Saint Ambrose

St. Ambrose is one of the early fathers of Christianity and is considered by many to be the father of Western theology. Considered by many to be the father of Western religion, St. Ambrose is known for his powerful preaching against Arianism and Hyphenism among the early Christians.

St. Ambrose, known as St. Ambrose, was the first Bishop of Rome and is considered by many to be one of the key figures in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. Born in Cali, Italy, St. Ambrose served in the Roman army and later became a priest before converting to the faith. In A.D. 360, he became the first Bishop of Rome. His reputation as a teacher of philosophy brought him to the attention of Emperor Maximilian and he was given the province of Ambrosius, or Naples, to reign over it. From this point, he became known as the Doctor of Philosophy, or Studior Vitae, or St. Vitae, or Father of Studior Vitae, which is the title under which he continued to be honored until his death in A.D. 437.

Although St. Ambrose had already achieved much through his military service, he was not satisfied with only that, and he considered teaching as his ultimate calling. He traveled throughout Europe, preaching against superstition and offering a forceful defense of the faith. One of his letters to the church, written while he was vacationing in Milan, is considered one of the key documents in the Catholic faith. The letter is entitled Exegeta, or Work of a Saint. It is a simple letter that speaks of how he enjoyed the city of Milan and why he felt inspired to write this letter against the Arian faith.

The first part of the Exegeta includes an account of St. Ambrose's stay in Milan and his teaching there, which took place at the university of Pavia. While there, he did battle against Arianism and he succeeded in converting many Arians to the Roman faith. St. Ambrose's work in Milan is also commemorated in the celebration of Augusto's day in Milan, which is when the entire country celebrates the conversion of St. Ambrose.

After his time in Milan, St. Ambrose returned home to preach against Arianism and he worked diligently to convert the pagans to the Roman faith. In A.D. 360, he wrote the book De lectu fidei, or The Lectures on Faith. This book is considered the first true tract on faith. It discusses the plan of God, nature, grace, reason, and free will. Although some have considered the Exegeta as merely St. Ambrose' work, others have denied that this is the case, and maintain that St. Ambrose wrote several other works on the subject.

St. Ambrose worked tirelessly to convert the heathens to Rome, but he did not convert the city himself. When Emperor Trajan fell from power in A.D. 180, St. Ambrose was elevated to the see of Rome. There he wrote the De officiis. Later he worked with the Roman army, particularly with Theodoric, who was a younger man of consuls. The two worked together to defeat the Goths, whom Theodoric deemed "barbaric". Later St. Ambrose served as a tribune and governor of Rome.