City of God by St. Augustine Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of City of God
Book Review: Abridged "City of God"
Summary: 3 Stars
I was interested in studying examples of spiritual healing in the early Christian Church.I was quite disappointed to discover that only about six pages of Book XXII, Chpt. 8 were recorded, the remaining twelve pages were dismissed by an abridgement statement "Twelve more pages describe similar miracles witnessed by, or directly reported to Augustine."Book Review: Along with his Confessions, this book is his best
Summary: 5 Stars
The Roman Empire was on the verge of being destroy, and pagans blamed Constantine the Emperor for the Christianization of the Roman Empire (because the Pagan gods protected the Empire.)Hence, Saint Agustine wrote this wonderful masterpiece.Book Review: An Illuminating Classic
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all, I am writing this review for the 1958 abridged edition by Image Books (City of God), but I know that this review will be posted on the product pages for the other editions, most of which are unabridged. So, I want to make one quick comment that is specific to the abridged version: I think this was a great copy to read. The editor cut out some of the digressions, which made the book about 300 pages shorter than the normal length (over 800 pages). I was reading this for a research project, so I was thankful for an edition that got rid of some of the less central points so that I could quickly get through the work and still get exposed to Augustine's main points.
That being said, whether you read the abridged or the unabridged version, this book is an absolute classic. Most people don't know this about Augustine, but he lived in Northern Africa (today's Tunisia) while that area was part of the Roman Empire. He started writing "City of God" shortly after the city of Rome had be sacked by the Goths in 410 A.D., and this book is a response to the claims being made by the pagan population of the time that Rome had been sacked because as the official religion of the Empire had been Christianity people had stopped worshiping the pagan gods. Thus, they claimed, the pagan gods allowed Rome to be sacked; they withdrew their blessing from Rome, as it were.
Of course, Augustine thinks this notion is ridiculous and he spent the next 14 years of his life writing "City of God" to refute the pagan view. This work is a great exposition of classical Christianity. The influence of the book was (and is) beyond measure; it remained an important work in terms of influence at least until the end of the Middle Ages. One of the things I really liked about the book is that the translation was really good; you really get an insight into Augustine's character. Furthermore, since Augustine wrote about previous philosophers (Plato, Varro, etc.), you get a great idea of how this work fits into that context.
A thick read, a read that makes you think, but a very enjoyable one nonetheless. I would recommend this book to anyone curious for some exposure to classical Christianity at its best.
Book Review: Big, worthwhile, even necessary
Summary: 5 Stars
Recently read St. Augustine's City of God. It's a pretty good workout; my impression is that I've only sampled something, without having enough time to properly consider his wide-ranging discussion. It's simultaneous a work of Christian apologetics, theology, philosophy, historiography, and Biblical criticism. Its influence, overwhelming in medieval times, persists to the current day. It's a demanding work, but it can be read without any specialized historical knowledge.
Augustine reflects deeply here on human nature and the meaning of eternal life and eternal punishment, within an explication of the "meaning" of history. He writes of all human history as a single narrative. This also a work of Biblical exegesis, as Augustine treats Scripture as a historical document. For Augustine, creation is good, creation exists in time and has a history. Indeed, since God enters into history to show man His love, history itself is sanctified, through the City of God.
The book contains the parallel histories of what Augustine terms the City of God and the City of Man, both descended from Adam. The City of Man is founded on murder (specifically fratricide, the murder of a brother, viz. Cain and Abel, Romulus and Remus). The City of Man has been deceived and debased, fallen under the sway of pagan gods, which appear to be either demons or, at best indifferent or benign spirits that are mistakenly worshipped. The City of God, on the other hand, is a pilgrim on this earth, toiling here in the joyous expectation of final salvation in God's Kingdom.
Augustine wants to explain the ways of God to man, but he does this from some humility, expressing his speculation in doubt. City of God also shows Augustine to be interested in the goods of Greek and Roman philosophy and rhetoric and in purging the negative elements of these while and Christian revelation. He's always intent on removing the possibility of gnostic/Manichaean distortions of Christian texts, such as St. Paul's admonitions not to "live according to the flesh" but rather "according to the spirit." Augustine is clear that this does not mean disdain for the body, but that one should refuse to live according to human ways, and consent to live by God's will.
Again, there's no way to give an adequate summary of a book like this, but it is surprising readable (if voluminous). I'm sorry I waited as long as I did to read it.
The translation here is readable, the abridgement makes the work as a whole accessible to a casual reader, and Etienne Gilson's foreword and Bourke's introduction are good companions.
Book Review: City of God
Summary: 2 Stars
Item was not received in condition as explained by seller. Cover was different, condition was worn more than expected, etc
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