LIBERTY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

A BOOK CRITIQUE OF AUGUSTINE AS MENTOR By Edward L. Smither

A Theological Critique Submitted to Liberty Theological Seminary in partial fulfillment of the requirements for completion of the course,

CHHI 520 CHURCH HISTORY I

By Glenn Gromel April 24, 2011

Table of Contents

I. Introduction This review will summarize and critically interact with Edward L. Smithers book: Augustine as Mentor. Dr. Smither is an assistant professor of Church History and Intercultural Studies at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. His expertise lies in the areas of early church history, the history of missions, contextualization, and intercultural communication. The thesis of his book is that Augustine effectively mentored spiritual leaders and set them apart for needed ministries in the church.1 II. Brief Summary His first chapter is devoted to a study of mentoring in the first century. He defines mentoring as someone with significant experience . . . imparting knowledge and skill to a novice in an atmosphere of discipline, commitment, and accountability.2 He provides the example of Jesus relationship with the disciples as a model of mentoring. The second chapter examines some third and fourth century mentors as a backdrop for his primary focus. These leaders included Cyprian, Pachomius, Basil of Caesarea, and Ambrose. Each had important contributions to the practice of mentoring and a slightly different emphasis. Chapter three raises the question: who mentored Augustine? Smither investigates his mother Monicas influence.

Smither, Edward L. Augustine as Mentor (Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 2008), 2. Ibid., 4. 1

He also looks at Simplicianus, Valerius, and Ambrose. The fourth chapter extensively covers Augustines own approach to mentoring. The forms that it took resembled that of the leaders discussed in chapter two. He utilized his monastic experience, the written forums of letters and books, church councils, and personal visits. In chapter five, Smither illustrates how his convictions on mentoring . . . serve to complement his behavior and enable us to make an argument for a set of mentoring principles.3 The epilogue gives this work a contemporary relevance. He uses his previously illustrated points to demonstrate how todays mentors can be leaders and disciples simultaneously. III. Critical Interaction With the Authors Work One of the main themes in this book is the importance of a mentor remaining teachable. Augustine benefited from the continued guidance of those critical advisors in his life. An entire chapter is devoted to those who were mentors to Augustine. Consideration is given to the impact that his mother, Monica, had made on his life. Smither says that Monica may have been responsible for his ability to communicate with less-educated audiences in a simple, understandable manner.4

This is not the first work that Smither has produced in reference to Augustine. Dr. Smither

Ibid., 213. Ibid., 96.

did his dissertation on Augustines mentoring. He has published an article on the mentoring relationship between Valerius and Augustine, which perfectly complements this particular theme of the book. In this article, Smither asserts that in light of Augustines ordination to the priesthood and preparation for a lifetime of pastoral ministry, Valerius served as a significant mentor to Augustine.5 This concept is again emphasized in chapter five. Smither writes, Augustine continued to grow by being humble about what he did not know or understand and by actively inviting others input.6 With this statement, the author demonstrates the continued importance of maintaining a disciples relationship, even after becoming a mentor. A second theme in this work is the presentation of Augustine as a very real, very practical leader. Smither does not hide the fact that Augustine struggled before coming to the faith.7 He explored many different philosophies before coming to Christ. It was relationships that he had early in his career that forever shaped him. This was reflected in his desire to form the character of those under him. Smither effectively communicates the practicality of his mentoring relationships. He was able to do this through his friendships. Augustine believed that caritas [Christian friendship] brought unity and oneness of mind and heart to the group.8 Augustine applied this Christian friendship concept to his mentoring relationship at the monastery. In turn, that model was
Edward L. Smither, An Unrecognized and Unlikely Influence? The Impact of Valerius of Hippo on Augustine, The Irish Theological Quarterly 72, no. 3 (August 2007), 253.
6 5

Smither, Augustine as Mentor, 222-23. Ibid., 97. Ibid., 221.

7 8

applied to the church. The book may have found a weakness in its tendency towards repetitiveness. Smither devotes a great deal of energy to explaining the mentoring practices of four key leaders of the third and fourth century. This was beneficial, to a degree. However, the approaches were not vastly different and did not provide much variety in technique. A second weakness may simply have been the massive amount of information to comprehend. Smither has obviously done an enormous amount of research on this topic. None of the material should be considered unnecessary. It may have been broken down, however, into smaller themes and smaller chapters. It could be beneficial to spend an entire chapter on each of Augustines approaches to mentoring. At that point, a side-by-side comparison could be made with those leaders that were already mentioned. In any case, the material that is presented is entirely relevant and can be readily applied to contemporary situations. IV. Conclusion In summary, Edward Smither effectively demonstrates his thesis statement. He goes into great detail about the methods and forms of Augustines mentoring. Rather than being a strictly historical presentation, he makes this entirely relevant to the modern church and todays church leadership. He has proven that the study of historical relationships can be a model for mentor/disciple relationships in the present culture. Mentoring is an ongoing process. One never ceases to be a disciple, and one should never cease to be a mentor. Smither said that Augustine

recognized that there was always more to learn, and he was ever eager to pass that on to his disciples.

Bibliography Dr. Ed Smither, http://www.liberty.edu/academics/religion/seminary/index.cfm?PID=15619 (accessed April 23, 2011).

Smither, Edward L. Augustine as Mentor: A Model for Preparing Spiritual Leaders. (Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 2008).

Smither, Edward L. An Unrecognized and Unlikely Influence? The Impact of Valerius of Hippo on Augustine. The Irish Theological Quarterly 72, no. 3 (August 2007): 251-265.