this true happiness could only be found in the Lord Our

1
St. Augustine of Hippo

• Who was he?
• What were his key beliefs?

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Augustine

• Born in 354 C.E
• Born in Tagaste, near Carthage (now called
  Tunisia
• Converted to Christianity at age 33
• Became a Bishop in 395 C.E.
• His most famous work The Confessions
• Viewed as a great Christian Philosopher

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His Changing Beliefs

• When he was young he followed Manichaeism
• Manichaeists believed that our future was mapped
  out for us, and that everything that happened was
  pre-planned for us.
• They were materialistic people
• Augustine became influenced by Plato and
  Christianity
• He rejected Manichaeism for a more spiritual
  understanding of life.

4
People Control Their Own Lives

• Augustine believed that all human beings have
  free will
• As a result of this be believed that people have
  the ability to influence their own choices and
  decisions in life.
• He wrote in his book, The Confessions, that all
  people are on a journey in search of happiness
• For Augustine, this true happiness could only be
  found in the Lord
• Our hearts are restless until they rest in you,
  O Lord

5
Who Cannot Search??

• Augustine recognised that not all people are
  searching for meaning.
• He believed that people could not search because
  they had mistaken their own self-sufficiency
• This was because they were either in despair and
  could not understand what happiness was
• OR
• they were so full of pride they felt they didnt
  need God

6
Love

• Augustine believed that people, above all else,
  want to give love and feel loved
• He believes that it is God who seeks us and
  offers us His love
• Through experiencing this love, we learn how to
  love others
• Love and Friendship are very important to him

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Truth

• Augustine felt it was important for each person
  to search for truth
• He believed that truth was a gift from God
• He believed that God searches for us to offer
• us His gifts.

9
He Was Different

• His understanding of love and friendship went
  beyond the Greek ideal
• His love went further, to extend as far as the
  enemy.
• He believed you needed to love your enemy too.
• He introduced the concept of Free Will to society
• He was the first philosopher to believe that a
  person could have control and influence over
  their lives.