Because he has had such an impact on the Western world, it is quite understandable that almost every available portrait has depicted him as a white man. The portrait to the left I took from Wikipedia. According to Carl F. Ellis Jr., however, the portraits are inaccurate. Ellis writes about the Gospel in Africa: "Great early scholars like Augustine, Tertullian and Origen were Black men from Africa. Augustine was a major influence on John Calvin. So the Reformation theologians have the African church to thank for a great deal of their theology."
He adds in a foot note: "Scholars B.F. Wright and M. A. Smith have confirmed that Augustine was born of African parents. Actually, Augustine, Tertullian and Origen were brown North Africans and not Black sub-Saharan Africans. They have been classified as Caucasian by some. However, if these men had been Americans they would have been classified as Black, and it is the American classification that I use here."
As I sit here, I am asking myself, Why are you writing this post? After some thought, I have a few reasons.
First, most portraits of a man that we both revere and reference do not represent the truth. Second, as I learn about African-American history, I learn more about my brothers and sisters who are [ethnically speaking] different than I am. Learning more helps me to love more.
Third, it helps me stay away from the racial superiority complex that pervades our culture. When seeing the African-American culture in its broader historical context, we learn that in every culture there are both areas to serve and to be served. I am reminded of the movie Radio. The town thought they were serving him, but it was Radio who was changing the town.
Finally, I just think it is an interesting fact worthy of passing on. St. Aug was a black man.
So far, Ellis's book Free At Last? The Gospel in the African-American Experience
, has been thoroughly insightful, humbling, informative, repentance-producing and encouraging. I would recommend the book to anyone.
Some say Augustine was a Berber, but I am not so sure there were Berbers as such then. I suspect that the Berbers are the white descendants of the Vandals, and these held Aucustine's city under seige until his death.
ReplyDeleteThe name "Berber", derived from variants of the root "barbar," which exist in most Indo-European sub-languages and Arabic, was initially used to refer to non-native speakers (see “barbarian”). The term "Berber," as it relates to Africans, was first used by medieval Arabic-speaking Muslim writers (from the Arabic word, "al-barbar") to refer to non-Arabic speaking Muslims who were indigenous Africans (i.e., "black"), most of whom were called "Tuaregs", who spoke Tamazight, an ancient African language. Although many Westerners believe that all so-called "Berbers" are Caucasians, a simple examination of the Amajegh (Tuareg) people, most of whom are clearly not Caucasians, and their history would easily refute such notions.
DeleteThannk you for your investigation into such a subject and for freely giving. Although in the ultimate seanse it doesn't and shouldn't matter what color the man was. Nevertheless let us be truthful. If the man was black then what's the big deal? Blacks or Africans are people as well and have had as much impact as any other race and truly,truly,truly we are ALL related rather we believe it or not doesn't make it true,it has been and always will be true no matter what we claim to believe to the contrary. Anyway I'm just thankful to know St. Agustine was black simply because I did not know it,having been led to think otherwise. And also because I am a black man. However there is abosolutely no one going to heaven or hell based on their skin color,for God created us all and will not give HIS glory to anyone. Man goes to heaven if he has faith,I.e. saving faith,in God's Son JESUS CHRIST,or to hell because of his rejection of HIM.
ReplyDeleteThere's the error. Calvin
ReplyDeleteWe are what race it is politically advantageous to be at the time, whether it be black (as in sub-Saharan Africa), brown (as in Arab, India, Iran, etc.) or white (as in racial feature of skin colour we use to set us non-whites apart for our benefit).
ReplyDelete