A Critical Book Review on The Life of Saint Augustine by Possidius

Joffrey M. Ocat

This biography by Possidius is an exposition of the chronological account of events and actions in Saint Augustine’s life juxtaposed with the exposition of his conduct. The author has been considered as the first biographer of this great man in Church history. This claim is basically due to the fact that Possidius is a close friend of Augustine even prior to their ecclesiastical ministries. They have been journeying together for a long time. And this biography is written by the author, who then is the bishop of Calama, few years after Augustine’s death. Being a bishop, his determination to write sprouts from his desire to build up the body of Christ because Augustine’s life is an authentic Christian life. Furthermore, as the author states in the Preface, all the things he conveys in the book is based on what he saw of Augustine and heard from him. Thus, the book contains first degree experiences by the author with Saint Augustine. The biography has three parts. Possidius labels them as The Life and Activity of Augustine: A Chronological Account, Augustine’s Everyday Life, Last Years and Death. In short, as the author states it, the origin (birth), progress (career), and destined end of Augustine. The first part of the book narrates the life of Augustine from birth until his life as a bishop. Chapter I speaks of two kinds of birth in the life of Augustine. The first refers to his biological birth by Monica. In the other hand, the chapter also speaks of Augustine’s birth into Christ through his baptism. The whole span in the life of Augustine discussed in this chapter is a form of very short summarization of the first lengthy part I of Augustine’s autobiographical1 book, The Confessions. In chapters’ two to three, Augustine’s practice of renouncing worldly pleasures and ambitions after his baptism is depicted. Augustine lives together with his friends in a quasi-monastic life and their work are now filled with apostolic passion. Augustine’s priestly

1 Autobiography here is not confined to the idea of Augustine’s chronology from birth until death. In fact, this autobiographical book does not speak of death. It only tackles the author’s life from birth to baptism. Rather, the book is being considered as an autobiographical book because of the theme that is implicitly yet carefully carried out throughout the book. The alpha and omega of the book is a narration and exposition of the theme on conversion; present conversion, continual conversion and the fulfillment of conversion in the Scriptures. life is tackled in chapters’ four to seven. The fourth chapter depicts the tearful Augustine in embracing a ‘new’ life, that is, priesthood. With the great experiences he accumulated while living together with his friends, he founded a monastery together with fellow God’s servants. The monastery has its proviso: “all things should be in common.” Nonetheless, this new divine office that he has enables him to meet an old friend, a Manichee2, named Fortunatus. Because of the request of the concern citizens3, Augustine debates with the Manichee for “a day and ended the next”. Augustine proliferates and defenses the Faith through his superb aptitude in rhetoric and writing. Because of his expectedly outstanding deeds, he is elevated after five years as a coadjutor bishop of Hippo. Later on, Augustine becomes the bishop of Hippo. By the time he becomes a bishop, he starts also his work against Donatism4, Pelagianism5, and Arianism6. The second part of the book is Possidius’ enumeration of the daily works of Bishop Augustine. He becomes a judge in disputes. But he states it by himself that to do it to friends is very hard because he might lost a friend but easier if he does not know the involve persons. He also deals with civil authorities and attends councils and ordains priests. Furthermore, Possidius also shows that, albeit Augustine’s powerful seat, the latter still lives a life of simplicity and charity. He is very much concern with the poor people moving him to share what his community has. Being the leader, he administers the Church properties. Because he is living in a “community” together with other clerics, and it is inevitable to have some misunderstandings, Augustine stresses the importance of forgiveness. Thus, as the leader, he has a paternal authority, who meddles in the place of hatred between individuals. Augustine also highlights chastity. As a “public servant”, that is, a servant of everybody, he makes sure that their house is a no-woman house. This is a way of safeguarding their purity. And Augustine also visits the orphans and widows in need, and monasteries of women only if his presence is already a matter of life and death. In the last part of the book, Possidius conveys the last few years of Augustine. These are years of Augustine’s revisions of his works. During this time, the old venerable Augustine is already acquiring illness. However, even up to his last years or even his last breathe on this earth,

2 A follower of Mani, the founder of a heretic sect called Manichaeism, who insists with his belief on the two absolute opposites, good and evil. 3 Catholics and Donatists 4 It is a schismatic sect from the Catholic Church founded by either of the two great Donatuses in the first half of fourth century: Donatus, Bishop of Casae Nigrae or Donatus, Bishop of Carthage. This sect believes of rebaptism. 5 Its founder is Pelagius, a Breton Monk, who rejected the necessity of God’s grace. 6 It is a heresy started by Arius that claimed Jesus Christ to be inferior to God the Father. he still remains humble and trusts God. Even if Augustine has numerous august achievements, he still walks with his feet on the ground. And even up to his ‘last breath7’ during the Vandals invasion in Hippo, he does not stop taking care God’s flock, and he never lose hope, and trust that God will grant him eternal life.

The book is quite inadequate biography on Saint Augustine notwithstanding of the important facts that it presents. In this biography of our Spiritual Founder, some stages in his life are not being exposed or implicitly exposed. The chapter I of part I, which is put to fit in a page, of the biography serves to be a synopsis to the whole non-Catholic life of Augustine. In the first paragraph, the biographer talks of Augustine’s birth date, birthplace, and parents.8 But, with my great surprise, the next paragraph already talks of Augustine’s teaching career in Thagaste, followed by his first sea travel, then the baptism. This is a great leap in a biography. Is this biographical book following the pattern of Jesus Christ’s life in the Gospels wherein relatively two aspects in the Savior’s life are depicted? In the Gospels, only the child Jesus and Jesus in his public ministry are being exposed. Where are his teenage years and early adulthood stage, or the so-called “silent years”? Does Possidius adopt this? Indeed, in this biographical book of Augustine, Possidius hides the “sinful years” of Augustine, even though he renders Augustine as a Menichee. Is this for the sake of making it a stage of mystery, or, being a close friend, just shy in telling it to the faithful? The book also shows an epitomic Christian life. It never portrays a worldly-succumbed Augustine. It shows a great man who loves other people but never of a man who has selfish acts. But in fact, Augustine, in his earlier years, embraces the second aspect. His conversion speaks that he is a selfish, thus, sinful person before. His conversion speaks of spiritual transformation. Yes, Augustine’s conversion is never discussed in the biography. What I observe is that this biography is somehow a sequel of the first part of The Confessions of Augustine.. In this ‘sequel’, Possidius relays to us how Augustine lives his life after the conversion. Moreover, one of his ways is living in common life. It means living with all things in common but never depriving a brother of his needs. With the thrust of the seminary this school year, this thing must be considered. Seminarians and even friars should be able to know this one. Seminarians, who are aspiring to

7 Fever caused Augustine’s death. 8 These data and still many others are placed in the endnotes of every chapter. become disciples of Saint Augustine, should start practicing “moderation” especially those who are well off in any fields. By moderation, I mean start to share whatever beneficial excess they have to those who are relatively deprived. In the other way around, those deprived brothers who are blessed in other matters, should unconditionally give something in return. The seminary needs to improve and build up its culture of sharing. Possidius and Garry Wills Augustine is an eminent person from his time hitherto. In fact, a lot of scholars made a biography on his life besides Possidius9. One of the latter biographers is Garry Wills. The book is entitled Saint Augustine10. In this biography lot of things can be said that are not presented in Possidius’ and some alterations. If we will compare its reliability, Possidius’ work is more reliable because of the fact that he lives in the times of Augustine and lives with Augustine. In the other hand, Garry for sure used references for its completion. And I think, he cannot but to consult the work of the first biographer. Because also of this Garry is able to gather an amalgam of the facts in Augustine’s life. He discovered other things that are not presented by Possidius but still very relevant in the life of Augustine. The first thing I will discuss is word usage of both. The first thing I noticed is the name of his mother. All throughout the work, Garry uses the Berber spelling Monnica while Possidius uses Monica. Furthermore, the two biographers present the autobiography of Augustine in different names. Possidius uses the well-known name of the book, which is, The Confessions. Instead of using The Confessions, Garry uses The Testimony. Why The Testimony? According to him, the “thing confessed does not have to be a moral truth- Augustine “confesses” the fact that time is measurable. The English term confession cannot contain the whole meaning of the Latin word confesio. Garry said that the term “testimony” best covers the idea of confesio. In relation with this, Garry presents the problem on the unity of the Confessiones in the part of ‘Hippo: Implosion (397-409). The second thing is on how the presentation of the life of Augustine or the biography is structured. The first things we can say here is Garry’s book is thicker than Possidius’. By simply looking at the ‘Table of Contents’ of the book of Possidius and scanning the pages of Garry’s, there is a lot difference on the way they presented. The work of Possidius is a presentation of the 9 There is the need to consider that I am relying on a translated text. And throughout the process of translating the text, there can be biases and prejudices in the part of the translator on what words to use and on how to restate the sentences. 10 Garry Wills, Saint Augustine (London: Phoenix, 2000). post-conversion of Augustine, except for the preface and chapter I of part I. In the other hand, Garry combined the first part of Augustine’s The Testimony11 and Possidius’ work. Garry presents a much wider coverage on Augustine’s life than Possidius. I can say that Garry presents a holistic view of the life of Augustine. The third thing is on how the chapters are named. In Possidius’ biography, the chapters are presented with phrase outlines. In the other hand, Garry presents the chapters depending on what nation and continent Augustine stayed and when he stayed there. The biography has three chapters: Chapter I is Africa (354-383), Chapter II is Italy (383-388), Chapter III is Africa (388- 430)12. Furthermore, Garry divided each chapter into certain places and times in the life of Augustine.13 Fourthly, there is also a difference on the content of each book. Possidius is more concern on how Augustine lived his life as a converted person. Even if just by looking the “Table of Contents”, one can know that he is more concern on the activities and works of Augustine as a convert, as a priest, as a Bishop, as a devout follower of Christ. In the other hand, Garry presents more than what Possidius did. More than Augustine’s activities, he presents how Augustine is formed by his environment. He describes the topography of Augustine’s locality and how it affects to his mental framework. One thing I can also say here is that Garry presents a psychological analysis of Augustine’s life especially the stealing of pears together with his childhood friends. Moreover, Garry is so much concern of presenting the socio-political milieu14 in Augustine’s time. Yes, Possidius presents also something about this. However, there is a big difference on the emphasis given by Garry. Unlike Possidius, he describes every place wherever Augustine stayed. Furthermore, one remarkable and, maybe trivial, thing that Garry presents that cannot be found in Possidius is Augustine’s reaction to a commentary15 made by his co-Church Father and Latin translator of the Holy Bible Saint Jerome. He is against to the idea that lying is acceptable as long as it serves for the proliferation of the Church and of the faith. And in fact, he writes a

11 I am using Garry Wills’ version of the Confessiones. 12 This is a chiastic form of presentation. 13 I will not present them here because they might occupy a whole page. And in such case, I will exceed the required pages. 14 Of course, the religious milieu is already included here. 15 A commentary on Saint Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. book on this entitled Deception16. In connection with this, Garry does not get tired of citing the works of Augustine even up to the last page.17 In fact he ended with a citation from the Sermons of Augustine.

16 However, this work is known by many as On Lying. Garry uses other titles of some books of Augustine that he cited in the biography. 17 This aspect of the book is in resemblance to the book of Possidius. Their works are being rained by citations from the works of Augustine. And this is just the right to do when one is making a biography of a person. No one can be a better source of information than the person, in this case Augustine, himself.