The other day I was walking past St. Anselm’s Catholic Parish in Toronto. There’s a statue of the saint out front and a nice golden cross by the door. The scene got me thinking—who exactly was Anselm? Sure, I’ve studied all this before, but as you get older and your interests shift, the lines can momentarily blur. Then it came back to me: St. Augustine, St. Anselm, and St. Thomas Aquinas—the “Big Three” of Catholic theology.
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I caught myself wondering: Which one was the brightest? The most important?
But that’s not really a fair question. These three men lived centuries apart and worked with very different intellectual toolkits. Each had access to different literary sources and operated within distinct analytical paradigms. Expecting Augustine to build on Aquinas, for instance, would be like faulting Newton for not grasping quantum physics. Context matters. Great minds emerge from their time—and transcend it in different ways.
Still, many today would probably say Aquinas was the “biggest big shot” of the three. But not everyone.
Around this time, as if on cue, I stumbled upon a mostly pastoral documentary about St. Augustine. The timing was perfect. I was feeling bored with everything else and needed a little spiritual nourishment.
So here's my review of a video that, if not a historical masterpiece, did its job in helping me get back on track with my Christian faith.
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Augustine: Voice for All Generations (2013), narrated by Catholic author and journalist Mike Aquilina and directed by Robert Fernandez, offers an inspiring and approachable portrayal of one of Christianity’s most influential figures—Saint Augustine of Hippo. The film traces Augustine’s remarkable transformation from a restless, pleasure-seeking youth to one of the most profound theologians in Western history, whose writings continue to shape Christian thought and moral philosophy to this day.
The documentary effectively outlines key chapters in Augustine’s life: his flirtation with Manichaeism, his philosophical and rhetorical pursuits, the steady influence of his devout mother Monica, and, ultimately, his conversion and ordination as Bishop of Hippo. It gives particular attention to Augustine's inner conflict—the tension between sensual desire and spiritual longing—and how this struggle informed his theology of sin, grace, free will, and divine mercy.
One of the film’s most vivid depictions centers on Augustine’s youthful misadventures—his delight not only in sinning but in the thrill of sin itself, most famously illustrated in his account of stealing pears not out of hunger, but for the sheer defiance of it. This episode, drawn directly from his Confessions, effectively sets the stage for the profound moral reckoning that would follow.
The film also explores more complex and emotionally charged moments in Augustine’s life, such as the painful decision to part with his longtime companion—the mother of his son—in order to pursue a socially advantageous marriage. While this choice is framed within a providential narrative—that it ultimately served God’s larger plan for Augustine’s life—it raises ethical and emotional questions that linger beneath the surface. The documentary touches on these tensions, though it ultimately adheres to a redemptive framing consistent with its spiritual outlook.
The conversion scene is among the most compelling moments of the film. It captures Augustine’s intellectual anguish and emotional turmoil leading up to his famous “take and read” epiphany in the garden. This turning point is presented with genuine pathos, successfully conveying the spiritual gravity of the moment without drifting into melodrama.
As a Catholic production, Augustine: Voice for All Generations embraces its devotional tone. Aquilina’s narration is both earnest and reverent, grounding Augustine’s journey firmly within the context of Church tradition. This devotional quality lends the film warmth and sincerity, but it occasionally veers into a kind of childlike simplicity. While this makes the material accessible to a wide audience—including families and newcomers to Augustine’s legacy—it may leave more philosophically inclined viewers wishing for a deeper exploration of Augustine’s intellectual evolution, along with his response to corruption in the Church.
That said, the film was never intended to be an academic documentary. Its purpose is inspirational, and on that front, it succeeds admirably. The visuals are engaging, the storytelling is clear, and the themes—human longing, redemption, and the search for truth—are as relevant today as they were in Augustine’s time.
In the end, Augustine: Voice for All Generations lives up to its title. It offers a heartfelt and reverent introduction to a towering spiritual figure whose voice continues to echo across time, inviting each new generation to wrestle with life’s deepest questions.
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