Augustinian Reflections on Christian Perfection

Abstract

It often proves difficult to make sense of Scriptural passages that command Christians to be perfect. I aim to shed light on the meaning of these passages through a brief study of Augustine’s De Trinitate. According to Augustine, perfection as humans can achieve it is not absolute; it is not a matter of being perfect in all ways as God is, but of forming the habit of evaluating all reality in view of God’s perfection that predisposes one to act in a righteous manner in whatever circumstances may arise.