Single Awareness Day '09: Great Single Christians

And now to celebrate Singles Awareness Day, here is the profile of another great single Christian leader. Last year’s entry was about pastor and theologian John Stott. This year, let’s take a look at one of the early church fathers, St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo.

Augustine was born in 354 AD to a Catholic and Christian mother. Much to the discouragement of his mother, Augustine was drawn in by the ways of the world. He joined the heretical sect of the Manicheans and took a common-law wife (concubine). During this time, he became a high riser in the Roman intellectual and political elite. After reading a biography of another Christian, Augustine experienced the moving of the Spirit in his life and was converted to the faith. As a result of his conversion, he gave up many things, including his promising political career and his common law wife. He decided to remain celibate for the rest of his life. He then devoted himself to a life of devotion to God.

He was soon ordained as a bishop, possibly against his will, in the African city of Hippo. Here, he devoted his time to study, theology, and philosophy. His two most famous works were the Confessions and the City of God. The Confessions were a record of his own personal faith story. The City of God was a defense of Christians against those who blamed them for the fall of Rome. Elsewhere, Augustine developed the theories of original sin and just war. However, he is also known to have dabbled into pagan Neo-Platonic philosophy in an attempt to Christianize it. He died in 430, surrounded by Davidic Psalms printed on the walls.