Caption
Augustine of Hippo (354-430) was the single most authoritative voice in the evolution of Christian theology after the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and the letters of Paul. His unique power derived from his special position in the early centuries of the church. He lived and wrote at the exact moment when the church was trying to define its beliefs for the general public. Up until 313, the church had been secret, hidden, underground. But with the publication of the Edict of Toleration in that year by Emperor Constantine, the church suddenly became public and was expected to state its beliefs publicly. Augustine, Ambrose and Jerome together formed this powerful new generation of church leaders who wrote for the church and led the church in the last years of the fourth century. Augustine's books and sermons were the most brilliant and influential of this generation.
