This week in Christian history: Museum of the Bible opens; Augustine born; Albert the Great dies

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, November 13, 2022

Saint Augustine of Hippo born — Nov. 13, 354

Saint Augustine of Hippo, as depicted in a Tiffany stained-glass window at the Lightner Museum, St. Augustine, Florida. | Wikimedia Commons/Daderot

This week marks the anniversary of when Saint Augustine of Hippo, an influential early church bishop, theologian and author of works like The City of God and Confessions, was born.

A native of Tagaste, a small Roman community located on the coast of Africa, Augustine came to Christianity as an adult. He eventually became the bishop of the prominent trading city of Hippo.

Augustine was a prolific writer who often attacked heretical teachings. His descriptions of Christian belief inspired Western civilization to such an extent that Britannica reports he was "perhaps the most significant Christian thinker after St. Paul."

"His numerous written works … shaped the practice of biblical exegesis and helped lay the foundation for much of medieval and modern Christian thought. In Roman Catholicism he is formally recognized as a doctor of the church," noted Britannica.

"His work continues to hold contemporary relevance, in part because of his membership in a religious group that was dominant in the West in his time and remains so today."