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Gauging a Legend

By Elesha Coffman, associate editor of CHRISTIAN HISTORY

About midway through working on our current issue, Rai, our designer, asked, "So why exactly is Augustine so important?"

Rai wasn't trying to be skeptical. He didn't doubt that the legendary bishop merited a second issue (Augustine was also the subject of issue 15, published in 1987). Rai just has a gift for asking those questions—the ones that seem to have easy answers but actually deserve some pondering.

One reason for Augustine's continued prominence is that he was in the right place at the right time. Hippo was near enough to Rome and Constantinople for Augustine to have connections to the major fourth- and fifth-century church leaders and debates, yet far enough away for him to possess an "outsider" perspective. He attended councils at Carthage and Milevis as the church outlined its position on key issues: the nature of Christian congregations, the power of sacraments, original sin, free will, the workings of grace.

To emphasize the importance of this formative time in the church, think of how many of Augustine's contemporaries also cast long shadows across history: John Chrysostom, Antony (who died when Augustine was a baby), Gregory of Nyssa, Basil of Caesarea, Martin of Tours, Athanasius, Ambrose, and Jerome.

The sheer quantity of Augustine's writing also helps ensure his lasting influence. His 1,000 works, including 242 books, contain, by one scholar's estimate, some 1.5 million words. Output like that is tough to overlook.

Of course, the quality of Augustine's work—his breadth of inquiry and clarity of thought—is the real key to his legacy. His insight on everything from birth to death and beyond have set the agenda for more than 1,600 years of theological discussion. Theologians can argue with his conclusions or quote him with approval, but ignoring him is not an option.

This is still an incomplete answer to Rai's question, but I hope the articles in this issue, especially the special section (in which several contemporary scholars explore Augustine's answers to today's challenges), will increase your appreciation for this towering figure.

Elesha can be reached at cheditor@ChristianityToday.com.

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