Augustine in the Orthodox tradition

  • Thread starter Thread starter AugustineFanNYC
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

AugustineFanNYC

Guest
I am curious as to why St. Augustine isn’t considered a Saint in the Orthodox tradition. Perhaps this could also shed some light on the differences between Orthodox and Catholics too.

So far I’ve read that some early Orthodox teachers consider him a heretic because he preached what they consider “neo-Platonism”. Later Orthodox teachers considered him a wise man but not without error.

Apparently, some say that he taught that the divine wisdom could be found intellectually, whereas many Orthodox teach more about the divine “energies” and “theosis”? I was a bit confused about this.

They have trouble with his teaching of filioque?

If anyone could help it would be great because then I can further my learning about not only St Augustine but also the Orthodox and Catholic teachings on him.

Thanks!
 
In “Historical Dictionary of the Orthodox Church” by the most eminent Orthodox theologians Father Michael Prokurat and Priestmonk Alexander Golitzin, it clearly states that Augustine of Hippo is a “bishop, theologian, Saint.”

His feast day is celebrated in the Orthodox Church.

ZP
 
That’s odd, I don’t know why I was under the impression that the orthodox viewed him as a heretic at first.

Either way, what about the differences in theology?
 
The Orthodox may feel that St. Augustine’s teaching on the filioque was in err but it does not take away from that fact that the Orthodox conciser him a holy man.

Saint Photios had this to say about Saint Augustine:

“Though they (Augustine and Ambrose) were otherwise arrayed with the noblest reflections, they were human. If they slipped and fell into error, therefore, by some negligence or oversight, then we should not gainsay or admonish them. But what is this to you?"

He also wrote that when it came to the Latin fathers, that they should be left alone, to respect these men by not speaking about their weakness. St. Photios would also say that St. Augustine was human and because of this may not have always taught what was true.

ZP
 
Can you go a little more in depth into the theological differences. I’m actually quite interested in the idea of the filoque and the orthodox notion of theosis, and how they differ.
 
Most Orthodox do consider him a Saint (although some would only reward him with the title “Blessed”) but they disagree with him theologically in many respects. His poor understanding of Greek and Hebrew and his use of bad Latin translations of the scriptures is where Orthodox generally see the root of his ideas that are contrary to Orthodox teaching.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top