Introduction

It is probably prudent to begin by discussing some of the fundamental beliefs of St. Augustine in order to better tackle the question. We must remember that St. Augustine is first and foremost a theologian, and thus his beliefs are firmly rooted in the teachings of Christianity. He accepted the doctrine of the Bible, i.e. the world and everything in it was created by God. Men were initially living in relationship with God, but after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they `fell', and effectively condemned their genealogy with the inheritance of `original sin', subjecting Man under the curse of living in an imperfect, sin-infested world. Next, to completely grasp his attitude towards the secular world we...