The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century, Part 1, Volume 5

Saint Augustine (of Hippo), Edmund Hill

New City Press, 1990 - Religion - 471 pages

Augustine knows by faith that God is a trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and he is seeking as far as possible to understand what he believes. In the first seven books Augustine begins by searching the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments for clues to understanding and then argues in the language of philosophy and logic to defend the orthodox statement of the doctrine against the Arians. In the last eight books Augustine seeks to understand the mystery of the divine Trinity by observing an analogous trinity in the image of God, which is the human mind; and in so doing, he also suggests a program for the serious Christian of spiritual self-discovery and renewal. This second edition is newly produced, now featuring convenient footnotes rather than the previously used end notes in the original edition.

About the author

Saint Augustine was born to a Catholic mother and a pagan father on November 13, 354, at Thagaste, near Algiers. He studied Latin literature and later taught rhetoric in Rome and Milan. He originally joined the Manicheans, a religious sect, but grew unhappy with some of their philosophies. After his conversion to Christianity and his baptism in 387, Augustine developed his own approach to philosophy and theology, accommodating a variety of methods and different perspectives. He believed that the grace of Christ was indispensable to human freedom, and he framed the concepts of original sin and just war. His thoughts greatly influenced the medieval worldview. One of Augustine's major goals was a single, unified church. He was ordained a priest in 391 and appointed Bishop of Hippo, in Roman Africa, in 396. Augustine was one of the most prolific Latin authors in terms of surviving works, and the list of his works consists of more than one hundred separate titles. His writings and arguments with other sects include the Donatists and the Pelagians. On the Trinity, The City of God, and On Nature and Grace are some of his important writings. Confessions, which is considered his masterpiece, is an autobiographical work that recounts his restless youth and details the spiritual experiences that led him to Christianity. Many of Augustine's ideas, such as those concerning sin and predestination, became integral to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. In the Catholic Church he is a saint and pre-eminent Doctor of the Church, and the patron of the Augustinians. He is the patron saint of brewers, printers, and theologians. Augustine died on August 28, 430.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century, Part 1, Volume 5; Past masters; The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century, Augustinian Heritage Institute, ISBN 1565480554, 9781565480551; Part 1, Volume 5 of Works of Saint Augustine; Part 1, Volume 5 of Works, Saint Augustine (Bishop of Hippo.)
• Authors: Saint Augustine (of Hippo), Edmund Hill
• Editor: John E. Rotelle
• Translated by: Edmund Hill
• Contributors: Edmund Hill, Augustinian Heritage Institute
• Edition: 2
• Publisher: New City Press, 1990
• ISBN: 1565484460, 9781565484467
• Length: 471 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Christian Theology / Apologetics; Religion / Christianity / Catholic