Augustine of Hippo was a North African bishop, theologian, and philosopher whose writings shaped Western Christianity and Western thought. Born in Thagaste to a Christian mother and pagan father, he pursued rhetoric and lived a restless early life marked by intellectual searching. His conversion to Christianity in Milan, influenced by Ambrose, led him to return to North Africa, where he became bishop of Hippo. His major works—Confessions, The City of God, and On the Trinity—explored human desire, divine grace, and the nature of the Church. He died during the Vandal siege of Hippo, leaving a legacy that remains central to Christian theology.
St Augustine
born 13 Nov 354 in Thagaste
48 works written in 4 locations (12,865 pages)
| Date | Name and Summary | Pages | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 386–387 | This collection by Augustine, "Soliloquies," presents an introspective exploration of the nature of knowledge, truth, the soul, and God through a series of reflective questions and dialogues within the mind.more | 75 | Cassiciacum |
| 386–430 | This collection summarizes the writings of Augustine, predominantly focusing on theological doctrines, Christian virtues, and responses to various heresies.more | 1,231 | Hippo Regius |
| 387–388 | This treatise by Augustine defends the moral teachings of the Catholic Church, emphasizing that true happiness and the chief good for man lie in loving and understanding God through faith and virtue.more | 64 | Rome |
| 388 | This treatise argues that evil is not a substance or created by God but is instead a dissonance or disagreement against the natural order and purpose of creation.more | 63 | Rome |
| 391 | This polemic refutes the Manichaean heresy by demonstrating that all souls and bodies originate from God, emphasizing that life and understanding, whether virtuous or vicious, are divine gifts inherently from God.more | 34 | Hippo Regius |
| 391–392 | This treatise emphasizes the importance of believing in divine truths through faith, guided by divine authority and divine miracles, rather than solely by human reason, especially in matters of religion.more | 57 | Carthage |
| 392 | This disputation explores the nature of God, the origin of evil, and the role of free will in the human condition, ultimately affirming that God is perfect, inviolable, and not the author of evil.more | 32 | Hippo Regius |
| 392–422 | This collection, "Expositions on the Psalms" by Augustine, offers a profound spiritual interpretation of the Psalms, illustrating how they prefigure Christ and His Church while emphasizing themes of humility, faith, love, divine justice, mercy, and the hope of eternal life.more | 2,138 | Hippo Regius |
| 393 | This treatise explains the core tenets of the Christian faith as summarized in the Apostles' Creed, emphasizing the importance of faith, correct doctrine, and the protection of the church against heretics.more | 34 | Hippo Regius |
| 393–396 | This treatise explains that the Sermon on the Mount presents the highest moral standards for the Christian life, emphasizing that true righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and is rooted in inward purity, humility, and love.more | 180 | Hippo Regius |
| 393–400 | This sermon emphasizes the importance of sincerely adopting and memorizing the core Christian faith expressed in the Creed, which encapsulates beliefs about God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.more | 19 | Hippo Regius |
| 395–396 | This treatise explores the moral and spiritual implications of lying, emphasizing that it is inherently iniquitous and always to be avoided, especially in the context of divine commandments.more | 64 | Hippo Regius |
| 395–420 | This treatise articulates that true continence is a divine gift from God, essential for restraining the inner and outer expressions of lust and sin.more | 44 | Hippo Regius |
| 395–430 | This collection offers a comprehensive exposition of Augustine's reflections on Gospel passages, emphasizing the importance of faith, humility, charity, and divine mysteries in the spiritual journey toward God.more | 977 | Hippo Regius |
| 396–400 | This treatise refutes the Manichaean worldview by highlighting its contradictions and errors, emphasizing that only God is perfectly good and that all created natures, although capable of corruption, are fundamentally good by their divine origin.more | 63 | Hippo Regius |
| 396–426 | This treatise provides comprehensive guidance on the proper interpretation and teaching of Scripture, emphasizing the importance of understanding divine truth through humble reliance on God's aid, careful analysis of language, and correct use of interpretative rules.more | 223 | Hippo Regius |
| 397–400 | This refutation demonstrates that Augustine refutes Faustus's claims by emphasizing the harmony, authority, and prophetic fulfillment of Scripture, reaffirming that the Old Testament prefigures Christ and remains authoritative under the New Testament.more | 572 | Hippo Regius |
| 397–400 | This book offers a profound autobiographical reflection on Augustine’s spiritual journey, highlighting his recognition of God's greatness, his struggles with sin, and his eventual conversion to Christianity rooted in faith and divine grace.more | 407 | Hippo Regius |
| 399–400 | This book provides detailed guidance on catechising the uninstructed, emphasizing the importance of teaching with love, cheerfulness, and appropriate methods tailored to different audiences.more | 91 | Hippo Regius |
| 399–400 | This treatise affirms that faith in unseen divine truths is rational and essential for human life and societal order, relying on divine fulfilled prophecies and the inner witness of the Church's history.more | 19 | Hippo Regius |
| 399–427 | This treatise affirms that the divine Trinity, consisting of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is one God in essence and three persons in relation, infinitely united yet distinct, revealed through both Scripture and divine nature.more | 614 | Hippo Regius |
| 400–401 | This treatise argues that baptism conferred outside the Catholic Church by heretics or schismatics still retains its validity in itself, but it is not rightly received or profitable unless the recipient is in genuine union with the Church and lives according to the faith.more | 284 | Hippo Regius |
| 400–402 | This polemic presents Augustine's comprehensive refutation of Petilian the Donatist, emphasizing the doctrinal necessity of divine grace in baptism and the unity of the Catholic Church.more | 324 | Hippo Regius |
| 400–405 | This treatise explains the harmonious nature of the four Gospels, demonstrating that their apparent discrepancies are due to differences in narration, emphasis, and recollection, all under divine guidance, rather than actual contradiction.more | 483 | Hippo Regius |
| 400–405 | This treatise emphasizes the importance of diligent labor among monks and advocates for working with one's hands as a means of spiritual and bodily sustenance, aligning with the apostolic example and Scripture.more | 65 | Hippo Regius |
| 400–414 | This treatise emphasizes that widowhood and celibacy are higher and more virtuous states of life than marriage, but all are permissible within Christian doctrine when undertaken with sincere intent and faith.more | 40 | Hippo Regius |
| 401 | This treatise affirms that marriage, as instituted by divine Law, is inherently good and ordained for the natural purposes of propagation, faithfulness, and the sacrament, but it also emphasizes that continence and spiritual obedience are higher goods.more | 45 | Hippo Regius |
| 401–403 | This treatise emphasizes that true Christian virtue lies in humility and loving service, especially highlighting the significance of virginal purity dedicated to God as the highest form of holiness.more | 63 | Hippo Regius |
| 405 | This treatise asserts that God is the highest, unchangeable good from whom all creation and goodness originate, and it defends the divine goodness against Manichæan assertions of duality and evil.more | 38 | Hippo Regius |
| 406–416 | This collection offers a comprehensive exposition of Augustine’s interpretation of the "Homilies on the First Epistle of John," emphasizing the central role of charity as the measure and proof of true faith and relationship with God.more | 192 | Hippo Regius |
| 406–421 | This collection presents a profound meditation on the Incarnation, the Trinity, and the spiritual life rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ as revealed through the Gospel of John, emphasizing humility, divine love, and faith.more | 1,310 | Hippo Regius |
| 412 | This treatise explores the doctrine of original sin, emphasizing that all humanity inherits sin and mortality from Adam, and highlights the necessity of baptism for the remission of this inherited guilt, especially in infants.more | 182 | Hippo Regius |
| 412 | This treatise explores the relationship between the letter of the law and the spiritual guidance provided by God's grace, emphasizing that true righteousness and righteousness without sin are ultimately gifts from divine grace, achievable through faith and the Holy Spirit.more | 93 | Hippo Regius |
| 412–413 | This treatise explores the nature of human righteousness and the capacity of individuals to live without sin, emphasizing that true perfection is only attainable through God's grace and the healing power of Christ.more | 53 | Hippo Regius |
| 413–426 | This book describes how the divine promises of eternal life, perfect peace, and the judgment of all in the last day are fulfilled in Christ and His church, contrasting the city of God with the earthly city rooted in pride, disobedience, and false worship of idols and demons.more | 1,414 | Hippo Regius |
| 415 | This treatise explains that human nature, created good by God, was corrupted by sin, and that salvation and righteousness are ultimately only achievable through God's grace and the sacraments of Christ.more | 89 | Hippo Regius |
| 415–420 | This treatise explains that true patience is a divine grace rooted in love and faith, enabling believers to endure evil and suffering for righteousness' sake, ultimately leading to eternal salvation.more | 28 | Hippo Regius |
| 417 | This treatise examines and refutes the heretical teachings of Pelagius, emphasizing that his views on human free will, grace, and sin are contrary to the orthodox doctrine of the Church.more | 87 | Hippo Regius |
| 418 | This treatise explicates the profound differences between Augustine and Pelagius regarding the nature of divine grace, original sin, and human free will, emphasizing that Pelagius disingenuously minimizes the necessity of God's grace in human salvation.more | 112 | Hippo Regius |
| 418–420 | This treatise defends the Catholic understanding of marriage, original sin, and the necessity of Christ's salvation, clarifying that marriage and procreation are fundamentally good gifts from God, but are corrupted by original sin stemming from human disobedience.more | 128 | Hippo Regius |
| 419–420 | This treatise explores the nature and origin of the soul, emphasizing the importance of doctrinal accuracy and the dangers of speculative errors that threaten Christian faith.more | 177 | Hippo Regius |
| 420 | This treatise advocates that it is fundamentally wrong for Christians to lie, even with the aim of uncovering heretics or protecting the faith, emphasizing that truth must be upheld at all times.more | 62 | Hippo Regius |
| 420–421 | This treatise defends and clarifies the Catholic doctrine against heresies and calumnies propagated by the Pelagians, emphasizing the necessity and gratuitous nature of divine grace in salvation, and affirming that humans are fundamentally in need of God's mercy due to original sin and inherent weakness.more | 178 | Hippo Regius |
| 420–421 | This treatise explores the nature and importance of faith, hope, and love as fundamental principles of Christian life, emphasizing that true wisdom begins with the fear of God and is rightly directed towards worshipping Him through these virtues.more | 108 | Hippo Regius |
| 420–422 | This treatise argues that caring for the bodies of the dead, especially in burial and memorial practices, serves primarily as an act of charity and a testimony of faith, rather than as a means of aiding the soul after death.more | 36 | Hippo Regius |
| 426–427 | This treatise affirms that God's grace and human free will coexist, with grace being necessary for understanding, volition, and performing good deeds, while free will actively chooses to obey or sin.more | 65 | Hippo Regius |
| 426–427 | This treatise emphasizes that rebuke and correction are essential and divinely sanctioned means to aid individuals in overcoming sin and returning to God, highlighting that grace and human effort work together in salvation.more | 61 | Hippo Regius |
| 428–429 | This treatise affirms that predestination and divine grace are gifts from God, not based on human merits, and emphasizes that even the beginning and perseverance of faith are entirely God's doing.more | 147 | Hippo Regius |