Essay Perception of God and Evil by Augustine of Hippo

Augustine of Hippo (354-430) is among the most influential thinkers in Christianity. He contributed a great number of ideas and notions to Christian theology that would have lasting effect on belief systems in Christian churches. One of his most notable contributions is the notion of â€Å"original sin† and his concept of â€Å"evil.† These notions evolved over the years. Augustine traces their evolution in his Confessions, a thirteen-volume autobiography he wrote when he was in his forties. An essential part of Confessions is Augustine’s conversion to Christianity and his evolving understanding of good and evil. In book seven of Confessions, Augustine describes his perception of God before his conversion to Christianity. He explains that he†¦show more content†¦Significantly, Manichaeism perceives of God and his evil antagonist, Satan, as being restricted to the world. This notion appealed to the young Augustine, as he struggled to comprehend how anything like evil could exist. He seek out Neoplatonic books only to conclude that it shares similar Manichean teaching where evil represents physical matters like the body. However, Neoplatonism helped him realize a new understanding of God existing in an intelligible realm. After his conversion to Christianity, Augustine came to think of God not just as a spiritual being but also sovereign over all beings, which is a clear rejection of the Manichaeistic worldview. The lyrics to Carman’s The Champion sum up Augustine’s notion of God quite nicely, when they state, â€Å"Of the war between the lord of sin and death, And the Omnipotent Creator of man’s first breath, Who will decide who will forever be the Champion† (â€Å"The Champion† second stanza). God is according to Augustine the single sovereign, who rules over everything, even the evil forces in the universe. This sovereignty is grounded in Augustine’s understanding that God created everything. This assumption ultimately solves the question why evil exists. It exists because God created it, just like he created everything else. Augustine suggests that everything God creates in inherently good. However, creatures can become â€Å"evil† because they are prone to corruption (Mann 44). Furthermore, rational beings haveShow MoreRelatedSt. Augustine s Life And Life734 Words   |  3 PagesAugustine was born November 13, A.D. 354, in Tagaste; and died seventy-six years later in Hippo Regius. Augustine was raise up in a family with both parents his father (Patricius) who was a nonbeliever until later in life and Augustine mother (Monica) a child of God. His mother taught Augustine at a young age about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Augustine like any other young t eenager did not like school but at the same time had a desire to be liked by his teacher’s, but had some bad behavioralRead MoreSocrates And St. Augustines Views On Death1305 Words   |  6 Pageswith their theories. 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