Augustine is one of the major thinkers in the history of Western thought. Born during the decline of the Roman Empire, he provided a bridge between the thought of ancient Greece, interpreted in the light of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures, and the Middle Ages. His authority reigned supreme during the latter period and has remained unparalleled throughout the history of Christianity. But even were he not a transitional figure with a foot in both the ancient and modern worlds, the nature and scope of his writings would have assured him a high place in the history of the West.

Augustine was born on 13 November 354 in Tagaste in Numidia Cirtensis, North Africa (now Souk-Ahras, Algeria), of a Roman father, Patricius, and a local tribeswoman, Monica. In his Confessiones (Confessions, 397-401) Augustine contrasts the hot-blooded, semicultured character of his father with the common sense and saintliness of his mother. Although such...