Augustine’s Thought on Education with Divine Illumination and its Significance in Religious Education

ABSTRACT

Augustine’s ontology consists of a 3 level hierarchial structure of reality woh God, Soul, and Bodies. Corresponding to each of these three levels of reality is a principle or ratio. They are the rationes aeternae, the ratio hominis, and the rationes seminales. Augustine distinguished two kinds of knowledge: Scientia(knowledge) is the knowledge on the physical bodies, and sapientia(wisdom) is the knowledge on the rationes aeternae. Sapientia is concerned with the acquisition of happiness and the ultimate goal of human existence. The ultimate goal of sapientia is the truth of God, which alone can bring true blessedness. The learning of sapientia is independent of experience, and sapientia is not possible to teach by a teacher. It is Augustine’s originality to introduce the theory of illumination in learning sapientia. According to his thought of divine illumination man does not acquire sapientia through sense experience or through Platonic recollection or through teaching. The true teacher is Christ, who Himself is the truth and who illuminates every man. His theory of divine illumination is a great thought unifying Helenism and Hebraism providing the goal, principle, theory and practice of learning of religious education. It is a exemplary model of religious education that is still significant in the present society.