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Augustine of Hippo
354–430· Founder, prophet or teacher· Judaism, Christianity & Islam
Historical recordConfirmed by archaeology, outside sources or contemporary records.
A North African bishop whose writings on grace, sin and history shaped Western Christianity more than anyone's since Paul.
See it on the World Religions map →What it is
Born in Thagaste, in today's Algeria, to a Christian mother, Monica, and a pagan father, he studied rhetoric, joined the dualist Manichaean sect and taught in Carthage, Rome and Milan. In 386, after hearing a child's voice say 'take up and read', he opened Paul's letters and converted. As bishop of Hippo from 396 he wrote the Confessions, often called the first Western autobiography, and The City of God, begun after the Goths sacked Rome in 410. He died in 430 as Vandals besieged Hippo.
Why it matters
His ideas on original sin, grace, just war and the 'two cities' guided Catholic theology and later inspired Luther and Calvin, shaping both sides of the Reformation.
Life, legacy and sources
An unusually large body of his writing survives, including dozens of books and hundreds of letters and sermons, plus a biography by his friend Possidius.
Questions and debates
Scholars debate how much his views on sin, sexuality and predestination owe to his Manichaean past, and how literally to read the Confessions' story.
Connections (2)
▸Augustine of Hippo shaped the theology of Roman Catholic Church and the papacyHistorical record
The connection
Augustine's writings became the backbone of Western Catholic theology: original sin inherited from Adam, grace as God's free gift, sacraments valid even when given by sinful priests, and history as a struggle between the 'City of God' and the earthly city. Medieval theologians, including Aquinas, built on him.
When and where
Hippo, Roman North Africa (modern Annaba, Algeria), where he was bishop 395–430; Confessions about 400, City of God 413–426.
Historical evidence
About 5 million words of his writings survive; councils such as Orange (529) and Trent (1545–1563) draw on him, and the Church names him a Doctor of the Church.
Questions and debates
Luther and Calvin also claimed Augustine, and Catholics and Protestants still debate whose reading of his teaching on grace is truer; Orthodox churches give him less weight.
▸Augustine of Hippo deeply influenced Martin LutherHistorical record
The connection
Luther belonged to the Augustinian order, and Augustine's teaching that humans cannot save themselves and depend wholly on God's grace became central to his thinking. Luther read Augustine's writings against the Pelagians, who stressed human effort, and cited him constantly against the theology of his day, while going further with justification by faith alone.
When and where
Erfurt and Wittenberg, Germany, c. 1505–1520s; Luther entered the Augustinian order in 1505 and lectured on Paul's letters, drawing on Augustine.
Historical evidence
Luther's lectures, letters and treatises cite Augustine extensively; he credited Augustine with confirming his reading of Paul.
Questions and debates
How closely Luther followed Augustine is debated: Augustine saw grace as gradually transforming the believer, while Luther stressed God declaring sinners righteous.