How did Augustine influence Christianity?
English: augustine at the school of tagaste (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Augustine (a.d. 354–430) was born in northern Africa (roughly modern Algeria ). Monica, his devout Christian mother, raised him in biblical truth, prayed for him faithfully throughout her life, and remained an important influence on Augustine until her death. His brilliant but restless mind, however, wandered away from his Christian roots. This journey away from God (detailed in his classic Confessions) included giving himself to sensual pleasures. Augustine, seeking intellectual and spiritual fulfillment, wandered in succession through pagan philosophies such as Manichaeanism and Neoplatonism . Manichaeanism combined elements from several religions, teaching that reality is ultimately grounded in two gods, one evil and one good. Neoplatonism, however, taught that all reality emanated from “the One” (an impersonal, unknowable god) Augustine eventually realized the intellectual and spiritual failure of his