09 — Veneration and Legacy
The veneration of Blessed Augustine and a final assessment of the man: the journey of his relics from Hippo to Sardinia and at last to Pavia, where they rest; the feast — 15 June in the Orthodox East, 28 August (the day of his death) in the West; and a closing weighing of Augustine’s greatness, his faults, and his place as a venerated yet contested Father of the undivided Church.
Tradition: Pan-Orthodox (pre-Schism West; “Blessed Augustine”)
This closing section brings the collection to rest at the tomb and the assessment. The first file follows the relics and the feast — the concrete forms of Augustine’s veneration East and West. The second offers a final, balanced assessment of the man whom this guide has presented throughout with the respect due a saint and the candor due a contested teacher: what he was, what he gave, what the East holds back, and how to hold the whole.
Files in This Section
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| Feast and Relics | The death at Hippo (430); the translation of the relics from Hippo to Cagliari in Sardinia (to escape the Vandals/Arians) and thence to San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro at Pavia (8th c.), where they rest; the feast — 15 June (East), 28 August (West); the cult and patronage. |
| Legacy and Assessment | A final weighing: Augustine’s greatness and his spiritual depth; his real errors and the Eastern reserve; the balanced assessment; how the Orthodox tradition holds Blessed Augustine — venerating the saint, weighing the doctrine. |
See Also
- Pastor and Preacher — the death at Hippo
- Blessed Augustine — the title and the veneration
- The Spectrum of Orthodox Opinion — the debate the assessment must hold
- The Church Fathers — Augustine among the Fathers
References
- Possidius. The Life of Saint Augustine. Trans. F. R. Hoare, The Western Fathers. London: Sheed & Ward, 1954.
- Rose, Seraphim. The Place of Blessed Augustine in the Orthodox Church. Platina, CA: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1983; rev. 2007.
- Brown, Peter. Augustine of Hippo: A Biography. New ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000.