Saint Augustine and

Letter Writing
LUCAS FOSTER
Origins of Saint Augustine
Saint Augustine (Augustine of Hippo, birth name Aurelius Augustinus) was born on November
13th AD 354 in Thagaste, Numidia (Modern day Souk Ahras, Algeria)
Augustine was an early Christian theologian and philosopher who is best known for his works
Confessions and City of God
Augustine was influenced by Manichaeism and neo-Platonism in his early years
In AD 386, Augustine was baptized and converted to Christianity
Broad (and Brief) Outline of Augustines
Beliefs
Augustine helped to form the Christian doctrine of original sin
Additionally, he has been credited with making significant contributions to just war theory,
arguing that a commitment to non-violence in the face of grave wrong was a sin and stating that,
in such a case, the wise man will wage Just Wars (City of God)
Moreover, Augustine created the concept of the Christian Church as a a spiritual City of God that
should be considered to be separate from Earthly cities
Augustine and Letter Writing
In approximately AD 400, Augustine wrote The Rule of St. Augustine, which serves as a guide for
community-based religious life
The document covers issues of chastity, poverty, obedience, care of the sick, and detachment
from the world
A significant part of the document is Letter 211, which Augustine wrote and addressed to a
group of nuns
Letter 211
Augustine wrote Letter 211 in AD 423 and addressed it to the nuns at a monastery in Hippo
which had been run by his sister
The letter deals with chastity, poverty, obedience, and the mutual duties of superiors and
inferiors
In sum, the letter demonstrates Augustines vision of the values that underlie the life of a
vibrant and holy religious community (Midwest Augustinians)
Augustine wrote the letter in large part to respond to concern in the monastery about the
nomination of a new superior
Letter 211 contd.
Although the letter does not contain explicit instructions like monastic rules do, the letter was
meant to be read every week and to serve as a guide to action and as a constant presence in the
nuns lives
The letter states that poverty is the foundation of the monastic life
Moreover, Augustine states that the superior shares the duties of her office with certain
members of her community and that the nuns are to make their own habits (New Advent)
However, though the letter does not contain many detailed instructions, it does have great detail
about religious virtues and the ascetic life
Conclusion
Augustines letter reflects the fact that he was a law-giver (New Advent)
Interestingly, Augustines letter (which was meant to unify the monastery) shows the way in
which a single letter can play a powerful role in shaping community relations
Additionally, the fact that the letter was read weekly evinces the way in which a letter can serve
as a consistent presence in the community that continues to guide community behavior
Bibliography
Knight, Kevin. "Rule of Saint Augustine." CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Rule of St. Augustine. New
Advent, 2012. Web. 17 July 2017.
"Roots of Augustinian Spirituality." Midwest Augustinians. Province of Our Mother of Good
Counsel of the Augustinian Order, n.d. Web. 17 July 2017.