St. Augustine Biography

Saint Augustine, also known as Augustine of Hippo, was a bishop of Hippo Regius in Northern Africa. He was an ancient Christian theologian who played a significant role in the development of early Western philosophy marked by the merging of Greek philosophy and Judeo-Christian religious traditions. He had an intellectual bent of mind and was fascinated by philosophical enquiries, and spent his early life exploring various philosophical and religious theories. Even though regarded as one of the foremost figures of Western Christianity, he had not even converted to the religion until he was 31 years old. He was greatly influenced by the Gnosticism, Manichaeism, though later on his interests shifted to Neo-Platonism. After years of confusion he read the Holy Scriptures and became convinced that he could attain salvation only through Jesus Christ. Upon his conversion to Christianity, he started developing his own theories on philosophy and theology which left a profound impact on the medieval worldview. In recognition of his contribution to the Christian doctrine, he was given the title of Doctor of the Church. He is considered a saint by the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church, and is the patron saint of brewers, printers, and theologians. Such is his impact on the Western religion that his works like ‘Confessions’ and ‘City of God’ are widely read even today.