Augustine of Hippo: A Life by Henry Chadwick

Augustine of Hippo: A Life Reviews

• 
  Michael Kenan Baldwin

  Augustine was and is the most influential Christian in history outside the Bible, bar none. Every thinking Christian needs to get an understanding of him. Forget that, his influence on our society even today is so pervasive that surely any thinking person at all, regardless of their views, needs to grapple with this giant of late antiquity.
  This is an overview of the North African bishop's life and work from a man who has been one of the top scholars in the field. It isn't anywhere near as long as Peter Brown's biography and it made lots of interesting connections that I thoroughly enjoyed. Chadwick portrays Augustine as strongly influenced by Neoplatonism right through to the end of his career, a claim I want to look into in a bit more detail knowing that John Rist has downplayed this alleged influence in his book any Ancient Thought Baptised. I found Chadwick's brief synposes of Augustine's major works very helpful indeed, and the biographer has clearly not only acquired much learning but also has a powerful command of the primary sources.
  I'll close with one reflection I found especially pertinent and inspiring. Chadwick points out that "The Church teacher works in a comprehensive school in which there is no segregation of pupils of high ability. Among those receiving instruction are manual workers and peasants who maintain the state of the world by labour which is also their prayer, but do not read books." p87 However this was not something that was to the detriment of the highly intellectual Augustine, but to his tremendous benefit: "The experience of doing the work of a bishop made far deeper and more obvious changes in Augustine’s character than even his conversion at Milan ten years before. He rapidly shed the tone of a dilettante eclectic picking out what he liked in Christianity and in Platonism. Shouldering the initially highly unwelcome responsibilities turned him into a great man such as he would never have become had he remained a professor of rhetoric. All the masterpieces on which later centuries looked back were without exception written during his busy life as bishop, not while he was a leisured young ‘don’." p75
• 
  Drake

  Chadwick's biography of Augustine is small, cheap, and very informative. However, I can't say that I really enjoyed reading this book. I feel like the author attempted to cram too much information into such a small book. He would often make references to particular people or philosophies without giving any background info on them, leaving me wondering what he was talking about. Also, because of the way the book is written, I was unsure at some points whether Chadwick was expressing Augustine's opinions or his own. Overall, the book was quite helpful; I did learn much about Augustine's life and thought. But I'm still looking for a truly great biography about one of the greatest theologians in church history.
• 
  Sierra Allred

  Despite going to Christian schools and traveling for church history classes, I had never learned much about Augustine. This history of his life does a thorough job of describing how he lived and the things he believed. I thought this history gave a balanced view of Augustine and made sure to try to show why he believed the things he did. Trivial though this may be, the thing I think will stick with me from this book is knowing that Augustine of Hippo’s parents were named Monnica and Patrick.
• 
  Justin Daniel

  Early in my Christian life, I remember reading and hearing about this man, Augustine. Who he was, what he did, and why everyone was talking about him was beyond me. But as I read more and grew in my faith, I kept hearing his name and investigated him for myself. Some really early observations I made was he was definitely important. Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestants all claim Augustine as critical to their faith groups. I read about Augustine’s famous “Confessions” and “City of God.” When reading about the Reformers, I learned that they used his texts as a basis for the refrain of that movement, “Justification by faith alone.” There is little doubt that without Augustine, the Reformation might not have happened. His influence stretches from the 5th century to the present.
  
  Studying him, therefore, is well worth the time. Some of the basic things to know about Augustine is that he was not a Christian in his youth. Augustine’s “Confessions” was really one of the first biographies as we understand them today. Augustine recounts in that work how he enjoyed sinning. He illustrates this by recounting a story about a pear tree: he and some of his friends stole pears out of a pear tree and fed them to pigs. While this seems harmless, it demonstrates how evil Augustine was. There was nothing beneficial about feeding the pears to the pigs; it was an act of pure rebellion. And while this might seem extreme, after all it was just a harmless prank, it shows how contrite Augustine had become over the littlest offense to a Holy God. He soon become a well read man who also had a raging libido. While professor of rhetoric in the Roman Empire, he had an illegitimate child and a mistress. He struggled with sexual immorality and it was one of the big reasons he could not convert to Christianity. But one day he heard a refrain, “Pick up and read, pick up and read” from a small child. What was in front of him was a scroll of the book of Romans. He read Romans 13:13-14 which reads,
  
  “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
  
  And with this, he became a Christian, repenting of his sin and changing his life forever.
  
  Quickly he became renown in Christian circles. He soon took a job as Bishop in the church at Hippo. Here he would stay for his life. He came into contact with many controversies. One section of the book, Dr. Chadwick spends an entire chapter about the Arian heresy and Augustine’s view of the trinity. Another chapter, Dr. Chadwick spends that time looking at the Pelegian controversy.
  
  When the Roman Empire fell, many of the pagans blamed the Christians for ruining the society they had built. Many of the Christians blamed the pagans for corrupting society. In this controversy, Augustine wrote his famous “City of God” in which he states that God is sovereign over everything and that nations rise and fall according to His will.
  
  Augustine is an intriguing figure in Church history. He also is very important and worthy to study. Dr. Chadwick was, and still is, considered one of the greatest conservative historians of the 20th century. His work on Augustine solidifies this legacy. It is a short book but a necessary one.
• 
  Hank Pharis

  I have read several biographies of Augustine and did not expect to find much new here. But I was wrong. There were a lot of things here that I appreciated.
  
  For example, I did not know that Augustine is credited with as the source of the often repeated statement: “Hate the sin, love the sinner.” (p. 2)
  
  I had also not heard Augustine's report that the illiterate monk now known as St. Anthony memorized the entire Bible. (p. 53)
  
  Chadwick also has several good summaries of Augustine's views on salvation:
  
  “Romans 9 is taken in 397 to mean that faith and a good will are both God’s gifts. Why does God give them to some and not others? We can only say that his justice is inscrutable, and that if, among his many debtors, a creditor decides to remit the debts of some and not others, he has the right to do so. Those from whom payment of their dues is exacted have no conceivable ground for complaint against the justice of the action. … Augustine is moved by Romans 9 to say that Jacob and Esau prefigure the elect and the damned. …
  In short, Augustine no longer believes, as he once did, that there is an identifiable area in human action which belongs exclusively to individual, personal choice. Grace gives all, since without it the will, though free, lacks the power to do good. … Free choice can do what is good only insofar it is penetrated by grace in the core of a man’s being.” (p. 81)
  
  “Because of the universal consent of humanity to sin, there is no man who, by the strictest justice, does not deserve perdition. Yet by a sovereign act of mercy God has inscrutably chosen a determinate number, indeed a substantial minority, for salvation. When St. Paul says that ‘God wills all to be saved’ (1 Tim. 2:4) ‘all’ means representations of every race (CG 14.44). Because his grace is truly gratis, there is no special merit in the elect to give God reasonable ground for choosing them rather than others. …
  In common with the Greek Fathers, the Pelagians base the election of God on his foreknowledge of merit. This is to make human will rather than divine grace the initiating ground of salvation. … Augustine on several occasions lay it down that the only thing of our very own which we contribute to our salvation is the sin from which we need to be redeemed (TJ 5.1; S 32.10 and elsewhere).” (p. 154)
  
  
  (NOTE: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book or a B. 3 stars means a very good book or a B+. 4 stars means an outstanding book or an A {only about 5% of the books I read merit 4 stars}. 5 stars means an all time favorite or an A+ {Only one of 400 or 500 books rates this!).
• 
  Hassan Zayour

  I truly enjoy elegant scholarly works of Philosophy. This is a genre of writing that takes decades to master. One must also read diligently to achieve a comprehensive perception of a certain philosopher's ideas. My interest in such books has multiple dimensions, the first of which being my desire of obtaining this writing skill. I believe that continuous exposure of such texts, over the span of many years, would teach me the required approach so that I could write with such top-notch professionalism and lucidity. The second reason would be none but understanding what philosophers had to share, a tedious process that requires years of professional scholarship. Since I seek a glimpse of everything before diving into one thing, I have come to grow fond of such books.
  Professor Chadwick —Regius Professor Emeritus of Divinity at the University of Cambridge— demonstrated an unparalleled understanding of St. Augustine, a philosopher who had a perpetual influence over countless philosophers and ideas following his era. Prima facie, the modern reader might be tempted to disregard him due to his profoundly religious texts. Of course, since that reader possess a free will, he/she could do that. However, in return, the person would lose the chance of acquiring some valuable lessons Augustine the philosopher had to share. Many of his ideas and inquiries I have found to be relevant, and although I hardly agree with anything he says, I hold much respect for his thought. Sometimes, what matters is the consistency of one's ideas within a given discourse. The fact that St. Augustine had the courage to face himself, bravely discover, and publicly discuss the deepest abyss of his psyche makes him an admirable figure from my perspective.
  All in all, it was a lovely read and a magnificent introduction to Augustine's thought.
• 
  Zachary

  Overall this was a quite enjoyable read. In places the reading got a little heavy as Chadwick dives (though not too deeply) into some of the primary themes of Augustine's writings. Yet it is exactly because Chadwick does this that the book is one which I would recommend to anyone (student or non-student) who wants to better acclimate themselves with Augustine, his life, and his works. The book excellently situates Augustine's primary works within their historical situation and helps give a good context for them. Fascinatingly, reading this book alongside one of Augustine's works is very informative and can help draw out themes one might miss (especially if one is not used to read Augustine or writer's from that era).
• 
  Aaron Crofut

  An easy little read. Wouldn't recommend it as a first encounter of St. Augustine, but it is a nice little refresher. Honest about both his genius and his limitations, the latter of which St. Augustine would certainly own up to. That's why I love about St. A. so much: he was a seeker who wanted the truth, not confirmation of whatever it was he held that day. A few weird typos and one serious mixup about hypostatic/homoousios, but otherwise sound.
• 
  Vincent T. Ciaramella

  This book took me a while to get through, even thought it was really short. I love reading about the Early Church and the Early Church Fathers. Augustine is someone that I admire and for me his writings still seem fresh and relevant today as they did during the 5th century. I would recommend this book to anyone, even if they were not a Christian, who wants to learn about this man's life.
• 
  Rafael Salazar

  This is a masterful and engaging introduction to Augustine's life and thought. An enjoyable (and slightly demanding) read that is sure to point you to a towering man in the history of the church. It probably deserves five stars, to be honest. But I didn't like some of the personal opinions he shares in the very last chapter.
• 
  Ouroboros

  Did not enjoy this at all. The title, ‘Augustine of Hippo: A Life’, is not all that accurate. I found that it was no more a biography than it was a dry, cumbersome digression into the ever-metamorphosing philosophies of Augustine and how they changed over time. Not a very rewarding experience over all. Disappointing.
• 
  Joshua Rex

  If you’re looking for an introduction to the life of Augustine for the average layman, this is the best I have found so far. Readable and concise, with the needed background and some discussion of the effects of his doctrine.
• 
  Guillaume Dohmen

  A good introduction
  
  This book is relatively short but it is a good introduction to St Augustine’s life and theology, written by a great scholar.
• 
  Drew

  An accessible and enjoyable biography
• 
  Carlos Montijo

  Recommended by Doth Protest Too Much:
  
  https://player.fm/series/doth-protest...
• 
  Trevor

  I have mixed feelings after finishing this book. I had very high expectations for this book, and perhaps they were too high. Henry Chadwick was a renown Augustine scholar and historian of the early church. He surveys a massive amount of literature and provides a solid introduction. One of the best features of this book is how well Chadwick does in placing Augustine and his writings in social and religious context. Much more than one is able to get from reading the Confessions. In addition, Chadwick is brief in his writing and objective in his opinions. For example, he calls out some elements of the Confessions which may be more 'figurative' or 'metaphorical' than blatantly 'historical.' He is also very forthright in showing progression and variation in Augustine's thought - particularly in relation to his anti-pelagian writings concerning sin, sex, hell, and predestination. That said, I think his high measure objectivity is what I didn't love about the book. I guess I expected to find myself more endeared to Augustine after reading this biography instead of less. In contrast, actually reading Augustine's work yourself you are astounded how down to earth and transparent this towering church father was in his writings. The second thing I was a little put off by was how philosophical this biography was. The author presumes perhaps too much familiarity with Platonic thought and its subsequent developments. All in all, I think this book is a great resources to round out Augustine's autobiography, the Confessions, as well as to highlight what happened after the Confessions were written in the remainder of his life. Particularly interesting in this regard, was how Augustine's critics coldly utilized the Confessions against Augustine during his lifetime. It's a short book, and worth the time, but I recommend reading the Confessions first to help you become endeared to Augustine with his transparency in his trials and his dependence on the sweet grace of God.
• 
  Joshua

  Chadwick is a sympathetic and acute reader of Augustine's writings within the context of his life and times. Each chapter brings an interesting political, personal, or otherwise unknown to me aspect of Augustine's life into focus. The analysis of Augustine's writings are also insightful, on only occasionally worth disputing.
• 
  Will

  This book is excellent. Chadwick concisely paints a portrait of Augustine through his major literary works and the controversies he dealt with. Thus, the reader receives not only the plot of Augustine's life, but also succinct and insightful comments on his works. Chadwick particularly excels at bringing out the humanness of Augustine by casting him within and against the culture of his day.
• 
  Ziggy

  Starts off really weak presenting information as just a string of facts almost like an overly long wikipedia article and brushes over certain things like Manichaeism without dedicating much attention to it but it gets a lot better as it goes on and presents a nice overview of the details of the Donatist and Pelagian controversies
• 
  Olivia

  TLS - 2 April 2010 - reviewed by Lucy Beckett with Augustine and the Jews (Fredriksen)
• 
  foundfoundfound

  a deflationary book. chadwick lets the air out of st. augustine's reputation. a pointless exercise.
• 
  Jason Brubaker

  Excellent intro to the life and work of Augustine. Provides just enough insight in to his major works and doesn't get lost in minutiae.
• 
  Sarah

  A quick scholarly account about the life of the old Anti- sex nutcase.
• 
  Catherine

  Concise biography with a brief analysis of some of his more problematic theology regarding grace, predestination, original sin, sex, and infant baptism at the end.