Customer Reviews

The City of God [The Modern Library]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

St Augustine's City of God is a work for the ages. It was not only a great apologetic to the Christian faith of the 5th century; it is an apologetic to Christian faith for all centuries. It is the story of history unfolded in two exact opposite cities. It is the struggle between the two cities against one another. It is the story of the fall, grace, redemption, and salvation of man for those who live in the city of God. For those of the other city, it is the exact opposite. It is the story of the fall, judgment, damnation and ultimate destruction of those who loved themselves more than they loved God. This was the story of love, by one of the greatest saints of the Catholic Church, Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo.

The reason I give 4 stars out of 5 is because of the amazing difficulty that comes with reading this book. This is a VERY VERY heavy read, and one should be familiar with the prevailing Roman philosophies of the day, as well as Roman history.

Augustine talks of Plato, Cicero, Virgil and others frequently through the book. He also talks of the history of Rome, and these factors play a heavy note in his book. An few survey classes of Philosophy, and a World Civics class as well as a decent understanding of Christian history at this time, and theology is also a must. You should be familiar with the scriptures. Because of all these factors, you cannot just pickup and read this book. You'll have to know what Augustine is talking about to some level before you read this.

Other than that, this book is brilliance, and while some parts will be a little dry, it is very inspiring. You see Augustine write, sign, and stamp the doctrine of Original Sin, Amillinialism, and doctrines concerning Grace, the Trinity, and various "problems" concerning the Canon of Scripture.

He setup Christianity for the next 1000 years, and is still felt strongly today in Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox circles.

Although I am normally a quick reader, it has taken me about six months to finish The City of God. At times I was frustrated, and believed that the book was imbued with a generative power, and grew longer the further I read.

And yet I am a little sad to have finished it, for no matter what was going on in my life, like Scripture, the City of God had relevance. How to summarize such a monumental work?

First of all, I do not concur with the dimishment of the early parts of the work. While Books 1 through X are indeed more clearly tied to the dissolving Roman world, it is extremely helpful for us to get our minds into a time when pagans were more than countercultural "post-Christian" teenage losers. Augustine's vivid arguments against the pagan "theology" are incisive. More notably, they bring into focus a world that was both ultra-rational in the Platonic/Aristotilean tradition, and "superstitious" in its belief in household gods, demons, curses, and magic. That both a very advanced science and such beliefs could coexist is a lesson to us in our secularized, smug modern world.

The temporal proximity of Augustine to Christ and the Apostles brings another level of clarity. While Augustine emphasized that "none shall know the day nor hour," it is clear that there is an apocolyptic undercurrent in the Christian society he inhabits. The urgency of Christian life seems to me to have diminished.

Particularly striking are Augustine's arguments against those "tender-hearted Christians" who hold various levels of Salvation for even the most depraved. In our world of ecumenical outreach, guitar-Mass hippy communalism, Augustine's defense of the limited Salvation is a necessary wake-up call.

Certainly there are moments of "how many angels on the head of a pin," which I suppose Augustine inspired in latter theologians. The various discussions of the form, age, and physical condition of post-Resurrected faithful seems unworthy of discussion. And yet he was writing in direct argument against contemporaries. This, at least, is fascinating; that anti-Christians of Augustine's day tried to build a rational case against particular aspects of Christian doctrine, rather than against the underlying thesis of Christ.

The more history you know, the more mythology you have read, and the better acquainted with Scripture you are, the more you will get out of The City of God. But such things are not necessary. Augustine is a patient writer (as exemplified by the vast scope of this and other works). He walks his readers painstakingly through each subject.

I must agree with other reviewers that the last two Books are worthy to stand alone, treating of hell, purgatory, and heaven. As vivid and daunting as the discussion of hell is, so is the beatific vision inspiring and easing. Augustine above all knows the value of true peace - the peace of Christ. And he knows too well the limits of the City of Man in attaining this peace. That he has indeed "tasted and seen" is wonderfully clear, and he inspires and encourages his readers to share in that faith and hope which motivate his life.

There are so many details of note: from the Christ-prophetic visions of Greek sybils to the independent trinitarian philosophy of Plato. Such details are commonplace to Augustine, but we have forgotten them. Truly, The City of God must be reckoned among the necessities of catechismic formation, mostly for Roman Catholics, but if certain later prejudices can be ignored, for all Christians as well. I would caution Jewish readers that Augustine makes no bones about the deicide and subsequent temporal punishment that he believes the Jews endure, until their conversion with the Last Judgement. As to pagans and heretics of all stripes, you've met your match in Augustine... he outwitted you 1500 years ago.

Lest I be as prolix as Augustine himself, I will conclude by referencing the great spiritual help that this book provides. Particularly in modern times, though American Christians (and even American Catholics) are notably free from persecution, the City of Man calls us ever more away from Truth. Augustine's book helps us walk, not on the path of our own disordered priorities, but toward that greater and infinite blessedness we have been promised in Christ.

Like one of the reviewers above, I, too, set about the daunting task of reading this book from cover to cover, and it took me a good six months to complete it. But what a wonderful and worthwhile investment of time it was! It would do the modern Church well to read this book since Augustine places the City of God (i.e., Christ and His Church) within the context of the pagan world in which we live, and its message is as applicable to today as it was 1,500 years ago when he first wrote it. Most impressive, his grasp of both classical and biblical history and his profound understanding of Scripture is unparalleled by almost any author I have ever read, from Jerome's time until the present. If for no other reason, Christians should buy this book to gain an appropriate understanding of the last days and the rightful interpretation of the book of Revelation. Most of today's books on this subject pale in comparison to Augustine's exposition of this lofty and (sometimes) arcane subject.

Any thinking Christian is daunted by this three-pound monster, but he owes it to himself to read it, front to back. The Great Doctor of the Latin Church here set forth the tenets for the entire Church to come, based on diligent studies of Scripture. Augustine is surprisingly readable when discussing history and even rises to humor when he discusses ancient Roman religious practices. He anticipates many of the great existentialists by over a millenium and a half in his treatments of the Old Testament. At the end of an exhausting journey, one is left with a reaffirmed faith and renewed strength in the promise of our Savior. No man should be deprived of the nourishment of the mind and spirit contained in this book. Happy reading

Thomas Merton did many great things in his life, but he didn't "translate" the City of God. He wrote the intro for this edition (the Dodds translation). A more up-to-date translation would be that of R.W. Dyson, available at Amazon in PB.

The City of God is a work for both the scholar and the Christian; it pours light, not only on the struggle between the early Church, but also on the bases of the faith and Augustine's belief's concerning God, man, heaven, hell, angels, law, sexual behaviour, and the practise of the faith.

Laid out in articles within chapters, this excellent translation of Augustine's monumental work flows from sentence to sentence, giving each word and phrase the flavor of the original. It draws from both Augustine's lively prose and his spontaneous poetic sense which is always built upon his prodigous knowledge of scripture. For the academic, the student, the priest, or the fellow-man; this is a work worth reading and cherishing.

St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo around Carthage, was not always the revered father of the Church as we know him today. First, a liberal youth, then a believer in and defender of the Manicheans, and finally a staunch catholic, he searched for truth wherever he could. Here, in his City, he lays out the difference between the world of faith and the world of mammon, i.e., those who live by worldly standards and those who live as if they were not true citizens of this world but only pilgrims on their way to the great city.

The book is a beautiful exegesis on the scriptures, a treatise on many theological points, and a manual of moral guidelines. St. Augustine addresses the world and ideas of his time, and yet his work remains timeless, for the same truths apply today.

This is quite possibly my favorite book of all time. It is a priceless resource in my search to better understand - and live - my Catholic faith. If I could, I would rename it "Christian Mechanics" because Augustine explains the Bible in terms so explicit that he seems to transmit a mathmatical understanding of God's plan.
The Modern Library edition has Thomas Merton's beautiful introdution, which I found to be an extremely helpful guide in walking through Augustine's epic. Read this and be changed forever.

Saint Augustine was one-of-a-kind. As an "Early Church Father" his impact upon Christianity is second only to Jesus and the Apostles. No one has been more prolific in their writing than the Bishop of Hippo. The City of God is a must read for anyone that possess the St.Augustine Prayer Book, and/or the Confessions. You need it to appreciate even more fully the spirituality of this saint. It helps one to understand more about why he said things the way he said them. I have given this book to high school seniors that have later considered a religious vocation. Should you get this book, my prayer for you is that the King of Glory will bless you as much as He blessed me in the reading. PAX, bb

I can add no further comments of real value beyond that which have been stated throughout the centuries by some of the greatest scholars, leaders and saints. Simply said, this is a great and inspired work of a man of God. However let me make one humble suggestion as to how to approach it:

May I propose that you consider not reading it in one great "slog" (as one reviewer noted). Rather consider it as a reference and spiritual guide in your path toward holiness.

To use it as such you will need a much more detailed Table of Contents than that which is provided in most translations, including this one. The twenty-two "chapter" headings in the table are at a very general level of description. Within these books are anywhere from 23 to 50 "real" chapters. These are questions and the Saint's responses.

To get a detailed list of these questions, I suggest that you make a link on the internet to the Online Library of Liberty. In there you will find a very fine detailed listing of every one of the major topics covered by this holy man. The web site is: [...].

You may find it useful to bookmark this site and use later when a question or thought needing further rumination comes up. Alternatively, you can print it out and keep it handy. Either way you choose you will find it handy.

Enjoy your exploration of The City of God!

In about three centuries since its inception Christianity had grown from a marginal Jewish sect on the eastern coast of Mediterranean to the official religion of the Roman Empire, thus eclipsing a millennium of unbroken pagan religion and culture. However, the paganism didn't disappear and continued to exert important influence on the public and intellectual life. Christianity, on the other hand, found itself facing new challenges as a dominant social force and it was unaccustomed to such status. The uneasy relation between the Christian authorities and the secular imperial authorities further complicated the matters. In today's language, the issues of separation of "church and stare" were coming into focus. Furthermore, the empire was in a decline and within two centuries the western part of it would finally dissolve. All of these developments forced Christian thinkers to rethink the place of Christianity within the world history, and come up with a coherent and meaningful view on these matters. By far the most influential of such attempts was St. Augustine's "City of God", an extensive and detailed treatise.

"City of God" is broadly divided into two parts. The first ten chapters are polemical and they address various pagan intellectual and religious issues. The second part of the book consists of twelve chapters that broadly deal with what St. Augustine perceived to be the origins of the City of God and its contrast and comparison with the Earthly City. One of the main points that St. Augustine promulgated was that the two cities, although they may overlap and sometimes reinforce each other, remain distinct and will likely be so until the final Parousia.

"City of God" is a monumental work of theology and philosophy that took St. Augustine many years to complete. This is not a book that can be read over a weekend, or even over the course of a week or two. Its intricate arguments and ideas that might be unfamiliar to modern readers require a careful and methodical perusal. The first part of the book was very interesting to me for several reasons. The pagan theological and cultural practices that it addressed are largely alien and unfamiliar to the modern readers, at least on the surface. This part of the book gave me a fresh insight into the external forces that had shaped Christianity in its early stages, mostly as a foil against which to present Christian religious and ethical norms. However, despite the appearance, many of the pagan attitudes and norms have never truly gone away, but have only metamorphosed into different cultural practices. In other words - the more things change the more they remain the same. Today's Christians don't have to reinvent the wheel: many arguments in favor of the culture-defying aspects of Christianity can be directly borrowed from the early Church fathers, such as St. Augustine.

If you decide to embark on the journey of reading this theological masterpiece I would recommend doing so as a form of devotional reading. Theology can be a devotionally fulfilling activity, and reading a book like this one over a long period of time can help you appreciate and understand its main themes and messages. I would particularly recommend this book to anyone who wants to think deeply and systematically about the nature of Christian vocation in the World and its relation to our ultimate abode, the City of God.