Something interesting about St Augustine

Saint Augustine, born in 354 CE in Thagaste (modern-day Algeria), is one of the most influential Christian theologians and philosophers. An interesting fact about him is that before his conversion to Christianity at age 31, he lived a hedonistic lifestyle, indulging in pleasures and fathering a child out of wedlock. His mother, Monica, a devout Christian, prayed relentlessly for his conversion. Augustine’s dramatic shift came after a profound spiritual experience in a garden, where he heard a child’s voice urging him to “take up and read,” leading him to a Bible passage that transformed his life. His works, like Confessions—one of the first autobiographies—and City of God, shaped Western thought, blending Christian doctrine with classical philosophy, particularly Platonism.