Augustine of Hippo on Extent of the atonement
Never framed in these terms
On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins I.23, quoting Romans 5:6 in an argument about original sin's reach, not the atonement's extent.
THE POSITION
Not engaged in later definite/universal terms. Augustine calls Christ's death universal in scope ('Christ died for the ungodly') in the same breath as restricting the point to explaining why unbaptized infants need it applied to them — the argument is about the universality of original sin, not a scope-of-atonement doctrine.
6 For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
3 OTHERS HOLD THIS
ABOUT THIS FIGURE
Bishop of Hippo. The single most influential theologian in Western Christianity; both Catholic and Reformed traditions claim him. Anti-Pelagian works, the Enchiridion, and On Baptism Against the Donatists.
Cite this page
"Augustine of Hippo on Extent of the atonement", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/augustine/atonement-extent (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/augustine/atonement-extent).