University of San Agustin

General Luna St., 5000 Iloilo City, Philippines

www.usa.edu.ph

CENTER FOR RELIGIOUS STUDIES

MODULE 8: THE RULE OF SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO

A Grace-filled day! Welcome to Module 8!

In this module, we will discuss another great work of Saint

Augustine of Hippo known as The Rule. At the end of this module, you
will acquire knowledge of the contents of this great work of Augustine,
to and will reflectively imitate some of the Christian Augustinian values
Module 8! that they ought to display as authentic Augustinian living in a
community.

Consultation Hours
Phone/Messenger:
Virtual Time:

Module 8: Learning Objectives:

By the end of the module, students will be able to:

1. Identify the major parts of The Rule of Saint Augustine of Hippo.

2. Demonstrate the Augustinian values such as love, community life, humility, service,
prayer, and fraternal correction.
3. Share the different rules which they consider life-giving and very humanizing to
them as young people of the present time.

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CENTER FOR RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Module 8: Course Content
Activity Description Time to Complete
Brief Introduction
1 The Rule: A Life-Experience 20-30 minutes
2 The Rule of Saint Augustine: 30-40 minutes
An Overview
3 The Character of The Rule
20-30 minutes

4 The Structure of The Rule

60 minutes

Assessment Task 120-140 minutes

Conclusion 15-20 minutes

Opening Prayer: As we start with this module, I invite you to

pray the Prayer before class.

Leader: When we live in unity,

All: How good and how pleasant it is.
Leader: Pray for us, Holy Father Augustine,
All: That we may dwell together in peace.
Leader: Let us pray,
All: God our Father, Your Son promised to be present in the midst of all who
come together in His name. Help us to recognize His presence among
us and experience in our hearts the abundance of Your grace, Your
mercy, and Your peace, in truth and in love. We ask this, through Christ
our Lord. Amen.

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CENTER FOR RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Module 8: Activity 1- The Rule: A Life-Experience
Reflection/Recollection (10-15 minutes). Kindly pose for a short moment of reflection or
recollection. Recall the moment when you had been required to observe a particular rule in your
family or the school.

Instructions:

1. Use these questions to guide you as you are reflecting or contemplating on those rules.

*What is one important rule which you ought to observe at home? Who imposed that rule
upon you? How do you feel about it?
* What is one important which you ought to observe at school? How do you feel about it?
*Do you think those rules, imposed at home and in school, enable you to develop
yourself or to grow maturely as a person? Support your answer.

2. Share your experience in 7-9 sentences on our discussion board. (20 pts)

Module 8: Activity 2: The Rule of Saint Augustine: An Overview

Instruction: Please read the script below.

This book, The Rule, was written by Augustine around 396-397. Biblical and
evangelical foundations form a permanent structure of The Rule. It guarantees The Rule’s
value throughout changing times and cultures. This book contains 35 Biblical references:
27 books from the New Testament; and 8 books from the Old Testament. According to TJ
Van Bavel, The Rule is adopted by more than 40 Religious Orders and 30 Clerical
Congregations. Augustine wrote The Rule about ten years after he had been baptized by
Bishop Ambrose in Milan. In 397, Augustine had already been through a certain period of
experience of the religious life, for his first foundation had taken place in 388 at Tagaste.
As a priest, he founded a monastery for clerics in his bishop’s house in Hippo (395-396).
It was there that Augustine wrote The Rule.

The Rule of Augustine stems from the early period of religious life. The Egyptian desert
can be considered the cradle of the movement, which later came to be referred to in general
as the “religious life”. It was probably around 370 that the monastic form of life began to

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appear in the West, only 30 years before the first extant Western monastic rule, that
Augustine was written.

The Rule is the summary of the oral conferences which Augustine held for his monks.
The ideas are not teased out; they are simply rendered in a very concise manner. The
fundamental ideas of The Rule are built up around the ideal of the Jerusalem community
from Acts 4:31-35. Love and community here have a pride of place; a good community
life is nothing other than the practice of love. The way of interiorization is repeatedly
applied in The Rule; the external alone is not sufficient, for it symbolizes what happens
inwardly. The final characteristic is the almost total absence of emphasis on “ascetism”
that is leading on an ascetical life in a material sense by denying oneself food and drink, or
by self-chastisement. The ascent shifts more to life in community as a victory over self-
seeking.

Module 8: Activity 2: The Character of The Rule

Instruction: Please the script below.

THE CHARACTER OF THE RULE

1. It gives the impression of being a summary of oral conferences which Augustine held for
his monks.
2. It covers only few pages and its principal purpose is to offer some important thoughts which
can provide inspiration.
3. Its fundamental ideas are built up around the ideal of the Jerusalem community from Acts
4:32-35.
“Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul,
and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they
owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to
the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was
not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them
and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it
was distributed to each as any had need” (NRSV, Catholic Edition).

4. It stresses on the importance of community life.

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Module 8: Activity 3: The Structure of The Rule

Instruction: Please read the script below.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE RULE

1. The Basic Ideal: LOVE AND COMMUNITY

The basic ideal: Mutual love is expressed in community of goods and in humility. Those
who urge to form a religious community have to put the following precepts into practice:
live together in harmony, being of one mind and one heart on the way to God; share
everything in common. There can be question of personal property. Everything they owned
was held in common, and each one received whatever he had need of.

The first community of Jerusalem is the model community of one’s heart and one
mind on the way to God: honor God in one another ... on the way to God. The members
share in one another’s life of faith. The community of goods is the first realization of
community life. Community life is not blind uniformity, but requires the recognition of
each person’s nature and disposition. Humility is considered as the positive factor of
community life, and pride is considered as the negative factor of community life. And so,
there are three fundamental principles of community life: a). Living together in love b).
Community of goods c). Humility as the positive factor, and pride as the negative factor.

Features of Community: being a WAY towards God, and with one another. Free
person is detached from earthly goods in order to follow Christ faithfully and sincerely.
“Why is it difficult for sisters and brothers to be one in Christ?” They are struggling among
themselves for the possessions of the earth. “Do not give the same amount to everyone, but
give to each person what he/she personally needs.” Affluence of the few – cancer of society
at that time: few rich, many poor cause social problems during the time of Augustine.

2. PRAYER AND COMMUNITY

a. Fixed times for common prayer

b. Opportunity for individual prayer
c. Basic law of prayer
d. Practical norms for the singing of Psalms and hymns

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There must be faithful perseverance in prayer at appointed one. Place of prayer shall
be used for no purpose other than prayer. The basic law of prayer is the “heart in prayer”. It is
suggested by Augustine that when we pray, the words spoken by our lips should be alive in
our hearts. The heart of a true prayer is faith, hope, and love which springs out as a deep
yearning.

3. COMMUNITY AND THE CARE OF THE BODY

a. Moderation/Temperance in eating and drinking

b. Reading during meals
c. Difference in treatment according to the person in question
d. Care of/for the sick
Ascetism is denying one’s self – something which is lawful with the intention of
strengthening one’s self so that one is able to offer resistance to disordered desires and to avoid
becoming prey to longing for the unlawful. Capacity to live simply is a sign of inner grandeur.

Silver and gold represent a call of mercy and humanity, but for a selfish person, they
represent the road to greediness. Greater possessions do not take people’s thirst but increases
it.

4. MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ONE ANOTHER

1. General norms of irreproachable conduct.

2. Irreproachable conduct and one’s inner attitude towards those of the other sex.
3. Common responsibility for one another’s fault.
4. Responsibility must be expressed in correction.
5. Procedure to be followed in correcting others:

a). First, the person at fault is to be warned by the person who has noticed it;

b). Then, the one in charged with responsibility for the community is to be called in;

c). Later, a number of people should be informed of the situation; d). Finally, the
transgressor’s faults are to be pointed out to him in the presence of the whole community.
6. This manner of acting holds also as the method for the correction of other faults.

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The eye is the herald of the heart. “Clothes make not the man, rather our attitude
towards life makes us what we are”. God does not seek a handsome appearance, but a good
heart. It is in the human heart that our actions are formed. If freedom and idealism disappeared,
religious life loses all sense and meaning. Intention of punishment is to help wrongdoer to see
the error in his ways. Fraternal correction is significant in community life. Deeper aim of
fraternal correction is to set the process of healing in motion.

5. SERVICE TO ONE ANOTHER

1. Clothing held in common

2. Concern for the interests of the community as a criterion for progress
3. Public baths and care for the sick
4. Looking after one another in all physical needs
Love is the basic law of community life.

6. LOVE AND CONFLICT

1. Do not allow quarrels to grow into hatred

2. Mutual forgiveness
3. Attitude towards the young in the monastery who have not yet reached adulthood
Whoever hates his brother is a murderer. Hatred is malevolence towards the other, e.g.
wishing death. Love is benevolence towards the other, e.g. wishing fullness of life. Forgive us
our sins as we forgive those who sinned against us. If not fulfilled becomes a life in two counts:
what we say is not true; we do not keep our agreements to God. To forgive is seeing to it that
the other is no longer treated as guilty in one’s regard.

7. LOVE IN AUTHORITY AND OBEDIENCE

1. Obey your superior

2. Duty of the superior: to serve in love, to guide; and to be an example
3. Obedience is an act of compassion

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The word “Monk” came from the Greek word “Monos”, which means one. Praepositus
is the term used for the person who is responsible for the community; equivalent to prior.

Monasteriumis an open community where there is a room for people coming from
outside the circle of friends and relatives. Christ is the only Interior Teacher. Obedience is the
way of showing mercy and compassion, not of slavish fear. Authority means to be of and in
service. An office is never considered as an honor but always a burden, a responsibility. But
sometimes, there are temptations to domination. There are persons in position who are tempted
to consolidate their own power than to use their position as a service for the good of others.

8. CONCLUDING EXHORTATION

1. Desire for spiritual beauty

2. Freedom under grace
3. The life aroma of Christ
4. As in the mirror
Spiritual beauty is the beauty realized in our way of living the practice of love.

In conclusion, The Rule is intended as a call to a life in joy and freedom made possible
by the abundance of God’s grace. The final sentence of The Rule reveals three-fold structures:
present, past, and future:

1. If you find that your actions match what you read in this mirror; then give thanks to the
Lord (PRESENT).
2. But if you see that you have failed in the past, then, pray that God will forgive your
guilt (PAST).
3. And as for the future, ask God that you will not be put to the test (FUTURE).
The Rule serves as guide for those who want to follow Christ in the religious life. It
ends with a song of praise to the Lord.

Assessment Task

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 University of San Agustin
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CENTER FOR RELIGIOUS STUDIES

A. Reflection: In five to seven sentences, kindly reflect on the rules that govern you which
you believe are truly life-giving and very humanizing.
B. Essay. Discuss the following questions in three sentences only.
1. What were the reasons which prompted Augustine of Hippo to write The Rule?
2. What is the impact of this work of Augustine to you as a person living in a
community? (answer in five sentences only)
3. Are rules important? Support your answer. (Write your justifications in six
sentences.)

Conclusion

This famous work of Augustine, The Rule, serves as a guide for religious life. This
work of Augustine reminds us of the importance of community life, the value of love,
humility and fraternal corrections. It further convinces us to get rid of pride for it is the
negative factor of community life, and encourages us his readers to live pleasantly and
harmoniously with one another in the community. Augustine likewise encourages us to
take good care of one another and show concern to each other in the community.

Closing Prayer: Prayer after Class.

Leader: Our help is in the name of the Lord,

All: Who made heaven and earth.
Leader: Let us pray.
All: God, the desire of every human heart, you moved Saint Augustine
to seek restlessly for truth and peace. Touch our hearts with his
burning desire for wisdom, for the Word made flesh. We ask this
through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Leader: Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
All: As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Module 8: References

Email: crs@usa.edu.ph | Tel. No.: 0999-997-1485 | Fax No.: (033) 337-4403

 University of San Agustin
General Luna St., 5000 Iloilo City, Philippines
www.usa.edu.ph

CENTER FOR RELIGIOUS STUDIES

 Van Bavel, T. (1990).The Rule of Saint Augustine.Retrieved from:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1216644.Tarsicius_J_van_Bavel.

 Hojilla, F. (2020). Manual on the Life and Works of Saint Augustine of Hippo
(unpublished). Iloilo City: USA Office for Theological Studies and Formation

Email: crs@usa.edu.ph | Tel. No.: 0999-997-1485 | Fax No.: (033) 337-4403