ABSTRACT
Augustine of Hippo (354-430) is unquestionably the most influential theologian in the history of western Christendom. Known as the “Doctor of Grace,” this North African bishop articulated the teachings of Christianity so persuasively as to influence both theology and natural philosophy for centuries. It has only been with the increasing eclipse of antiquity in modern times that Augustine has lost his position as a force to contend with in philosophy. Influenced deeply by the Platonic tradition, especially by Plotinus (205-70), Augustine trusted the rational processes of the human mind as a guide to truth. This belief, however, was tempered by his Christian conviction regarding the effects of human sin and the necessity of divine grace.
