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“Saint Augustine As Told to My Daughter”

Bassam Michael Madany
29 November 2022

In November 2018, I came across a work in French, by Mohamed-Christophe Bilek, an Algerian Christian. He was born in Algeria in 1950; was converted to the Christian faith at the age of 20 and was baptized by an Evangelical pastor in 1970.

He serves as a Catholic Priest, carrying on a missionary service to Muslims.

In 1999, he wrote a book addressed to his daughter, drawing a comparison between his conversion and that of another North African, Saint Augustine.

The following is a translated summary of the book, which is available in French only!

Saint Augustin raconté à ma fille

Saint Augustine As Told to My Daughter, By Moh-Christophe BILEK

“Like Saint Augustine, Moh-Christophe BILEK did not accept, without question, the Muslim heritage transmitted by his family. In fact, he did not refuse to assume himself as “A not very Catholic Algerian” the testimonial book published in 1999 (editions du Cerf).

This particularism aroused in him the desire to delve into the history of his ancestors who confessed, depending on the era, several religions. He discovered with them - and Augustine is the best example - that faith must remain a free consent given to God.”