Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430) was a Christian philosopher and theologian. This bishop of the City of Hippo was an important figure in the evolution of pagan attitudes into Christian philosophy.
Born in Tagaste in the Roman province of Numidia in North Africa, now Algeria, to a pagan father and a Christian mother, Augustine converted to Christianity at the age of 31 under the influence of Bishop Ambrose of Milan. Augustine desired a quiet life of philosophizing about theology and writing books. However, when he moved to the port town of Hippo to establish a monastery, he was required to take over the duties of the local bishop. He regretted that he had to spend much time delivering sermons and running a parish instead of writing.
Saint Augustine is known today for his two major works, The Confessions (397–400 CE,) and The City of God (426 CE,) the latter written after the fall of Rome to the Barbarians in 410 CE. In The Confessions, one of the first memoirs of Western literature, Augustine scrutinized his earlier life—the sins he had committed—crying over a fictional character in a poem, stealing pears from a neighbor’s tree, sexual fantasies and exploits, long relationship with a concubine, and so forth. His meditations on his emotional development and the growth of his soul in the context of his own pagan experience are often seen as an argument for Roman Catholicism.
Saint Augustine is also remembered for his philosophies about the notion of original sin—he asserted that all humans are born sinful because they are descended from Adam and Eve, who committed the first sin.
Soon after his death of Augustine, the City of Hippo was destroyed by Vandals. Augustine’s library survived, and all his ideas about resisting pagan influences became church doctrine. His urging that all Christian churches follow the central church in Rome was responsible for preventing the Christian faith from breaking up into separate churches during the medieval period.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Augustine of Hippo
God had one Son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Trials, Adversity
The world is a great book, of which they who never stir from home read only a page.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Travel
Do not believe yourself healthy. Immortality is health; this life is a long sickness.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Immortality
Our hearts have been made for you, O God, and they shall never rest until they rest in you.
—Augustine of Hippo
No eulogy is due to him who simply does his duty and nothing more.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Duty
Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Prayer, Work
What I needed most was to love and to be loved, eager to be caught. Happily I wrapped those painful bonds around me; and sure enough, I would be lashed with the red-hot pokers or jealousy, by suspicions and fear, by burst of anger and quarrels.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Love, Feelings
God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: God, Love
There is something in humility which strangely exalts the heart.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Humility
Patience is the companion of wisdom.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Patience, Wisdom
What then is time? If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Time Management, Time
The sufficiency of my merit is to know that my merit is not sufficient.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Humility, Merit
Blessedness consists in the accomplishment of our desires, and in our having only regular desires.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Happiness
People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: People, Journeys, Self-Discovery, Reflection, Wonder
Be displeased with what thou art, if thou desirest to attain to what thou art not; for where thou hast pleased thyself, there thou abidest, and if thou sayest I have enough, thou perishest.
—Augustine of Hippo
What you are must always displease you, if you would attain to that which you are not.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Life, Motivation
Love, and do what you like.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Value of Time, Simple Living, Simplicity, Time Management, Love
Everyone who observes himself doubting observes a truth, and about that which he observes he is certain; therefore he is certain about a truth. Everyone therefore who doubts whether truth exists has in himself a truth on which not to doubt…. Hence one who can doubt at all ought not to doubt the existence of truth.
—Augustine of Hippo
Drunkenness is a flattering devil, a sweet poison, a pleasant sin, which whosoever hath, hath not himself, which whosoever doth commit, doth not commit sin, but he himself is wholly sin.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Drunkenness
Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Faith
Do you wish to rise?. Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds?. Lay first the foundation of humility.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Humility, Leaders, Leadership
Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Humility
In doing what we ought we deserve no praise, because it is our duty.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Proverbs, Praise, Duty
To abstain from sin when one can no longer sin is to be forsaken by sin, not to forsake it.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Sin
The desire is thy prayers; and if thy desire is without ceasing, thy prayer will also be without ceasing. The continuance of your longing is the continuance of your prayer.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Desire, Desires
O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Cheerfulness
Trust not the world, for it never payeth what it promiseth.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: World
Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Humility
Grant what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Courage, Bravery
Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe.
—Augustine of Hippo
Topics: Faith, Belief, Vision
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