A religious reformation occurred in the Roman Empire of the fourth and fifth centuries which
scholars often call Christianization. Examining evidence relevant to Roman Africa of this
period this book sharpens understanding of this religious revolution. Focusing on the
activities of Augustine and his colleagues from Augustine's ordination as a priest in 391 to
the fall of the Emperor Honorius' master of soldiers Stilicho in 408 it proposes
Catholicization as a term to more precisely characterize the process of change observed.
Augustine and Catholic Christianization argues that at the end of the fourth and beginning of
the fifth century Augustine emerged as the key manager in the campaign to Catholicize Roman
Africa by virtue of a comprehensive strategy to persuade or suppress rivals which notably
included Donatists Arians Manichees and various kinds of polytheism. Select sermons from 403
and 404 reveal that Augustine's rhetoric was multivalent. It addressed the populus and the
elite Christians and non-Christians Catholics and Donatists. Key sources examined are
selected laws of the Theodosian Code the Canons of the African Council of Catholic Bishops
Augustine's Dolbeau sermons (discovered in 1990) Contra Cresconium as well as other sermons
letters and treatises of Augustine. This book clarifies our perception of Augustine and
Christianity in the socio-religious landscape of Late Roman Africa in at least three ways.
First it combines theological investigation of the sources and development of Augustine's
ecclesiology with sociohistorical tracing of the process of Catholicization. Second an account
of the evolution of Augustine's self-understanding as a bishop is given along with the
development of his strategy for Catholicization. Third Augustine is identified as resembling
modern political «spin-doctors» in that he was a brilliant spokesperson but he did not work
alone he was a team player. In brief Augustine influenced and was influenced by his fellow
bishops within Catholic circles.
