Father Augustine

It should be no surprise that Lutherans find such an affinity with the thought of St. Augustine. Exact connections are and will continue to be interesting.

So we hold Augustine to be a Lutheran before his time. The Zen bit we establish later.

For now, here's a good bit to ponder:
Augustine taught that the delusion of self-sufficiency is Pride; and that Pride is the root of all other sins. (Thank you, Professor Thomas Williams of the University of South Florida.)

Elsewhere, this Zen Lutheran has described the root of all sin as Usurpation of the Divine. Same thing.