Augustine of Hippo: On Justification by Faith

This study aims to retrieve Augustine of Hippo’s view of ‘justification by faith’ from his theological writings from the 390s to the end of his career. Significant sources are his early, unfinished commentaries on Paul’s letters to the Romans and his completed commentary on Galatians. In these, Augustine provides essential groundwork for his understanding of the Apostle Paul’s view of ‘justification by faith’ and other related doctrines such as the work of Christ, the law, and God’s grace. I also examine both continuity and development across other relevant early-, mid-, and later-career writings. By asserting both comprehensiveness and consistency of Augustine’s views on justification over time, my findings contrast with those of scholars who have paid less attention to his early and mid-career writings when assessing his views on justification. I show that Augustine’s views, taken together from early to late, present a comprehensive and broadly consistent understanding of justification by faith. I also show this through highlighting fifteen subthemes found in Augustine on the topic. These are explicitly linked to justification and are prominent throughout most of his career. For example, moral law, exemplified by the Jewish law, shows sin but does not deliver us from it. The Trinity’s work in Christ’s incarnation and mission, Christ’s death and resurrection, and the Spirit's role are central to justification and are received through faith. For Augustine, the human response to Christ’s work is a progressive one. Initial faith leads to a life of faith in the divine Son of God, “who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2.20). This faith includes spiritual virtues (graces) such as hope, love, and humility, with obedience and sanctification. For Augustine, justification by faith is central to knowing God through Jesus Christ while receiving deliverance from sin and death. I show Augustine’s comprehensiveness and consistency, with a centrality of his views on justification for Christian faith and life, even though he never wrote a book devoted solely to the topic. The closest might be his Commentary on Galatians, Propositions on Romans, and The Spirit and the Letter. The closest to a systematic and comprehensive presentation, including justification by faith, might be his Enchiridion (120 pages). Comprehensiveness on the topic of justification need not mean completeness. However, essential themes he develops include God’s gracious and loving response to human need, especially for overcoming sin and death, the divine missions of the Trinity, including the incarnation of the Son of God, and the sending of the Holy Spirit to give life and abide with believers. Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection have profound implications for a believer's life through spiritual participation in them. Justification also results from Christ’s victory over the devil, who, as God’s and humanity’s enemy, has held people in bondage to sin and death. The results of justification include becoming a child of God, receiving divine forgiveness, and living righteously in Christ by God’s Spirit. With that, the faith that justifies includes repentance and the personal will to believe and obey. He asserts that no works of morality or law merit justification before God. Justification is by God’s grace through faith in Christ without any merit of human works. Nevertheless, faith by itself is not alone. Faith in Christ is accompanied by hope and works through love with humility. A specific call of God initiates faith and a regenerated life. Regeneration refers to a person coming into the life of God brought about by God’s Spirit, which Augustine also associates with the sacrament of baptism. The faith to believe comes from the grace of God as a gift, which is entirely gratuitous and unearned. These themes he developed as a Catholic presbyter, priest, and bishop throughout his writing from the early 390s to his death (430). He often wrote in response to contemporary controversies, such as Pelagianism, although not in the form of modern academic or systematic theology. Nevertheless, these themes are interrelated and broadly consistent. After writing Propositions in Romans (395), he altered his view from faith holding some merit to faith not holding any merit preceding God’s grace. The grace of Christ is graciously given without preceding merit (Ad Simplicianus, 496). With this exception, the presence and consistency of these themes throughout his career demonstrate his views on ‘justification by faith’ as comprehensive, consistent, and central to the Christian faith.