Saint Augustine: A Biography

Saint Augustine: A Biography was originally published in 1967 and, over the decades, established itself as the standard narrative on the life and teachings of Saint Augustine—known as the "Saint of Intelligence." A Doctor of the Church and philosopher, he lived between 354 and 430, during Roman rule, in a colony without tradition, in the province of Numidia, present-day Algeria. He was consecrated as a great thinker on the human condition, through his investigation of themes such as knowledge and love, memory and presence, wisdom, God, and human destiny.

In this biography, Peter Brown recounts the trajectory of the vain rhetoric professor, initially focused on the worldly pursuit of good business and pleasure. Recreating the panorama of life in the Roman colonies of the Mediterranean, he addresses the young Augustine's lack of commitment, his romantic relationships, marriages, his pursuit of professional opportunities and status in the political and intellectual centers of the Empire, such as Rome and Milan, and the influence of Greco-Roman philosophy. He also delves into curious aspects of Augustine's relationship with his mother, Monica, who played a key role in her son's formation and conversion.

The extraordinary discovery of a considerable number of Augustinian letters and sermons has shed new light on the first and last decades of his experience as a bishop in Hippo, North Africa. These texts have led historian Peter Brown to reexamine some of his assessments of Augustine, both as the author of the Confessions (397) and City of God (413–427), and as the elderly bishop who preached and wrote during the final years of Roman rule.

Professor Brown's reflections on the significance of these compelling documents are found in the two chapters of his substantial epilogue to this Saint Augustine: A Biography . He also reviews the changes that have occurred in Augustine scholarship since the 1960s. There is a personal, as well as scholarly, fascination in the bookish epilogue and notes Professor Brown added to this acclaimed portrait of the Bishop of Hippo.