Bt. Augustine of Hippo was one of the foundational thinkers of Western Civilization. He was also a bishop in North Africa, in the waning years of the Roman Empire, when more and more of the administrative responsibility for the running of society fell to the Church authorities. As bishop, he had to serve as a judge as well, overseeing a variety of cases.
St. Augustine did not enjoy exercising authority over others. He felt that human beings ruling over each other was a necessary element of our fallen nature, but that in Heaven, we will be equal before the throne of Christ. He saw good leadership as servant leadership. The servant leader exercises authority not for his own gain or self-aggrandizement but for serving others, seeking to ensure their well-being.
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