Status Updates From Saint Augustine in 50 Pages...

This should be a good opportunity to dive deep.

"In his autobiography, Milestones, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI states that Saint Augustine, more than any other theologian, has had the greatest influence upon him." (loc 519)

"So for Luther, Calvin, Baius, and Jansen, humans became totally depraved after original sin. The Catholic position (articulated by Thomas Aquinas) is that humans lost grace and gifts at the moment of original sin, but we still have intact human nature, albeit wounded." (loc 488)

"Later [after reading Augustine through a Protestant lens], as I read Augustine unedited, I was amazed to find him praying for the deceased soul of his mother. I discovered that he had a strict doctrine of baptismal regeneration, a high view of the Eucharist, a strident defense and celebration of celibacy, and that he even promoted prayers and devotions to the saints. I felt betrayed by Luther and Calvin." (loc 458)

"Luther and Calvin also galvanized their movements by revising the canon of Sacred Scripture in order to remove references to prayers for the dead (2 Maccabees) and prophetic statements about the mediation of Mary (Ecclesiasticus), among other things. But Augustine was the early champion for the broader Catholic canon of Sacred Scripture." (loc 454)

"During the Protestant Reformation, Augustine became the center of debate." (loc 428)

"It was Saint Augustine who canonized the Trinitarian tradition and language for the Latin west." (loc 388)

"A person learns when he articulates something for himself. And he learns most profoundly when he must explain his position to someone else and then must answer objections and questions. The Socratic dialogue is a journey of discovery in its own right." (loc 352)

"Sex is one of the most pleasurable human experiences and it is ordered to procreation. Concupiscence leads men and women to pretend that sex is something else." (loc 324)

"Concupiscence is essential to understanding Augustine's theology. Concupiscence is the inordinate desire for anything from stolen pears to illicit sex." (loc 271)

"To this day, Saint Augustine is known as the Doctor of Grace. He is second only to Saint Paul in proclaiming the free and unmerited grace of God." (loc 218)

"Augustine's moral breakthrough led to his doctrine of nature and grace. God, Who is all good, can and does share His divine power and life with humans. This divine life and power is called grace." (loc 198)

"Augustine's presentation of Christ as the chief sacramental minister and his theory of the Catholic Church as valid despite the immorality of its leaders is a hallmark of Catholic teaching." (loc 175)

"The Councils of Carthage were instrumental in establishing the canon of Sacred Scripture." (loc 151)

"His sermons expound on topics relating to personal holiness, Christian doctrine, the life of prayer, and the Church's moral teachings." (loc 149)

"Cicero sparked his love for reflective thinking, oratory, and philosophy." (loc 92)