Thursday, October 05, 2017

Augustine does not equal Augustine


CAIRNS, EARLE E. (1981) Christianity Through The Centuries, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.

LANGER, SUSANNE K (1953)(1967) An Introduction to Symbolic Logic, Dover Publications, New York.

To begin with a slight aside, to make use of my symbolic logic learning and research:

x = Augustine of Hippo
y = Augustine of Canterbury

(x) : ˜ (y)

Augustine of Hippo equals not Augustine of Canterbury, meaning Augustine of Hippo does not equal Augustine of Canterbury.

(x) ⊃ ˜ (y)

Augustine of Hippo means not Augustine of Canterbury, meaning Augustine of Hippo does not mean Augustine of Canterbury.

(x) ˜ (y)

Augustine of Hippo is included not with Augustine of Canterbury, meaning Augustine of Hippo does not include Augustine of Canterbury,
---

Cairns:

Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) therefore commissioned the (166)...

'...monk Augustine, who must not be confused with Augustine of Hippo, to Britain and give the message of the gospel to the British. Augustine landed in Britain in 597 and soon won the king of Kent to Christianity. (168).

During the bible study I was at last evening, one of the senior members asked me if Augustine had gone to Britain in 300 AD. Well, having studied Augustine in the context of the problem of evil and incompatibilism (see archives versus compatibilism), for MPhil/PhD (Wales) research theses, I realized that Augustine of Hippo had lived during the 4th century (354 to 430 AD), and agreed that Augustine had lived in that era. But I admitted ignorance in regard to any British journey.

I am not an historian, but did have to work with historical exemplars. This less famous Augustine was very vague and so when I researched I rediscovered Augustine of Canterbury, estimated by some to be born in the first third of the 6th century, and at times listed as unknown, died probably 26 May 604/605.

I inform my students not to guess. Here is a slightly humourous example of why not to guess, if at all reasonably possible...