Lesson 1: Augustine on human nature and the fall
St Augustine Background
o He converted to Christianity from Manichaeism (a fight between good and bad)
when he realised there was just one God.
St Augustine teaching on human nature – 4 aspects
o Augustine bases his theory of human relationships with God on Genesis and St
Pauls letters
1. Humans are made in the image of God
Christianity makes this teaching, which is why he said God made the world
perfect ‘God saw what he made and thought it was good’ - Genesis. ‘In the
image of God’ - ‘imago dai’
2. Humans reflect some aspects of the nature of God
We share certain qualities about the nature of God, rationality, freedom,
morality and capacity of loving. This also means all people are equal as we all
share God’s qualities
3. Humans are part of the natural world
Second creation story, God makes man from dust on the ground this shows
humans are part of the natural and physical world – all made from the same
material. God gives life though life through nostrils – life giving force
4. Humans were made to obey God’s commands
Humanity has rules:
- Be stewards of the earth
- Be fruitful and multiply
- Do not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden
But they were free to obey/ not obey these rules as they have free will
St Augustine and how humans fell
Fell because they abused their freedom
Adam and Eve were close to God in the garden of Eden, they could hear God
‘walking in the garden in the cool of the day’.
When Adam and eve ate the fruit, they fell from God's grace
, They were punished and sin entered the world therefore
They were banished from the garden and there is now a barrier between us and
God which humanity made by sinning.
Augustine's teaching on human nature BEFORE the fall
o Adam and eve lived in harmony with one another and God
o Were ‘a state of perfection’ as God made them
o God told them to ‘be fruitful and multiply’ so they would have a sexual
relationship
o Naked and comfortable (only realised they were naked after the fall)
o Augustine wrote about friendships in ‘Confessions’ and used the term
‘Concordia’ (easy, comfortable and understanding relationship that good friends
have) to refer to them. (they share ideas, friends increase happiness)
Augustine teaching on human nature AFTER the fall
o Original sin entered the world through the fall, people inherit this
o Adam and Eve chose to sin (free will was misused)
o Augustine says in ‘On free will’ - ‘All good things come from God’ and since free
will is good it comes from God.
o He says human will is love driven, can pull people to certain decisions he made
2 kinds of love:
1. WRONG KIND OF LOVE (Cupiditas)
The love of things impermanent, changeable things
The love of selfish needs
It is a person's fault if they follow this love, and they are often unhappy
2. RIGHT KIND OF LOVE (Caritas)
A love of others
Will of God expressed through virtues (justice, prudence)
Leads to spiritual happiness, humans get this when they are obedient to God
However, this choice was removed by sin, so people are only able to do right
with the will of God (what God would want for us/ want us to do)
St Augustine Background
o He converted to Christianity from Manichaeism (a fight between good and bad)
when he realised there was just one God.
St Augustine teaching on human nature – 4 aspects
o Augustine bases his theory of human relationships with God on Genesis and St
Pauls letters
1. Humans are made in the image of God
Christianity makes this teaching, which is why he said God made the world
perfect ‘God saw what he made and thought it was good’ - Genesis. ‘In the
image of God’ - ‘imago dai’
2. Humans reflect some aspects of the nature of God
We share certain qualities about the nature of God, rationality, freedom,
morality and capacity of loving. This also means all people are equal as we all
share God’s qualities
3. Humans are part of the natural world
Second creation story, God makes man from dust on the ground this shows
humans are part of the natural and physical world – all made from the same
material. God gives life though life through nostrils – life giving force
4. Humans were made to obey God’s commands
Humanity has rules:
- Be stewards of the earth
- Be fruitful and multiply
- Do not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden
But they were free to obey/ not obey these rules as they have free will
St Augustine and how humans fell
Fell because they abused their freedom
Adam and Eve were close to God in the garden of Eden, they could hear God
‘walking in the garden in the cool of the day’.
When Adam and eve ate the fruit, they fell from God's grace
, They were punished and sin entered the world therefore
They were banished from the garden and there is now a barrier between us and
God which humanity made by sinning.
Augustine's teaching on human nature BEFORE the fall
o Adam and eve lived in harmony with one another and God
o Were ‘a state of perfection’ as God made them
o God told them to ‘be fruitful and multiply’ so they would have a sexual
relationship
o Naked and comfortable (only realised they were naked after the fall)
o Augustine wrote about friendships in ‘Confessions’ and used the term
‘Concordia’ (easy, comfortable and understanding relationship that good friends
have) to refer to them. (they share ideas, friends increase happiness)
Augustine teaching on human nature AFTER the fall
o Original sin entered the world through the fall, people inherit this
o Adam and Eve chose to sin (free will was misused)
o Augustine says in ‘On free will’ - ‘All good things come from God’ and since free
will is good it comes from God.
o He says human will is love driven, can pull people to certain decisions he made
2 kinds of love:
1. WRONG KIND OF LOVE (Cupiditas)
The love of things impermanent, changeable things
The love of selfish needs
It is a person's fault if they follow this love, and they are often unhappy
2. RIGHT KIND OF LOVE (Caritas)
A love of others
Will of God expressed through virtues (justice, prudence)
Leads to spiritual happiness, humans get this when they are obedient to God
However, this choice was removed by sin, so people are only able to do right
with the will of God (what God would want for us/ want us to do)
