Having read many classical pagan and Christian authors, many of whom I admire for their eloquence, erudition, courage and wisdom, I have great difficulty understanding why pagans were hostile towards Christianity, because I don’t see anything in their writings that suggests an enmity of ideals. This must be what it feels like to have two good friends who don’t get along. Perhaps a common problem in our time. So it […]
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Augustine’s City of God: Irrationality is a Mental Disorder
this mental infirmity is now more prevalent and hurtful than ever, to such an extent that even after the truth has been as fully demonstrated as man can prove it to man, they hold for the very truth their own unreasonable fancies, either on account of their great blindness, which prevents them from seeing what is plainly set before them, or on account of their opinionative obstinacy, which prevents them […]
Read moreAugustine’s City of God: Christianity and Suffering
It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. –Hebrews 2:10 Historical Background Christianity historically has not taught the “prosperity gospel”. On the contrary, it might be properly called the Suffering Gospel. Jesus was not prosperous in this life, but suffered and died on the cross. His disciples made it […]
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Augustine’s City of God: The Tragedy Of Cicero
Augustine had great respect for the Roman statesman and orator Cicero, whose writings inspired him to pursue philosophy, especially Platonism. What Augustine writes about the death of Cicero and Fall of the Roman Republic (Bk III, 30) is a sobering historical lesson for all idealists who aspire to and engage in politics. After Gaius Julius Caesar had conquered Pompey, he was suspected of aiming at royalty, and was assassinated by […]
Read moreAugustine’s City of God: The Dark Side of Human Dignity
Two Contrasting Conceptions of Human Dignity In Book I of the City of God, Augustine contrasts Greco-Roman (pagan) and Christian conceptions of dignity. Cato the Younger and Lucretia are paragons of pagan virtues, of man and woman, respectively. They committed suicide out of a strong sense of dignity. Lucretia killed herself to protest her innocence as a rape victim; Cato the Younger, a Stoic, would rather die as a free […]
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Augustine’s City of God: The Sanctuary
Sanctuary in Our Time According to a NPR report today, a Protestant Church in the Hague Netherlands has kept a nonstop service since Oct. 26 to protect an Armenian immigrant family from deportation, for what New York Times refers to as “an obscure Dutch law” forbids police from disrupting a church service. This reminds me of Victor Hugo’s Hunchback of Notre Dame, in which “sanctuary” protected Esmeralda from the gallows. […]
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Augustine’s City of God: The Conception of Time
In Preface of Book I, Augustine writes, “I treat of [City of God] both as it exists in this world of time, a stranger among the ungodly, living by faith, and as it stands in the security of its everlasting seat.” Augustine’s conception of time underlies his view of history. In his Confessions, his writes that time exists only within the material world as God’s creation, which is subject to […]
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