is it reasonable to say suffering
Man isn't a real thing?
● The Doctrine of Original - Is Augustine playing word
Sin all humans are guilty games by calling evil a
of disobedience “privation”? This idea
God is a Loving Father who is both wouldn't help us comfort
Loving Fair or Just a grieving parent

Loving - through the death of AUGUSTINIAN THEODICY EVIL IS

Jesus, eternal life is available. (On NOT SOMETHING CREATED BY GOD
Free Will) Since there is happiness ● IT IS A LACK (OR
for those who do not sin. the PRIVATION) OF GOODNESS,
universe iS perfect and it is no less CAUSED BY THE
perfect because there is misery DISOBEDIENCE OF HUMAN
for sinners - the penalty of sin BEINGS
corrects the dishonour of sin ● Therefore God does not
Fair or Just - God shows his cause evil but allows it so
Justice by not intervening to that humans suffer the
prevent Evil. "All evil is either sin or consequences of sin
the punishment for sin” ● But also, allows them to
have the opportunity for
Criticisms of the Augustinian redemption through
Theodicy Jesus
- Could a perfect world go
wrong?
The RULE of SAINT
- Schliermacher says this is
a logical contradiction. AUGUSTINE
Either the world wasn't Week 8
perfect, or God enabled it
go wrong Main Themes in the Rule of St. Augustine:
● THE BASIC IDEAL: LOVE AND
Was the world really made COMMUNITY
Perfect? ● PRAYER AND COMMUNITY
- Augustine's view is at ● COMMUNITY AND CARE OF
odds with science THE BODY
- Nature is “red in tooth and ● MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITY
claw”. Humans have risen, FOR ONE ANOTHER
not fallen ● SERVICE OF ONE ANOTHER
(ON THE MATERIAL LEVEL)
● LOVE AND CONFLICT
 ● LOVE IN AUTHORITY AND Augustine had before him
OBEDIENCE read: ‘God who brings
● CONCLUDING those of one mind
EXHORTATION
together in one house’.
● The two translations have
I. THE BASIC IDEAL: LOVE AND
completely different
COMMUNITY
orientations: loneliness is
Structure:
related to the person as
1. The first community of
an individual, while being
Jerusalem as the model
of one mind refers to a
of a community: of one
group of people.
heart and one mind on
Augustine’s intention in
the way to God. Live
quoting this psalm verse
together one in mind and
is to place all emphasis
one in heart. Honor God
on community from the
in one another.
beginning
2. Community of goods as
the first realization of life
Being of one mind and one art
in community
● The First Jerusalem
3. Community life is not
Community is the model
blind uniformity, but
which Augustine wishes
requires the recognition of
to imitate in his religious
each person’s nature and
community.
disposition.
● The multitude of believers
4. Humility and pride as
was of one mind and one
positive and negative
heart who have achieved
factors in community life
simplicity of heart by
detaching attaching
INTERPRETATION in his TIME ( I )
themselves entire from
Live together in harmony
transient thine
● Psalm 68:7 which, in
● They dedicate themselves
modern translation,
entirely to God Sermon on
reads: ‘God who gives the
oic online Psalm 4,10).
lonely a home’; but the
● It is clearly a matter of the
Latin translation
unity within a person as
 an individual. Later, one heart’ from the Acts
'unity of heart' is of the Apostles, he almost
expressed in community always adds the words
life as the unity among ‘on the way to God’.
many people. ● Through the addition of
‘on the way to God’, we
In the word “monk”, we discover are given a good
the Greek word monos which description of Augustine’s
means ‘one’, of simplicity of conception of a religious
heart. Simple persons are those community. It is a group
whose hearts are undivided. of Christians who have
They are of one piece and decided freely to set out
dedicate themselves totally to together, united and of
the service of God. This striving for one mind and one heart,
inner unity makes a person a on the way to God.
monk — from unity within one’s
own heart to unity with others Humility and pride
● ‘God’s hatred for pride is so strong
Augustine put his own personal that he would rather see humility in
stamp on the religious life. He evil deeds than pride in good deeds.’
found his inspiration in the (Sermon on Psalm 93, 15) He
Scriptures (Acts of the Apostles). regularly defends this
All his attention is directed to standpoint when he is
community life as the practical speaking of the celibate
realization of love. state of life:
● ‘It is much better to be married and
‘Together one, in the one Christ, on the way, to humble than celibate and proud.’
the one Father’ (Sermon on Psalm 147, 28) (On Holy Virginity 51, 52)
was the summary of his ideal. ● Thus we see the value of
religious life ought not to
INTERPRETATION (Ch. 1) be exaggerated.
On the way to God ● In comparison with
● It is characteristic of Christian life in general,
Augustine that, to the the religious state of life is
concept ‘of one mind and
 something relative and it ● We ought also to make
remains dependent on our “spiritual goods”
the highest Christian available to one another.
values such as love and It comprises one’s own
humility. talents, character,
temperament, thoughts
IMPACT on our DAYS (Ch. 1) and ideas, inspiration
Community of goods and faith
● In Augustine’s vision,
community of goods is ● The affluence of the few
the first expression and was the cancer of the
the first realization of society in Augustine’s
love for one’s neighbor. time. To it he opposes
● Why does the Rule attach religious community as
such importance to an alternative form of
sharing of material living together where the
goods? rich and poor, the lowly
● Augustine’s reflections on and the mighty relate to
love for one’s neighbor each other as equals and
start from a very realistic brothers.
standpoint: love begins ● For Augustine the first
with giving, with sharing form of divine worship is
what we possess. Sharing to be found in a good
material goods in community life.
common belongs to the ● This even precedes
first phase of love prayer, to which the Rule
comes only in the 2nd
● Sharing one’s possessions Chapter
is considered in the
perspective of the ● ‘When brothers and sisters live
building up of community together in concord, the Lord is
with one another, the praised…’ (Sermon on Psalm 132,
expression of 13). The praise of God
relationships among consists primarily in good
people. relationships between
 community members, the Letter to the Galatians
and love for other human 45)
beings appears as the ● In chapter 5 of the Rule,
greatest praise of God. concern for the interests
God’s indwelling comes of the community, that is,
about both on the for the interests of others,
personal and the is established as the
community level. criterion for judging
whether we have made
● The whole Rule is progress in love for God.
concentrated upon the
relationships of IMPACT (Ch. 1)
community members 1. Practices of Community
among themselves, and Life
love for God is mentioned ● Community life requires
explicitly only once certain agreement or
(chapter 4). consensus, certain level
● This is absolutely of concord, harmony,
consistent with sharing the same ideals
Augustine’s spirituality. In and striving towards the
other texts outside the same ends adhered to as
Rule he emphasizes that normative, so long as they
love for one’s neighbor represent the aspirations
should take precedence of the community and the
over love for God in group recognizes itself in
practice and love for God them.
takes precedence as a ● Being of one mind and
command. one heart on the way to
● Love for one’s neighbor is God still has significance
more concrete and for us today. It does not
tangible. On the other mean that unanimity has
hand, it is much more to reign on all fronts;
difficult to experience the sharing of a common
authenticity of our love for inspiration is important.
God. (Cf. Commentary on
 ● Interpersonal
communication INTERPRETATION (Ch. 2)
demands a sharing in The basic law of all prayers
one another’s inner life, ● ‘When you pray to God in
one another’s ideas, psalms and songs, the
expectations, longings, words spoken by your
activities, hope and faith. lips should also be alive
● If we have learned to in your hearts.’ This,
share in each other’s according to Augustine, is
talents and have the basic law of all
mastered the art of prayers. We should not
bearing one another’s use words to parlay with
burdens, it is possible in God in order to receive
normal circumstances to what we desire.
set up a community ● There has to be harmony
where many differences between lips and heart,
exist between the between the exterior and
members. the interior, between
theory and practice, the

II. PRAYER AND COMMUNITY ideal and life

● This small chapter is ● Longing is always at

devoted almost entirely to prayer, even though the

community prayer. Only tongue is silent.

the third sentence has to ● If your yearning is

do with individual prayer. constant, then you are

always praying.

Structure: ● When does our prayer

1. Fixed times for sleep? Only when our

community prayer desire cools.’ (Sermon 80,

2. Opportunity for individual 7) Even though the prayer

prayer of the heart is the most

3. The basic law of all prayer important, this does not

4. Practical norms for the make verbal prayer

singing of psalms and superfluous. ‘In faith,

hymns hope and love we are

 praying always with concerned for one
uninterrupted longing.’ another’s health

Practical norms Structure:

● ‘When you sing, keep to 1. Moderation in eating and
the text you have’ may be drinking
interpreted as follows: 2. Reading during meals
Keep to the text of the 3. Difference in treatment
Scriptures which it is according to the person
customary to read in the in question (on this point
place where you are. too, respect for the
● “And do not sing what is uniqueness of each
not intended to be sung.” person)
4. Care of the sick
IMPACT (Ch. 2)
Persevere faithfully in prayer INTERPRETATION in his TIME ( III )
● Faithful perseverance in Fasting
prayer at appointed ● For Augustine, asceticism
hours and time is a means denying oneself
necessary requirement something which is
for a faith community. lawful, to strengthen
Regular prayer can be oneself to be able to resist
threatened in various disordered desires and
ways such as our moods avoid longings for the
and when overburdened unlawful. (Sermon 207,2)
with work. It is remarkable how few
severe, ascetical

III. COMMUNITY AND CARE OF THE elements are to be found

in the Rule. This reference
BODY
to fasting is almost the
● The main theme of this
only one.
chapter is care for the
● The absence of rigid
weaker and sick brothers
ascetical practices has
and sisters. We as a
undoubtedly to be seen
group ought to be
in the light of the fact
 that COMMON LIFE IN ● finally, the sick enjoy a
ITSELF DEMANDS GREAT general dispensation
ASCETICISM from the obligation to
● Augustine was very fast; their sickness is in
moderate when it came itself a sufficient trial.
to ascetical practices:
there was always wine at INTERPRETATION ( Ch. 3)
table, and it was Reading at table
Augustine’s expressed ● Normally, it would have
wish that silver spoons be been the Scriptures that
used at meals; the rest of were read. “See what
the tableware was of days are coming – it is
stone, wood or marble. the Lord Yahweh who
(Possidius, Life of speaks – days when I will
Augustine,22) bring famine not of
bread, a drought not of
Augustine’s caution in water, but a hunger and
recommending fasting is thirst to hear the Word of
apparent in three limiting Yahweh.”
conditions summed up in the ● Augustine here once
Rule: again makes his familiar
● ‘as far your health allows’: transition from the
health is obviously more external to the inward,
important than from physical hunger to
asceticism; the hunger of the heart
● exception is made for
those who are not able to IMPACT on our DAYS (Ch. 3)
do without food for the Respect for the person
whole day, that is, until ● Thus, the person with
after three in the fewer capabilities ought
afternoon; they may eat not to impede the person
twice a day, first towards with more; and nor should
midday and later at the those who are more
main meal after three; gifted put pressure on
others who are capable of
 less. You have to render IV. MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR
an account of your
ONE ANOTHER
conscience to God alone.
● The Rule does not in fact
(Rom. 13:8)
give a positive description
of virginity in contrast to
IMPACT (Ch. 3)
what it has to say about
● It is better to be able to
poverty and obedience.
make do with little than to
For a more positive and
have plenty
personal vision of virginity
● Inner freedom is to be
in Augustine, we have to
preferred to material
look to his later works.
possessions. Augustine
takes up a more radical
Structure:
position stated roughly as
1. General norms for
follows: a person can be
irreproachable conduct
happier in lacking
2. Irreproachable conduct
something than in
and one’s inner attitude
possessing it. Why?
towards those of the other
Because someone with
sex
many needs and wants
3. Common responsibility
will be continuously
for one another’s faults
haunted by the craving
4. This responsibility must
for more.
be expressed in
● The object of his attack is
correction.
the tyranny of need, and
5. Procedure to be followed
he wants to convince
in correcting others
people to overcome
6. This manner of acting
selfishness.
holds also as the model
● Voluntary religious
for the correction of other
poverty involves not only
faults.
the relinquishing of
material goods but also
INTERPRETATION in his TIME (Ch.
of the desire for them
4)
Responsibility for one another
 ● God watches over us ● In Matthew the
from within the procedure progresses in
community, through the three phases: a personal
people around us. This is warning; two or three
the reason for the witnesses; the whole
translation ‘God will community. Augustine
watch over you through makes one alteration to
your responsibility for this way of dealing with
one another.’ matters: he assigns a role
● God watches over us, but also to the leader of the
not without our help. He community.
takes care of us through ● The one charged with
others. responsibility for the
religious community is to
INTERPRETATION (Ch. 4) invite the person who has
Correction acted wrongly for a
The procedure to be applied in private talk. This is done in
such cases is this: order to protect the good
● First of all, the person at name of the wrongdoer.
fault is to be warned by ● Only in the third phase
the person who has may the wrong which has
noticed it. been done be made
● Then, the one charged known to a wider circle of
with responsibility for the people, and then only if
community is to be called there are no signs of
in. improvement
● Later, a number of people ● Correcting the
should be informed of the wrongdoer is not a
situation. matter for the superior
● Finally, the transgressor’s alone, but rather a task
faults are to be pointed for the whole group. If the
out to him or her in the person refuses to submit
presence of the whole to the punishment he is
community. given, the community
then has the right to send
 him away. Ridding the life originated as a
group of those who lay-movement
openly flout its ideal is - At the head of the
really a kind of community is a
self-defense lay-superior who
presides over the
- Augustine showed day-to-day running of
greater tolerance in the community.
bearing with wrongdoers Alongside with him is a
in the church than with priest. The priest’s task is
those in a religious not to provide leadership
community. for
- When it comes to a - the group in all its
religious community, aspects; rather, he is
however, we no longer competent exclusively in
meet this same leniency; matters pertaining to the
Augustine is stricter. In proclamation of the faith
chapter 6, too, Augustine and the sacramental life
speaks plainly of people of the community
who, because they are members.
never willing to ask
forgiveness, do not Healing of wounds
belong in a religious ● When a physical wound is
community. taken care of, everyone
experiences it as a boon.
Superior-Priest Why should it be different
- In his communities, there in the case of a spiritual
is evidently a twofold wound? Here, too,
authority, that of the Augustine once again
Superior and that of the makes his well-known
Priest. In order to transition from bodily
understand this properly, reality to the human
we have to recall that, in heart
the early Church, religious
Receiving letters and gifts in protection and is to be
secret seen in the light of the
● In antiquity, a letter had in rather enclosed character
principle a public of religious communities
character. Privacy of of former times
letters is a self-evident
right. Secret IMPACT (Ch. 4)
correspondence, Dress and attitude towards the
however, was almost outside world
exclusively the domain of ● Mathhew 5:27-8 “you have learnt
love letters. This explains how it was said: you must not
why the Rule forbids a commit adultery”. But I say
brother to receive letters this to you: if a man looks
secretly from a woman. at a woman lustfully, he
● But the Rule does not has already committed
forbid all correspondence adultery with her in his
between men and heart.”
women, for we know well ● Once again, this offers
enough that Augustine Augustine an opportunity
himself had a number of to make a transition from
women correspondents. the outward to the
inward, from the
Everything one receives is first to violation of virginity (by
be made available to the physical acts) to the
community. The community then unfaithfulness of the
divides the goods among its heart. It is first in the
different members. human heart that our
actions are formed,
IMPACT on our DAYS because from our hearts
● The Rule’s precept about emerge all our deeds. (cf.
not going out alone has to Mark 7:21)
be understood in the
context of life in a Love for the person; aversion for
different time and culture. his faults
It is intended as a kind of
 ● Augustine constantly 1. Clothing held in common
makes a distinction 2. Concern for the interests
between the person and of the community as a
his faults. It is easy and criterion of progress
requires no effort to hate 3. Public baths and care of
the wicked because they the sick
are wicked. But it is 4. Looking after one another
exceptional and good to in all our physical needs
love them because they
are human beings. INTERPRETATION in his TIME (Ch.
● Love the person created 5)
by God, not the faults Clothing
which belong to him. Even ● Clothes were considered
though you are part of the community’s
sometimes obliged to property; they were stored
take harsh action, do it in one room, and
out of love for the good of distributed from there.
the other. (Sermons on
the First Letter of John INTERPRETATION (Ch. 5)
The inner motivation in caring for

V. SERVICE OF ONE ANOTHER (ON one another

● The central idea of this
THE MATERIAL LEVEL)
chapter is found in the
● Food, clothes, footwear
sentence: Therefore the
and books all have to be
degree to which you are
looked after; there is the
concerned for the
question of health-care
interests of the
(public baths) and care
community rather than
of the sick. This is the
for your own, is the
most concrete part of the
criterion by which you
Rule because it is directly
can judge how much
involved with ordinary
progress you have
day-to-day
made.’ By ‘progress’ is
meant: progress in
Structure:
Christian living, in the
 spiritual life, in love for on this point the Rule is
God. moderate.
● In contrast to the many
● Community in this ascetics of Augustine’s
instance should not be days who completely
understood abstractly as rejected the use of public
‘the organization’ or ‘the baths, the Rule allows for
institution’, but the word exceptions if there are
should be taken in the good reasons for them
sense of ‘the living whether bathing in a
persons around me’. particular instance is seen
● To serve the interests of to be useful or necessary.
the community means in The good health of the
the first place, for brothers appears here as
Augustine, to serve the a compelling reason;
interests of the other when health is at stake,
people. And concrete one must do all one can.
love for others is, for
Augustine, the IMPACT on our DAYS (Ch. 5)
equivalent of love for Books
God. This is an idea which ● That good care taken of
is central to the Rule books was a matter of the
utmost importance to
Public baths Augustine. This regulation
● There was prohibition to grants us a glimpse of the
visit the public baths importance which
merely for one’s own Augustine attached to
pleasure, therefore, we the intellectual formation
can discern an element of of his monks.
social protest; that is, a
protest against luxury VI. LOVE AND CONFLICT
and accumulated ● The principal theme of
wealth, against idleness this chapter is common
of the privileged. But even life, with the highest
possible level of
 understanding between the Rule quote 1 John 3:15 at
members of the this point: ‘Whoever hates his
community. For the text is brother is a murderer.’ But the
principally concerned results of hatred do not
end there, for it also kills
Structure: the hater himself.
1. Do not allow quarrels to
grow into hatred Love guided by the Spirit
2. Mutual forgiveness ● In the New Testament,
3. Attitude towards the the word ‘flesh’ does not
young people in the simply refer to the body,
monastery who have not but it denotes the sinful
yet reached adulthood situation in which human
beings find themselves.
INTERPRETATION in his TIME (Ch. The word ‘spirit’ refers to a
6) life guided by God’s Spirit.
The splinter that becomes a ● What Augustine means
beam by love according to the
● The Rule uses these flesh is covetousness,
symbols of splinter and envy, ego. Love means
beam more to picture the transcending our ego.
process which occurs in
one and the same person: IMPACT on our DAYS (Ch. 6)
splinters become beams Forgiving one another and
in oneself; in other words, praying the Our Father
small things become ● The awful thing about
matters of great causing harm to another
consequence in oneself. is that it happens at all,
● Love, for Augustine, is for what is done can
life. Hatred, on the other never be completely
hand, means undone. To forgive means
malevolence towards the to see to it that the other
other, which is the same is no longer treated as
as wishing his death. Not guilty in one’s regard.
without good reason does
 ● Thus we may ask God to exaggerated humility
‘forgive us our trespasses,’ could be detrimental to
provided that we the exercise of authority.
ourselves forgive our Too submissive an
sisters and brothers. attitude could have a
Otherwise, our prayer for counter-productive
forgiveness becomes a effect on the young
lie on two counts: first, people by making them
because what we say is haughty and stubborn.
not true; and, second, ● There are indeed other
because we do not keep ways of making up for
to our agreement with unduly harsh action
God against them; by
● In the case of someone exchanging a friendly
who is never willing to word with them, for
ask forgiveness, example, or by humbling
Augustine says straight oneself before God. It is
out that such a person debatable whether
does not belong in a Augustine is right in this.
religious community. He
is there ‘without reason’; VII. LOVE IN AUTHORITY AND
that is to say, his
OBEDIENCE
remaining in a religious
● We summarize the
community has become
contents of this chapter
quite meaningless
under the title ‘Love in
Authority and Obedience’
Attitude towards the young
because both in
people in the monastery
exercising authority and
● Augustine was of the
in obeying, the emphasis
opinion that one’s attitude
is principally on love.
towards these young
● This chapter of the Rule is
people need not be the
also one of the most
same as one’s attitude
characteristically
towards adult sisters and
Augustinian, because
brothers. He feared that
 Augustine offers here a and other members of
very personal vision of the group.
authority and obedience
Spiritual direction formed the
Structure: most important duty of the abba
1. Obey your superior or amma. In the direction given
2. Duty of the superior: to by the spiritual father or mother,
serve in love, to guide and the members of the community
to be an example heard the voice of the divine
3. Obedience as an act of Spirit. The authority of the
compassionate love spiritual leaders lay principally in
interpreting the call of the Holy
INTERPRETATION in his TIME (Ch. Spirit for their followers.
7)
Structure of Augustinian For Augustine, on the other hand,
monastic communities AUTHORITY consists much more in
● Because Augustine’s the manifold service which one
foundations arose out of person can offer to others:
a group of friends, it is concern for the living out of the
obvious that the person community ideal; action to be
responsible for the taken in the case of violations of
community is no longer that ideal; being an example
called abba or amma but oneself of fidelity to the ideals the
praepositus, ‘the one community has set for itself (Titus
who is put forward’, or, as 2:7); serving others in love;
it could also be encouraging, supporting and
translated, ‘brother prior’ being patient with them (1 Thess.
or ‘sister prioress.’ 5:14).
● Despite the fact that the
person responsible is the We see in the democratic mould
leader, he is still one of of Augustine’s Rule a kind of
many. He remains a protest against Roman society
member of the group and with its strongly juridical
there is no essential character and sharply
difference between him demarcated power structures.
The monasticism is proposed as each other. Both directing
a new form of society where the and obeying are
barriers between former slaves considered as acts of
and those who were powerful love.
landholders fall away.
INTERPRETATION (Ch. 7)
● In the monastery Not power but service
everyone is given the ● That the meaning of
possibility of living authority among
together with others on Christians is ‘to be of
an equal footing, in service’ is a favorite
brotherhood, and, if theme in the works of
possible, in friendship. Augustine.
● Christ or the Holy Spirit ● Augustine never
are the spiritual leaders considered office as an
around whom the whole honor, but always as a
community must gather; burden (sarcina, that is,
the community then the baggage which a
listens as a group to soldier had to carry on his
Christ, the Spirit and the back) because of his
Gospel. responsibility to God.
However, he shall be the
● The fact that Augustine in least of all.
his Rule does not stress
the point that religious Because of his responsibility he
hear the voice of God in a shall be the least all
human being – although ● Because of his
this idea does turn up responsibility, the
elsewhere in his work – superior is the least of all
amounts to an important with regards to God. This
shift of emphasis. The means that his
focus is shifted from faith responsibility to God is
to love, although these greater than that of
two can never be others because he has
radically separated from been charged with the
 care of all. Thus ‘the least religious community. As
of all’ here has the indicated by the word ‘as’,
meaning ‘he who serves Augustine is only making
most.’ a comparison with the
● ‘To lie under your feet’ is family.
an ancient expression
full of symbolism; it also Because of your esteem he is
occurs frequently in the your superior
Bible. A person who lies ● No one can be a superior
under another’s feet is the unless others esteem
lowest, the least of all. and value him as such.
● Augustine is referring Thus a person may well
rather to someone who be appointed leader of a
freely chooses to serve group and charged with
others and who, by doing responsibility for it, but,
so, shows his desires to be unless there are also
less than others. people who accept this
leadership, nothing will
IMPACT on our DAYS (Ch. 7) come of it in everyday life.
Obey your superior ● No one is our superior by
● ‘Obey your superior [the nature, but, because of
lay-superior and the our commitment, we
priest] as a father,’ says make another person our
the Rule. With the words superior; thus our free
‘as a father’ Augustine choice and co-operation
intends to bring out the are presupposed
atmosphere of trust and
familiarity within which Love-respect
the relationship between ● According to Augustine,
superiors and other even in the purest of
members of the loves, an element of fear
community should take is still preserved; this he
place. will call honorable fear.
● Family ties do not exist We understand now why
between members of a
 the Rule connects love 2. The life-giving aroma of
and fear with each other. Christ
● For all genuine love 3. Free under grace
necessarily includes 4. As in a mirror
reverence and respect
even if solely because of INTERPRETATION in his TIME (Ch.
the fact that the person 8)
loved is different from As in a mirror
ourselves. ● Augustine uses this
image of mirror very
Compassion with yourselves and frequently. Usually he
with the superior applies it to the
● ‘By your ready and loving Scriptures, but he also
obedience, therefore, you uses it in relation to the
not only show apostolic confession of
compassion to faith, the
yourselves, but also to commandments of God,
your superior.’ and even in relation to his
● What is at stake is own teaching.
genuine concern for the ● He also calls his Rule a
deepest meaning of life, mirror. Because of the
and this is to be found in evangelical inspirations
love for God and for one which the Rule offers, it
another. too is an exhortation to
live and act in the spirit of

VIII. CONCLUDING EXHORTATION Christ. What is said in the

● This final chapter of the Rule is like a mirror in

Rule is more than just a which we are to look

conclusion. It directs us to regularly in order to see

the foundations of whether we are

religious community and neglecting or forgetting

to the goal pursued there. anything.

Structure: INTERPRETATION (Ch. 8)

1. Desire for spiritual beauty

Not as slaves – but as those who
are free ● Augustine was never the
● For Augustine, the most man for a host of
important precepts and laws;
characteristics of our rather, he was a person
liberation through Christ always in search of the
are love and (‘Love is the essential, in pursuit of the
fulfillment of the Law’: inner core of things and of
Rom. 13:10) bearing one the human heart.
another’s burdens (‘Bear ● Freedom appears as a
one another’s burdens, characteristic of the
and thus you will fulfill the religious life, along with
Law of Christ’: Gal. 6:2) love and holiness.
● It was Augustine’s wish to Freedom must have been
apply the contrast slave – an important element of
free to his Rule. His Rule is the religious life for
not intended as a Augustine.
detailed system of laws
but as a call to a life in joy IMPACT on our DAYS (Ch. 8)
and freedom made Desire for spiritual beauty
possible by the ● What Augustine means
abundance of Christ’s by spiritual beauty is the
grace. highest, the divine beauty.
● Throughout the Rule, this The loving desire for
freedom under grace spiritual beauty is to be
finds expression; for it the foundation of our
can be seen at a glance action. In Augustine, the
how few concrete concept of beauty is
prescriptions or detailed always linked to another
defined norms are given idea, namely, that of
in the Rule. The Rule contemplative
consists of several enjoyment.
fundamental principles to ● ‘We shall come to possess
which we should look for beauty by loving him who
inspiration. always remains beautiful.
 According as love grows
in you, beauty grows too.
For love is the beauty of
the soul.’

IMPACT (Ch. 8)
To spread the life-living aroma of
Christ
● Our personal conduct
and our own concrete
choices are the best
proclamation of Christ.
This holds for religious as
well: their lives must
show forth Christ’s power
of attraction.

Living up to the ideal - failure

● For all the good in us is
not our own achievement,
but ultimately God’s gift.
This idea is entirely in
harmony with Augustine’s
well known assertion: “Even
our merits are God’s gifts.”
(Sermon 298,5,5)