7 December (c334 - 397)
Doctor of the church
Ambrose is one of those figures in history whose influence rests mainly
on a single event - a couple of hours consideration and then confrontation
with an emperor. As a churchman he is celebrated as a great teacher
and recognised as one of the four Latin doctors of the church, along with
Augustine of Hippo, Gregory the Great and Jerome. It was he who brought
Augustine to the faith.
Ambrose was born in Trier about 334 AD into a longstanding Christian
family of senatorial rank actively involved in public service - his father
was a prefect of Gaul. He was so to speak weaned into a public life. In
his early years he studied law and while working in the Roman courts was
appointed, at the age of 34, Governor of Aemilia-Liguria, an important
province which included Milan, at that time administrative centre for the
western part of the Roman Empire.
He was learned as a lay person, familiar with philosophical ideas, and
among other things produced a condensed version of some of the works of
Josephus. He was also knowledgeable on ecclesiastical matters and
doctrinal controversies within the church, where he was known as a Nicene.
In 373 Auxentius, Bishop of Milan, died and Ambrose was chosen to
succeed him by acclamation of the people. At the time he was a catechumen
and not yet baptised. He accepted unwillingly and in just eight days
passed through all the stages necessary to become a bishop.
During an active episcopacy he faced many major problems. He was one of
many seeking to unify the doctrine of the church around the Nicene Creed
and vigorously opposed movements that tended to fragment the church,
particularly Arianism which was supported by the emperor. He worked to
diminish the influence of the pagan aristocracy, opposing senators who
sought to erect a statue to a goddess. For him the laws of religious
toleration in the secular world did not apply within the church and he
refused to give up churches for unorthodox worship, prevailing through a
mixture of diplomacy, persuasion and dogged assertion of the rights of the
church. “Things that are sacred are not subject to the power of the
The most important and lasting historical legacy of Ambrose was his
influence on the relationship between church and state. There was at the
time a ‘two swords’ theory of this relationship and Ambrose was
determined that the church's sword would be the sharper! The single event
for which he is famed was in 390 when a Roman governor was killed in a
riot and in retribution the Emperor massacred an entire village. Ambrose
ordered the Emperor to perform a public penance: ‘if he wished to
maintain his authority he should submit himself to God’ - which he did.
This helped clarify an increasing influence of the church over the state,
a profound historical movement which over centuries led to a period of
ecclesiastical tyranny when clergy took to intervening in secular matters
for their own advantage.
While asserting the ascendancy of the church, condemning unacceptable
doctrines and countering paganism, Ambrose was also busy with his main
pastoral work as a bishop. His preaching and teaching included ‘catechism
lessons’ on Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist and his discourses
are reported to have been ‘very practical’.
He also had an influence on the development of liturgy, being the first
Western teacher to make significant use of congregational hymns in worship
as a way of fostering and maintaining a true and lively faith. Some of his
works survive and are in use today. Tradition has it that Ambrose and
Augustine together composed the Te Deum for the latter’s baptism.
In public Ambrose was bold and uncompromising, in his teaching he
promoted an ascetic practice of faith, and in private he was said to have
a very calm and quiet manner, much appreciated by those who knew him well.
It worked on the sceptical Augustine!
Many of us have a public face different from our private face. We have
all read of public figures, admired for their work or loved by their fans,
who treat their family unkindly, even with cruelty. We can show our best
qualities to strangers and outsiders but our less attractive side at home.
Ambrose was assertive in public but gentle in private.
He died in 397 having been Bishop of Milan for twenty-four years,
admired and respected in public life but loved by the people he served.
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