Augustine's understanding of the beatific vision - Essay Example

St. Augustine on the Beatific Vision One of the main figures in the Roman Catholic Church that describes the beatific vision, also known as the “Beatific Vision / Visio Beatifica or Vision of God / Visio Dei” (Regula Fidei n. p.) is St. Augustine. According to him, the beatific vision is actually a direct “vision of God” or “seeing God” (Rule of Faith n. p.). In this case, this paper would try to look at how St. Augustine came with this definition, referencing from his work “City of God,” specifically on the chapter on the “Beatific Vision.

” One of the main biblical references of St. Augustine for the beatific vision can be seen on 1 John 3:2, which states that “Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure” (Regula Fidei n. p.). In this case, St. Augustine tried to answer several questions, on whether this “seeing” actually requires the body, or even the eyes, and as well as “what will our resurrected "spiritual" bodies (1 Cor. 15) be capable of seeing” (Regula Fidei n. p.). St. Augustine answers this in his book “City of God,” stating that we seeing that is a vision “reserved as the reward of our faith,” and that “when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (Regula Fidei n. p.).

However, St. Augustine also clarifies what it is meant by “seeing him,” stating that “we are to understand His manifestation, and not a part of the body similar to that which in our bodies we call by that name” (Regula Fidei n. p.). Works Cited Regula Fidei. “Augustine on ‘Seeing God." www.regulafidei.com. Regula Fidei, n. d. Web. 26 April 2011.