The Influence of Augustine
The Influence of Augustine
The Influence of Augustine The probable influence, directly or indirectly, of the theology of Augustine of Hippo (354–430 ce) on Julian's thinking about human nature has been noted frequently. Augustine was, and continues to be, a major figure in Western theology, not least in relation to theological anthropology.
Augustine adopted the symbol of the heart as a way of expressing "the self." In the mind of Augustine our inner selves are where we are also united with the whole of creation and with God. For Augustine, God created humans with the divine image (imago Dei) in their hearts. This imago Dei is the true self although sin may disconnect us from it. The concept of the imago Dei points to humanity being inherently united to God, a theme strongly underlined in Julian of Norwich. Humanity in this image also reflects the triune nature of God, expressed by Augustine and later mystical theologians in the three‐fold structure or "powers" of human identity, the soul, in terms of memory, understanding, and will.
As I shall explain in a moment, Julian appears to modify and expand Augustine's three‐fold schema.
Augustine's notion of the imago Dei in which we are created and which is imprinted on the heart must be read alongside his overall doctrine of human creation. In Augustine's Commentary on Genesis,
Adam's sin was precisely to please himself and to live for himself (secundum se vivere, sibi placere). Thus the unity or mutual communion that should be at the heart of everything is ruptured; whether this is our union with God, our solidarity with other people, or our harmony with our true selves. Self‐seeking pride is the archetypal sin
(Commentary on Genesis XI.15.19–20). In Augustine's mind, the original Garden of Eden and his "City of God" were based on "the love that promotes the common good for the sake of the heavenly society"
(Commentary on Genesis XI.15.20). For Augustine, in the Heavenly City there is to be the fullness of sharing.5
In terms of the foundations of Augustine's theological anthropology, there is a tension that should not be resolved between a clear sense of a personal self and an equally clear sense of the fundamentally collective nature of human existence. It is possible to detect echoes of this viewpoint in Julian's strong sense of responsibility for, and solidarity with, her "evenchristen."
"The heart" for Augustine is where a true integration of our inner and outer lives takes place. In Book 10 of his Confessions Augustine refers to "my heart, where I am whatever it is that I am" and in his Tractates on the Gospel of John
(Section 18.10) Augustine exclaimed "return to your heart!" However, Augustine is clear that if anything is claimed to be in the heart but does not show itself outwardly in love and community, it is illusory.