Congratulations! You have officially survived the first full weekend without Lent Madness voting -- an activity that continues throughout the weekdays of Lent. Your reward? The long-anticipated Battle of the Augustines! Will it be Hippo or Canterbury? The choice, dear friends, is yours.
For those who didn't receive news of Friday's results (and you can always go back to the original post or check the Bracket tab), Raymond Nonnatus ripped apart John of Nepomuk 83% to 17%.
We also have good news to report on ReviewGate, the controversy that recently touched the inner sanctum of Lent Madness. Last Friday we shared the news that someone had (shockingly!) given Lent Madness a 2-out-of-5 rating on our Facebook page. In fact, over the years we had garnered a 4.8 star rating. That might seem high but when you consider yourselves "Supreme" that's just not good enough. Thanks to the hundreds of Lent Madness fans who shared our outrage and posted their own reviews, we are up to a full 5-out-of-5 star rating with nearly 1,000 reviews. In other words, all is now right with the Lenten world.
Augustine of Hippo
Fourth-century Bishop Augustine of Hippo is, along with Paul of Tarsus, one of the most influential theologians of the Western Church. His writings on creation, the sacraments, the Church, the Trinity, and grace are considered seminal works of Western theology. While Augustine’s work is often described as academic—and occasionally bordering on pedantic—Augustine also exhibited vulnerability, as is memorably seen in his Confessions.
From a young age, Augustine avoided saintly living. While his mother Monnica raised him as a Christian, he was never baptized. He abandoned Christianity in his youth, studying rhetoric, philosophy, and Manichaeism, a chief religious rival to Christianity in North Africa. Augustine lived a free and unconstrained life for fifteen years living with a woman and fathering a child outside the bonds of marriage. He eventually abandoned his relationship, moving to Rome to start a school and finally to Milan to serve the court as a professor of rhetoric. Augustine fell under the influence of Ambrose, Milan’s bishop, and he reached his own religious crisis, which he describes at length in his Confessions. In 387, Ambrose baptized Augustine on Easter Eve, and Augustine found the rest in God for which his heart had so longed. He returned to North Africa and lived a quasi-monastic life as a layperson until 391 when—against his own will—he was seized by the community around him and ordained as a priest. Within four years, he had been ordained to the episcopate, and he served as Bishop of Hippo until his death in 430.
Augustine’s breadth of life experience, his profound intellect, and his prayerful demeanor are evident in his writing. Augustine countered the Manichaeans’ insistence on the existence of a force in eternal opposition to God, affirming instead the goodness of creation. He defended the doctrine of the Trinity, arguing for the rationality of the three-in-one and one-in-three nature of God. Augustine asserted that the church is holy because of the calling its members receive from God. Above all, Augustine’s theology is rooted in a deep yearning and desire for God and a profound sense of the importance of the community of the Church and of all its members.
Collect for Augustine of Hippo
Lord God, the light of the minds that know you, the life of the souls that love you, and the strength of the hearts that serve you: Help us, following the example of your servant Augustine of Hippo, so to know you that we may truly love you, and so to love you that we may fully serve you, whom to serve is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Augustine of Canterbury
Details of Augustine’s early life are sketchy. He was born in sixth-century Rome, most likely into an aristocratic family. He is thought to have been a student of Felix, Bishop of Messana, who was a contemporary and friend of Pope Gregory the Great.
Often called the Apostle to the English, Augustine began his journey to Canterbury in 596 CE, after Pope Gregory called him to lead a group of forty (mostly monks) to the kingdom of Kent in Britannia. Travel was treacherous, and the group returned to Rome after reaching Gaul, where tales of Britannia frightened them. Pope Gregory was not sympathetic and promptly sent them back on their way, where they landed on the Isle of Thanet in 597.
The Kentish people met the monks’ ministry with interest and hospitality. Though Christianity had been previously established in southeastern Britain, many Christians had gone into hiding following the Saxon conquest. Augustine’s arrival allowed Christians to be more open about their faith. King Æthelberht of Kent was married to Queen Bertha—a Christian—and Æthelberht responded kindly toward Augustine and his fellow monks, allowing them to use an old church from the Roman occupation located in the village of Canterbury. From this modest beginning, the parish church and the town were transformed into the center of Augustine’s work and ministry.
Pope Gregory suggested—and Augustine complied—that Augustine purify rather than destroy the area’s pagan temples and practices. Working with local traditions, Augustine and his brothers spread Christianity while retaining some of the cultural traditions of the Kentish people. Augustine evangelized widely, establishing churches and schools, celebrating the sacraments, and baptizing converts. Augustine is reported to have baptized thousands of people on Christmas Day 597.
Augustine was seated as the first Archbishop of Canterbury in 597, forming the first link in an unbroken, unwavering succession of Archbishops of Canterbury. Augustine died on May 26, around 604, in Canterbury, where he is buried. His feast is celebrated on May 26.
Collect for Augustine of Canterbury
O Lord our God, by your Son Jesus Christ you called your apostles and sent them forth to preach the Gospel to the nations: We bless your holy Name for your servant Augustine, first Archbishop of Canterbury, whose labors in propagating your Church among the English people we commemorate today; and we pray that all whom you call and send may do your will, and bide your time, and see your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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321 comments on “Augustine of Hippo vs. Augustine of Canterbury”
Canterbury. Never did care for Hippo's original sin view, which, in my mind, has caused more than enough trouble through the ages.
Augustine of Hippo speaking again:
“Do not grieve or complain that you were born in a time when you can no longer see God in the flesh.
He did not in fact take this privilege from you. As He says: ‘Whatever you have done to the least of
my brothers, you did to me.’”
I'm not a fan of the original sin concept, so it's Augustine of Canterbury for me.
For the first time this Lent I have qualms about both Augustines. Hippo abandoned his child and partner, Canterbury really didn't want to be here.... In the end I opted for Canterbury, but have to say I am whelmed 🙂
Hippo didn't abandon his son -- see comments above.
I chose A of Hippo more in oppossion to A of Canterbury because the later was elemental
In destroying the Celtic church during the synod of Whitby.
Correction - Augustine of Canterbury died 60 years before the Synod of Whitby. He may have come to Britain as a representative of the Latin Church, but that doesn't make him responsible for the outcome of a synod six decades after his death.
Since I am one of the (hopefully not few) non-Anglicans in the Lent Madness community, it behooves me to vote for Hippo. I figured Canterbury was a shoo-in. Also because I appreciate Aug/Hippo's theological work, although I regret the use to which some of it has been put by my arch-nemesis, Calvin of Geneva (not Calvin of Hobbes.) Also because it behooves us to remember the ancient churches of North Africa.
Well, I'm feeling stupid, because the way this comes up on my screen, I thought you had to cast your vote before you could see the comments! I always figured it was so you wouldn't be influenced by others. But today, reading through so many comments, I see I was wrong; they are more of a discussion. Ah well...
Having said all that, I had already voted for Hippo. I figured he laid so much of the groundwork for those who would come later, including Canterbury.
What, we can see comments before voting? I am in same boat with Grace, always good to be accompanied by Grace.
I would still vote for A of H.
Yep, just scroll on down below the voting button and read on.
I generally read the comments before voting, because they share more info than our Celebrity Bloggers can fit into their posts.
How could David Sibley in his write up on Augustine of Hippo not include Hippo's authorship of "The City of God"? Many consider the work one of the most important books in Western civilization.
Sorry to see that people are voting against St. Augustine of Hippo because of their erroneous belief that he abandoned his son. Also, it seems unfair to vote for St. Augustine of Canterbury because of Pope Gregory's policy of incorporating pagan traditions into Christianity.
I was inclined to A of Hippo because he's associated with the Virgin of Regla. (Google to learn more.) His teachings on poverty and social justice, quoted in some of the comments above, are powerfully persuasive.
Voted Canterbury for getting things done rather than Hippo for documenting his ideas. And yes I know that Hippo was the greatest theologian ever, sure sure. But Canterbury established Christianity in Great Britain with amazing zeal and efficiency.
Augustine of Hippo is the patron saint of my home parish in Oakland, CA so, of course, I voted for him.
As a member of St. Augustine's in The Woods Episcopal Church in Freeland, WA I have to vote for our namesake, Augustine of Canterbury!
Well, I voted Canterbury. In years past I might have gone Hippo. No question he vastly influenced Western Theology, for good or ill, down to today. It is the "ill" that swayed me. Original sin? Nope! Just war? Please! On the positive side, there is Canterbury inventing (?) inculturation. Plus I had the privilege of worshipping at Christ Church, Canterbury, on Easter Day 2009.
When I think of Augustine of Hippo, the quotation, "For Thou hast made us for Thyself and our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee" (Confession 1:1). So I Voted for him even though I disagree with some of his thoughts. In him, I see a real human being who allowed the Holy Spirit to change him and was not afraid to let that show. For example, even though he gave up his relationship with his common-law wife for the wrong reasons (and with the apparent support of both his mother and Ambrose of Milan) it clearly affected him, and he later wrote that, if a man "takes a woman only for a time, until he has found another who better suits his rank and fortune; and if he marries another woman, because she is of the same class as himself, this man commits adultery in his heart, not to his upper-class bride, but to the woman with whom he had lived without offering marriage" (On the Good of Marriage 5.5). I also appreciate that he maintained a close relationship with his son.
I believe Monica is spelled Monica and NOT Monica, besides that everything is great!! Keep Lent Madness awesome!!!!!!
I think you mean spelled M-o-n-n-i-c-a . . . darn auto-co-wreck. 😉
Yes, that was an autocorrection. My sincere apologies for mid-spelling a mid-spelling of my favorite saint's name.
*misspelling *misspelling
How can I not vote for Canterbury being in love with all things Celtic and being a Celtic Christian myself. Spreading Christianity to the wild Brits while using their own rituals is very smart.
Every ballot should have the option of a tie!
My vote was clearly partisan, being a Lutheran. I voted for Augustine of Hippo.
Very tough choice for me today! I'm such an Anglophile and love the story of A of C. But A of Hippo is such a giant of the faith, plus the prayers of his mother, St. Monica , who prayed fervently for his conversion, swayed me. She has always been a favorite of mine.
I was going to vote against Augustine of Hippo no matter what. I consider that he did far more damage to Christianity than good. He only so the depraved nature of people. I have always theorized that his own struggles with addiction (likely sexual) made him believe that everyone has that level of struggle. There was room in the church for both Augustine and Pelagian thought.... in other words Roman AND Celtic. And I believe that he was the downfall of Celtic Christianity within the church which was a massive loss to all. Happy to vote in his stead for a defender of the Celts!
Given my distaste for academic theology and my love of any and all things British (except Brexit), it's Canterbury for me. My idea of theology is C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, and I've heard that some of Hippo's ideas were, shall we say, controversial. Not that there's anything wrong with controversy, mind you, but I use that term to avoid more unpleasant ones.
Seized and ordained! I love it.
All-in for Augustine of Hippo. Why? We all have faults. We all face temptations. 'Our hearts are restless, until they rest in thee'
In addition, I like Augustine's saving and assimilating some of the pagan practices and retaining some of the cultural traditions. Smart move.
I've got my difficulties with Augustine of Hippo, sure enough. And Augustine of Canterbury has my admiration. But here is why I voted for Hippo, from his Confessions:
"WHAT DO I LOVE WHEN I LOVE MY GOD?
What is it then that I love when I love you? Not bodily beauty, and not temporal glory, not the clear shining light, lovely as it is to our eyes, not the sweet melodies of many-moded songs, not the soft smell of flowers and ointments and perfumes, not manna and honey, not limbs made for the body’s embrace, not these do I love when I love my God.
Yet I do love a certain light, a certain voice, a certain odor, a certain food, a certain embrace when I love my God: a light, a voice, an odor, a food, an embrace for the man within me, where his light, which no embrace can contain, floods into my soul; where he utters words that time does not speed away; where he sends forth an aroma that no wind can scatter; where he provides food that no eating can lessen; where he so clings that satiety does not sunder us. This is what I love when I love my God."
As a cradle Episcopalian, I prayed to St. Monica to convert my unaffiliated fourth son. In her wisdom, St. Monica converted my properly raised third son into the Roman Catholic Church. Never question St. Monica's ability to separate St. Augustine from his true love.
Canterbury...at least he didn't (as far as we know) abandon a mother and child
See previous comments above about A of H's son. A got custody, but boy died at age 16.
While Augustine of Hippo had a greater influence on the whole church, as an Episcopalian, I voted for Augustine of Canterbury. A tough choice. His respect for local traditions in bring them more in line with the Roman traditions, created the English version of the Faith that I embrace.
Tough one, but I had to go with Canterbury. I particularly like the way he uses local culture and traditions to bring in people to church? Isn't that the Anglican way?
There's just something about Gloomy Gus of Hippo that puts me off.
Style leads me to choose Augustine of Hippo over Augustine of Canterbury. Ach, du lieber Augustine. Wherever he learned that ingratiating style, his writing leaves a clear and friendly voice from the gathering gloom of the Dark Ages. In most matters he was something of a jerk. He earned his spurs as a theologian by attacking Pelagius, a very popular preacher from the British church. Pelagius was a follower of Saint Martin of Tours and the inspiration of Saint Patrick, whose church of Ireland spread Christianity back to England and to most of northern Europe in the following centuries.