Module 10: Augustine

Hi everyone, and welcome to the tenth module of the History of Christianity 1 Course. In this section, we'll be looking at a very influential church leader from the fourth and fifth centuries -Aurelius Augustine. We'll look at his life and what he contributed to the church at that time.

This module will help you to understand the life and work of an influential leader and what he accomplished. You will be exposed to the story of his life, the struggle for his conversion, his ministry and writings. And you will learn about some of the major doctrines which Augustine taught, and the influence this had. You will be given opportunity to think about his successes and failures, as well as his long term influence. And the student will be given opportunity to process how these lessons can be applied to current social situations, by learning from history's successes, as well as the failures.

This module will also aid the student to work through how the lessons learned are applicable in their own life and ministry.

Introductory Scenario

Imagine that you had an opportunity to talk with the most influential people in history. What do you think they would want to talk about? What kind of ideas and philosophy would they communicate? What would make their ideas great and influential? How do you think their personal lives and experience influenced their ideas and influence? Please consider these questions and be watching for material that will help you answer them as you work through this module.

Module Objectives and Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this module, the student will:

  • Describe the history of Augustine - his early life, conversion, and ministry.
  • Articulate the various controversies and issues that were addressed by Augustine in his ministry.
  • Understand and articulate the various theological ideas taught by Augustine, the reasons he taught these things, and the writings he wrote to address these issues.
  • Evaluate the theological contributions and long-term influence of Augustine, and how his ideas can be applied to current life and ministry.
  • Place the events of Augustine's life and his ministry contributions in a general chronology.

Instruction Guides

In this section, you'll find links to important instructional documents for this module. Click the following links to open each document. There is a set of instructions for individual study and a document for group study.

Individual Student Guide
Group Student Guide

Textbook Content

In this section, you'll find a study guide for the textbook reading for module 10. And then you'll find the link to a practice quiz covering this textbook reading.

Textbook Reading List and Study Guide for Module 10

This section also contains a review quiz to test your understanding of the textbook material for this module. By clicking the banner below, you will be given a series of questions, in random order. The quiz will be different each time, so feel free to take it more than once.

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Gonzalez Textbook Quiz
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Textbook Review Quiz for Gonzalez chs. 24-26

Click the button next to the best answer for each question, or drag each term to its best definition. Then press the Submit button at the bottom to see if your answers are correct.


Which of these is NOT a philosophy which Augustine followed BEFORE his conversion?

Gnosticism

Well Done

Neoplatonism

Sorry, see Gonzalez pp. 242-245

Manichaeism

Sorry, see Gonzalez pp. 242-245

Rhetoric

Sorry, see Gonzalez pp. 242-245

Drag each location to its history
Armenia
Ireland
Ethiopia
Edessa

Was the first kingdom to become Christian, long before the conversion of Constantine

Evangelized by missionaries from Egypt; did not agree with the council of Chalcedon

Its monasteries preserved much of the literature of Europe lost in other countries during the middle ages

Became Christian, partly because it favored Rome in its disputes with the Persians

Many of the invading barbarians were converted from paganism by the people they conquered

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 260
Augustine desired to be a Christian philosopher, so he planned to avoid the monastic life

True

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 246

False

Good Job
When the Roman empire crumbled in the west, the church preserved much of its culture, literature, art, and science

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 260
Augustine argued against the Manichaeans by saying that the will is free, but also argued against the Pelagians by saying that the will is not COMPLETELY free

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 247-249
Pelagius argued that the will was free, so Augustine argued that the will was not free

True

He did not argue that the will was not free at all, but he argued that the will was not as completely free as the Pelagians taught, see Gonzalez p. 249

False

Well Done
His appetite for physical pleasure was a stumbling block that kept Augustine from Christ for a time

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 245
The Western part of the empire fell to barbarian invaders, but the east did not, at this time

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 259
Which words were the spark that led to Augustine's conversion?

"Take up and read"

Good Job

"For God so loved the world..."

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 241

"Turn or Burn"

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 241

"Repent and believe the good news"

Sorry, see Gonzalez p. 241

Lecture Content

In this section, you will find the video lectures for the Augustine module. Click the banner to open access to the video. There are also links with the video if you prefer to watch on the Rumble or YouTube interface or download just the audio to listen offline.

Lecture Study Guide for Module 10
Blank Lecture Notes for Module 10
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10: Augustine
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Watch on Rumble
Watch on YouTube
Download Audio

Reviews

In this section, you will find the review slides from the course lectures for module 10. This is a convenient way to view and review the summaries for each lecture. Click the banner to open the slide show.

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Review Slideshow
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Click the prev. and next buttons (bottom right of the slide) to move through the slides. You can also click on any thumbnail to go directly to that slide.

Discussion/Reflection Questions

This section contains questions for further thought and discussion from Module 10. It is recommended that you take time to think through these issues in order to thoroughly grasp the significance and explore the application of the material you are learning. These questions can also be used as essay questions in a classroom setting exam. Below, you will find links to the Response and Application Reflection Instructions for Individuals, and the Response and Application Discussion Instructions for Groups. And you will find a link to the detailed question document for this module. Or Click the banner below to view the questions in a simplified format.

Instructions for Individuals
Instruction for Groups
Discussion/Reflection Questions for Module 10
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Discussion/Application Questions
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The following questions are for your thoughtful consideration and discussion:

  1. How did Augustine's Doctrine & Writings affect the church? Is this influence good or bad? Why? What difference does it make?
  2. What aspect(s) of Augustine's ideas need(s) to be learned and applied to your life and ministry? Why? How can it be applied?
  3. What aspect(s) of Augustine's ideas need(s) to be avoided in your life and ministry? Why? How can it be avoided?
  4. What else did you learn? How does it apply?

(Optional) Timeline - Part 10

This section contains instructions for an optional Timeline activity to be constructed over all sixteen modules. Below is a link to the detailed instructions for this activity.

Timeline Project Instructions

Step Ten of the Timeline should include the following information:

  • Any significant events in the life of Augustine.
  • Any significant controversies and issues that confronted Augustine, and which he addressed in his ministry
  • Any significant ideas, doctrines, approaches, and writings from Augustine.

Annotate any significant approaches, ideas, principles, and doctrines from Augustine and his writings, including his immediate and long-term impact on the larger church, the surrounding society, and how these are applicable in the current church and and Christian life.

(Optional) Principles Chart - Part 10

This section contains instructions for an optional Principles Chart activity to be constructed over all sixteen modules. Below is a link to the detailed instructions for this activity.

Principles Chart Instructions

Step Ten of the Principles Chart will add any important principles noted from the life, writings, and ministry of Augustine, the influence he had, and the reasons behind that influence, and how those principles can be applied.

It is suggested that the student begin this activity before watching the Guiding Principles portion of the lecture. Then the student may supplement their work after learning additional insights from the Guiding Principles.

(Optional) Term Project - Organization

The student will continue researching about their chosen topic for their term project. The student should seek to follow where their research leads, and fill any gaps in their knowledge. The student should also continue organizing all that they are learning into a logical and coherent structure, based on the information they have researches, which will serve as the organization for their term project presentation.

Below is a link to detailed instructions for the entire project.

Term Project Instructions

Primary Source Reading

This section contains instructions and resources for the Primary Source Reading activity. The student should read a minimum of 10-20 pages from a primary resource or resources discussed in this module's lecture and write or discuss a brief response to their reading. Below is a link to detailed instructions for the Primary Source Reading, which contain a list of recommended resources, by module. And click the banner below to access a list of recommended resources with links to where they may be found.

Primary Source Reading Instructions
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Primary Sources
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The following is a list of the recommended primary sources for this module. This list contains links to the resources in print and/or online format. These links may change, so feel free to search for other sources for these same titles. In addition, please do not feel you are limited only to this list. Feel free to choose from any primary source from the period and topic covered in this module:

Links to Primary Sources

Review Quiz

This section is a link to a review quiz to test your understanding of the objective material for Module 10. By clicking the banner, you will be taken to a series of questions, in random order. Answer each question and then push the Submit button to check your answers. Every question must be answered before you can submit the quiz. At the end, you will be shown your score for the entire quiz. The quiz will be different each time, so feel free to take it more than once. Click the banner to begin the quiz.

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Quiz for Module 10
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Review Quiz for Module 10

Here is a review quiz for the material covered in this module's lectures. Click the button next to the best answer for each question, or drag each term to its best definition. Then press the button at the bottom to see if your answers are correct.


Augustine was raised by a Christian mother, and therefore, he pursued Christ all of his life.

True

Sorry, see Lecture 10

False

Well Done
Augustine wrote the "just war theory" in response to the Donatists, some of whom had become violent, and the Romans responded.

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 10
Augustine taught that humans seeking pleasure is a sin.

True

Sorry, see Lecture 10

False

Well Done
One of Augustine's strengths was his God-centered perspective, seeing everything in the big-picture of how it related to God.

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 10
Augustine's teaching of "no salvation outside the church" was later abused to claim "only one church organization offers salvation"

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 10
Augustine responded to the fall of Rome by reflecting on the big-picture of human society as divided between the love of God and the love of the self (shown in worldly concerns).

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 10 on the "City of God"
Augustine defined virtue as having our desires focused on God and conformed to His standards - to desiring what God desires.

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Lecture 10
Augustine favored the allegorical interpretation of the Bible, because he never learned the Greek language, in which the New Testament was written.

True

Sorry, he never learned Greek, but he also rejected allegorical interpretation

False

Correct
Augustine's "Confessions" is not a confession of his sins as much as it is a confession of God's greatness and what He did in Augustin's life.

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Lecture 10
Which best describes Augustine's view of freewill and grace?

Because of sin, we are completely unable to do what we want to do

Sorry, see Lecture 10

Because of grace, we are prevented from doing what we want to do

Sorry, see Lecture 10

We are able, because of our freewill, to do good in imitation of Christ

Sorry, see Lecture 10

We always do what we want; because of sin, we want the wrong things; grace can change our desires for the better

Well Done

Because of sin, we are completely unable to do any good

Sorry, see Lecture 10

Module Completed!

Congratulations, you have reached the end of the tenth module. I hope that you have found it rewarding and have noticed personal growth.

I encourage you to continue on the next module as soon as is convenient. The button below will take you to Module 11.