Continue following Bishop Barron on the journey to unlock the truth behind the most influential figures of the Catholic Church in this newest installment of the Pivotal Players Series.

Perhaps the premier example of how faith in Christ changed a person is the fourth century bishop, Saint Augustine. Augustine’s narrative of personal transformation provides a template for life in Christ that still captivates today. In an age when people insist upon sharp demarcations between spirituality and religion, or between Christ and the Church, St. Augustine provides a unifying way forward. We do not have to choose one or the other, but are chosen by Christ for his Church.

In a world darkened by the fading light of classical culture, St. Benedict cast a greater light—Jesus Christ. His insistence that the Gospel should be embodied in communities of friendship and peace, guided by the sacrifices of poverty, chastity, and obedience, became a new cultural matrix and unleashed a vigorous spiritual dynamism from which a new civilization would emerge.