The Problem of Evil: Why Augustine Became a Manichean

Описание: Why did Christianity's most influential theologian spend nearly a decade rejecting the faith? Augustine—the future saint—was once convinced that the God of the Bible was actually the villain of cosmic history. Discover how the problem of evil and the "crude" Old Testament led him to Manicheanism, and why this elegant solution was ultimately incompatible with Christianity.

📚 Key concepts covered:
• The problem of evil: How can an all-good, all-powerful God allow suffering?
• Augustine's two anxieties: philosophical evil and the anthropomorphic Old Testament God
• Manicheanism's dualist solution: two gods (good spirit vs. evil matter)
• The surprising ethical loophole in Manichean body-hatred
• Why Christianity's doctrine of bodily resurrection makes it fundamentally incompatible with Manicheanism
• The distinction between "good but fallen" (Christianity) vs. "intrinsically evil" (Manicheanism)

⏱️ Timestamps:
0:00 - The paradox of Augustine's rejection of Christianity
0:45 - The problem of evil explained
1:30 - Why the Old Testament troubled Augustine
2:30 - The Manichean solution: two gods
3:30 - The surprising ethics of Manicheanism
4:30 - Why this cannot be Christianity
5:30 - What this means today

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📖 ORIGINAL SOURCE
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This video distills insights from a longer lecture.
Source:    • 05. St. Augustine's Confessions  

All credit for the original content belongs to the original creator. This video aims to make these important ideas more accessible through condensed presentation.

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📺 About Lecture Distilled
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Long lectures. Short videos. Core insights.

We distill lengthy academic lectures into focused concept videos, making profound ideas accessible without sacrificing depth.

🔗 GitHub: https://github.com/Augustinus12835/au...

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