St. Augustine's Doctrine on Creation and Evil

Creation of the World and Existence of Evil

St. Augustine, basing his ideas on Plato and Plotinus, developed the doctrine of creationism. This doctrine posits that God created reality based on the eternal ideas of all things. Creation occurred in a manner beyond full human comprehension, but required two main conditions:

1. Creation had to be timeless, as God exists outside of time, which began with creation.
2. Creation had to be instantaneous, because if it were a process, the Creator could change, which is impossible as the divine essence is immutable.

St. Augustine asserted that God created reality in a single act. Some elements were endowed with the power to exist and subsequently developed in successive moments (Seminal Reasons).

Initially, Augustine adopted a hypothesis from Manichaeism, but later affirmed that the Christian God is the creator of all reality. The origin of evil is explained from a Christian viewpoint: evil is not a thing itself, but a privation of being that affects finite and created beings.

Types of Evil

Augustine distinguished three types of evil:

• Metaphysical Evil: Inferior beings, when compared to superior ones, appear as a privation of being, which is regarded as a form of evil.
• Moral Evil: This is sin, attributed to the flawed human will. This includes the original sin and subsequent actual sins.
• Physical Evil: This is the result of moral evil, manifesting as disease, suffering, and death. This evil has a positive aspect, as suffering can lead man to repent for accepted sins in union with Christ.

Philosophy of History

In antiquity, it was generally thought that history was circular. With the advent of Christianity in the Middle Ages, the concept of linear time emerged, stretching from creation to the end.

In his work, The City of God, St. Augustine defended Christian thought, arguing that after the original sin, two paths of existence originated:

1. The Earthly City: Founded on the love of self above all things.
2. The City of God: Founded on the love of God.

These two cities coexist within society, but they will be separated on the Day of Judgment. All this is revealed by God, as Christ is expected to announce a second coming at the end of history. This framework relates human freedom to God's wisdom, giving Christians hope and optimism for salvation through Christ's return.