Fallen human nature

~

Saint Augustine

from The City of God

Saint Augustine (354-430)• Born North African Roman province

Numidia• Roman school (curriculum of rhetoric) and

became teacher• Baptized in 387• 391: Priest at Hippo Regius, North Africa• 396: bishop of Hippo• Following: Saint Augustine’s views on:

– Creation– The Fall of man

• Chaucer: references to Adam and Eve > awareness of the following info

XII, 22• Individual man was created

alone vs. creation of several animals at one time

– unity of society – bond of harmony

• God and Man united by likeness of nature and affection of kinship

• Whole human race meant to be from a single individual

XII, 23

• God was aware humans would sin

• Even beasts (no rational choices) live safer than humans– Humans were given purpose of promoting harmony but

failed

• Saints would be called to God through Holy Spirit

• Roots in one man > unity

XII, 24

• Man has higher rank than animals

b/c soul is endowed w/ reason and intelligence.

• God’s creation was not like “ordinary artist” but divine.

• “everyday craftsmanship” cannot measure God’s power and wisdom

XIII, 21• Symbolism of Garden of Eden

– Four river = four virtues (prudence, fortitude, temperance, justice)

– Trees = useful knowledge• Fruits = lives of the faithful• Tree of life = wisdom = mother of all good• Tree of knowledge, good, and evil = experience of God’s punishments

• Garden = church– 4 rivers = 4 gospels– Trees = saints

• Fruits = their works• Tree of life = christ• Tree of knowledge, good, and evil = free will

XIII, 13• Disobeyed God > loss of

divine grace

• shame from nakedness was punishment

• Soul took “perverse delight” in liberty and was without mastery > lust against spirit

• All humans are born in rebellion and “doomed to die”

XIII, 14

• Man is corrupted by choice and condemned by justice– We all belong to that one man,

therefore all humans are affected

– Fell into sin before sin existed

• Redeeming grace of God saves humans from second and endless death

XIII, 15• 1 death = when life of the soul (God)

abandons it

• Bodily death is just punishment for sin

XIV, 11

• God foresaw everything he created – That man would sin

– “our conception of the supernatural City of God”

• The earth, dust, nature and the human soul are made out of nothing, not out of God

• Good can exist without evil, but not v.v.– Evil is part of nature, which is good

– Curing involves restoration of health and wholeness