When English people hear the name Augustine, they may have a vague recollection that a man came to Kent in 597 AD and tidied up the church scene left in disarray after the Roman withdrawal. But far more significant was another Augustine (354-430) who was born in what is now Algeria. Like Constantine, he had a powerful influence on the shape of Christianity.
The theologian Paul Tillich said of him: ‘His influence overshadows not only the next thousand years but all periods ever since.’ When we bring a child to baptism, that influence is apparent. It is also apparent, or at least underlying the outstanding issues, when there is a clash between State and Church, when there is an Act of Uniformity, when the Church accepts government money, when legislation involving abortion or euthanasia takes place and when we talk about Christian England.
Augustine lived at a time when the Roman empire was collapsing. As Bishop of Hippo, he was more at the centre of things than was the Augustine who came to England. North Africa was the granary of empire. From it came the almost successful challenge to what was then the Mediterranean super-power. Hannibal and his elephants took Rome to the wire in a contest as to who would be master of the known world. When Alaric entered Rome, the alliance that Constantine had made possible between Rome and Christianity faltered. Was the world to slide into chaos? Augustine thought not and wrote a book ‘The City of God’ to argue otherwise. It is a wearisome read. Augustine allowed himself to inveigh incessantly against paganism. But he followed through one over-arching principle, the grace of God.
Much more readable is his ‘Confessions’. When he was 17, his lover bore him a son. After his conversion he heard a voice in the garden telling him to take up a book (the New Testament) and read. When he became a bishop, he found he had a divided Church to look after. He invoked government aid to settle the matter. He found himself championing the understanding of God’s grace as ensuring the survival of the Christian faith, whatever empires rose and fell. God’s grace in creation and redemption became the background against which the Reformation was played out.
The issues which Augustine found himself dealing with are subtle and at the same time unavoidable in any serious treatment of what it means to be a Christian, just as the issues that Plato turned his mind to have determined the thinking of all philosophers since. We continue to be indebted to him. But we are even more indebted to the grace of God, as he himself was.
LAVENDER AND POCAHONTAS
Heacham, Norfolk is known for its lavender. This fragrant parish is also known as the birthplace of John Rolfe, husband of Pocahontas. Rector of the parish church is Veronica Wilson, currently engaged in raising £25,000 to save the church tower. Amongst other mission agencies the church supports OMF, the Overseas Mission Fellowship.
WEYMOUTH RENOVATION
Aerial views of St John’s church Weymouth are a feature of the church website. A £180,000 renovation scheme is in hand to transform the church interior. The next-door vicarage was bought in 2018 and is being similarly transformed to become a church centre. Team Vicar is Tom Coopey. The church is one of five led by the Team Rector, Nick Clarke,
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