Decolonizing Augustine's Theology of Disgust with Dr. Sid Sudiacal

Dr. Sid Sudiacal (Pensées by Sid) is a dear longtime friend and a CBC-featured Filipino-Canadian Augustine scholar. He has advanced education in both psychology and theology, and brings his expertise in both as a scholar who has researched the emotion of disgust and Augustine’s theology of disgust - specifically in the context of the Donatist Controversy.

In continuation of our Masala Chai Theology Substack series on Augustine vs. Celtic Christianity, this was such a rich conversation on Augustine’s theology of disgust (especially towards his theological opponents such as the Donatists), how it shapes the western church today, and what it ultimately says about us when we choose to center disgust-fueled theological frameworks.

We discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of Augustine’s life and theology and invite the Church to critically examine all of its saints; and the trauma that shapes the best and worst parts of them.

Augustine’s theology of disgust is evident not only from his use of state violence in the Donatist controversy; we also see this in his use of state violence to label Pelagius of Wales and his ancient Celtic Christian wisdom as ‘heresy’ - despite three church councils in Palestine and Rome exonerating Pelagius as being within the bounds of orthodoxy in the lead up to this. We also see Augustine’s theology of disgust manifest in his framing of ‘Original Sin’ (a doctrine that continues to haunt the western church and its participation in justice today) and his ‘Just War Theory’ (a doctrine regularly used by US politicians ranging from George W. Bush to JD Vance to justify the American Empire’s use of violence against civilians behind enemy lines).

But disgust towards ourselves and our neighbours comes from a place of deep trauma - something we also discuss in the context of Augustine’s life: ranging from his childhood trauma to sex addiction trauma to even church persecution trauma. After all, some men would rather become doctors of the church (or start a podcast) than go to therapy.

Finally, we discuss how the Church and human society can heal from its disgust and theologies of disgust towards our siblings in creation today.

Give this conversation a listen and then be sure to follow Dr. Sid on Substack (Pensées by Sid) and his Instagram (@drsid_s).