Bogosity

Thought I might write a few words about this contradictory character that we covered in last weeks theology lecture. Our lecturer Pene Brook felt that Augustine has been misinterpreted and maligned over the years. The western churches doctrine of the trinity is based on Augustines writings on the topic which he himself disowned as underdeveloped ideas. As the Roman Empire suffered from attacking Barbarians and the world as they knew it fell apart, people clung to Augustine who happened to be a passionate leader and speaker.

But Augustine was a deep thinker and constantly journeying. He was trained as a philosopher and his writing reflects the style of making statements and arguing their validity. This doesn’t reflect his heart however. While he theologised along very abstract lines of reasoning flavoured with the philosophies of the time, he lived with his heart, had compassion for his fellow humans and appreciated art and music (whilst theologically condemning them as deceptions).

Getting back to the trinity, Augustine had some similar views to the Cappadocians. While they have a reputation as tritheists, he was seen as a bit of a monotheist (so tended towards modalism where the trinity is seen as a bit like three characters being played by the one actor). Though he tried to avoid the problem of modalism by arguing that our three God’s of the revelation are like expressions of God and have all of God’s fullness (rather than being masquerades or not whole). The three persons emerge out of God and manifest and they are all fully God.

He is also known for a dodgy analogy which is often misunderstood where he thought God is bit like how we have body, emotions and mind.

While the Cappadocians were big on koinonia, Augustine thought that God yearns for us and saw the Holy Spirit as analogous to love. So he didn’t really have a strong view of the Holy Spirit as a ‘person’ like the Cappadocians did.

One of the things I liked about Augustine is that he said I am, I doubt. (or I am, I question). He felt really drawn to think and question the world and faith around him. A friend Br William remarked to me recently that the church and christians have a whole bunch of questions that you’re not allowed to ask. He felt that this is a real turn-off to young people especially. Perhaps Augustine’s willingness to engage the questions of his time was the key to his popularity.