Augustine of Hippo

Platonist and Christian Philosopher

354-430

Augustine, a voluminous writer on the subject of philosophy and its relation to religion is considered one of the most important church fathers of old. Beginning with his Confessions(c400) Augustine chronicled his life and conversion to Christianity from Manichaeanism. He is a strong neo-Platonist, and his scant philosophical training is clearly evident from the manuscript, though it is clear that he had a powerful intellect. Using his background in rhetoric, he constructed a version of Christianity from the platonic commentaries that he trained himself with.

Some of his other works include Contra Academicos(386), De Ordine(386), De Libero Arbitrio(386), and some of his more famous works like On the Trinity(399-412,420), On Genesis According to the Letter (401-15), and On the City of God(413-26). His later works are primarily inspired by the Christian religion, they discuss issues of philosophical importance within the bible, and pagan influences upon society.

Some important aspects of his philosophy include the idea of divine illumination, the doctrine of grace, and his ideas on time and space.