Augustine's Teachings on Human Nature

• "Grant me Chastity and continence, but not yet" - Augustine when young
• "cosmic battle ground between purity and corruption" - manickeism main idea
• "evil is not a substance, but the absence of good"
• "therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through out lord Jesus Christ" - St Paul
• "God saw what he had made and and it was good"
• "be fruitful and multiply"
• Concordia - harmony and friendship
• Concupisence - lust, greed and desire
• "their friendship included reproduction"
• "Shepards rather than kings"
• Augustine on Human Free Will

  Humans have real but limited free will, influenced by sinful nature and needing God's grace for good choices
• Fallen Nature's Impact


  Human choices are influenced by inherited sinful nature, making redemption through Christ necessary
• Role of God's Grace

  God's grace enables humans to make good choices, but doesn't force them to
• "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive
• "our justifications come from the grace of god. grace is favour the free and undesired help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God"
• "Christianity's most repugnant idea" - Richard Dawkins on original sin