Augustine Baker
David Augustine Baker (1575-1641) was a significant figure in English Benedictine history, known for his conversion to Catholicism and his contributions to mystical theology. Born in Abergavenny to a family of hidden Catholics, Baker initially pursued a secular life, studying law at Oxford and struggling with a reputation as a wastrel. His life transformed after a near-death experience in 1603, prompting him to dedicate himself to a life of service, leading to his entry into the monastery of St. Justina in Padua. He became an influential missionary in England, collecting historical materials for the English Benedictines and publishing the work "Apostolatus Benedictorum in Anglia" in 1626, though his claims about the origins of Christianity in England have been debated.
After a period of anti-Catholic sentiment in England, Baker spent time in Cambrai, where he educated nuns and preserved important texts, including works by Richard Rolle and Julian of Norwich. However, his teachings on prayer as a means to connect with the Holy Spirit faced scrutiny, leading to his return to the English mission. Baker's legacy is largely defined by his posthumously published work "Sancta Sophia," which has become a classic in ascetic mystical theology, emphasizing prayer as a gateway to divine wisdom. He passed away during a plague outbreak in London and was buried in Holborn.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Augustine Baker
Writer
- Born: December 9, 1575
- Birthplace: Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, England
- Died: August 9, 1641
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
David Augustine Baker was born on December 9, 1575, in Abergavenny. He was brought up as an ostensible Protestant, although his parents were probably Catholics keeping their faith secret for fear of persecution as a result of their erstwhile support for Queen Mary. His father, William Baker—who claimed descent from Owain Glyndwr—was receiver-general of the barony of Abergavenny and the borough recorder. These posts had been in the family for generations and David was expected to occupy them in his turn, but he showed little initial inclination to do so. He was educated at Christ’s Hospital and Broadgates Hall, Oxford, before going on to Clifford’s Inn and the Middle Temple to study law. He had the reputation of being a wastrel, and a virtual atheist.
Baker’s life abruptly changed direction when he had a narrow escape from death after his panic-stricken horse stopped on a narrow bridge over the River Monnow when it was in flood; he appealed to God for deliverance, promising a lifetime of service if he were spared, and immediately set out to keep his promise when his mount was persuaded to take him to safety. He converted to Catholicism in 1603, and entered the monastery of St. Justina in Padua in 1605, where he took the name Augustine.
After returning to England in the wake of an illness, Baker took his vows in London with the Italian congregation, although he joined the English Benedictine Congregation when it was restored soon afterwards. He was ordained a priest at Reims in 1613, then became a missionary in England, collecting historical material for a history of the English Benedictines, Apostolatus Benedictorum in Anglia, which was eventually published in 1626 in a version edited by Clement Reyner. Baker attempted to prove that the first foundation of Christianity in England was Benedictine, although the assertion seems rather dubious.
After a new outburst of anti-Catholicism in England, Baker spent a decade—from 1624 to 1633—at Cambrai with a company of English Benedictine nuns. He did a great deal of writing there for the education of the nuns, and his efforts as a copyist and translator helped to preserve a number of highly significant texts, including the Cloud of Unknowing, and writings by Richard Rolle and Julian of Norwich. He eventually had to move on, however, when the orthodoxy of his teaching—which stressed prayer as a means of obtaining direct access to the Holy Spirit—was questioned. From 1633 to 1638, he stayed at St. Gregory’s at Douai, but the challenge was renewed there and he returned to the English mission. He died of the plague in London on August 9, 1641, and was buried at St. Andrew’s in Holborn.
Baker’s posthumous reputation is almost entirely based on the collection of homilies Sancta Sophia, compiled and edited for publication in 1657 by Father Serenus Cressy, and known in (abridged) translation as Holy Wisdom or Directions for the Prayer of Contemplation. This became a classic of ascetic mystical theology, explaining and justifying Baker’s notion of prayer as an opening of the heart to divine wisdom. Some of his other writings were edited by John Clark for twentieth century publication, but they added little to the core legacy of the Sancta Sophia.