St. Augustine’s theory of divine illumination claim that human knowledge is dependent on divine guidance. He believed that God is the ultimate source of truth and wisdom, and as such, human minds require divine illumination to comprehend reality fully. Augustine argued that human beings, created in the image of God, share a connection to the divine nature, allowing them to access truth through a combination of God’s divine light and their own intellectual capacities.
Augustine envisioned the world as hierarchically structured, with God as the supreme source of intelligible light. This divine light serves as a guide for human intellect, similar to how the sun enables sight. Augustine’s theory suggests that, like the eyes relying on sunlight to see, human minds require God’s illumination to perceive and understand truth. This concept played a crucial role in Augustine’s efforts to reconcile faith and reason, asserting that divine illumination harmonizes the pursuit of both earthly and spiritual knowledge.