Saint Augustine
There would be very few challengers to Augustine in the role of "most influential" Christian after the period of the New Testament writings. Augustine's theological assertions have, for better or for worse, held a tight grip on Western Christendom -- both Catholic and Protestant -- for 1600 years. Here are some broad points of his legacy:
His Confessions is regarded as the world's first autobiography, offering psychological insights that wouldn't be matched until the modern psycho-analytical movement.
His "just war" philosophy has been the basis of official Catholic views of war and peace ever since. This view was used to justify the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition, but was also invoked by the late Pope in condemnation of the U.S. war in Iraq.
Some of his views have also negatively been used to justify the tragic anti-Semitism that developed in the Middle Ages, and continues in some spheres of Western Christianity [i.e. paranoia surrounding Mel Gibson].
The City of God stands as a monumental work, parsing the distinctions between the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of man. Just as Rome was being sacked by the Vandals, Augustine was writing in Hippo about the inevitability of nations to eventually fall, due to their love of themselves. In contrast, the reign of God will last forever, because it is based on the love of God.
Augustine champions the idea of free will, and yet, paradoxically, speaks often of God's predestination and the irresistable nature of grace.
The doctrine of original sin originated with Augustine. Pelagius and the Eastern Church took differing views on this issue.
Here's the wikipedia link to his life.
Last night, we had a nice Morroccan-inspired meal (not too far from Hippo) and thoughtful review of the influence of Saint Augustine, patron of brewers, theologians, and sore eyes.
