Augustine of Hippo

Aurelius Augustinus (Latin: Aurelius Augustinus, November 13, 354 - August 28, 430), known as Augustine of Hippo (Latin: Augustinus Hipponensis; English: Augustine of Hippo) or Saint Augustine (English: Saint Augustine or Saint Austin), also translated as Augustine, Saint Augustine, was an early Catholic theologian and philosopher. Born in the city of Tagaste in the African province of North Africa at the end of the Roman Empire, he was born into a Berber family. He was educated in Rome and received the Sacrament of Baptism in Milan. He served as the Catholic Bishop of Hippo Regius (located in today's Algerian city of Annaba). Augustine's work "Confessions" is called the "first" autobiography in Western history and is still recited today. The Augustinians were a Catholic religious order that followed the way of life they instituted. After his death, Augustine was canonized as a saint and a doctor of the church by the Catholic Church. He was also regarded as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church and others, and was called Doctor Gratiae (Latin: Doctor Gratiae, a title derived from his emphasis on God's grace in his debate with Pelagius). However, some of his theological theories were not recognized by Eastern Christianity and were regarded as an important source of several heretical theories. His death is also regarded by Western historians as the beginning of the Middle Ages in Europe on a spiritual level.