The City of God

Rating:
Summary: History and Theology in One Rich Volume
Review: This is a difficult read. It is worth the effort because it is highly educational and very enjoyable. Some familiarity with Roman history and mythology would be helpful but is not necessary. Augustine shows his reader the superiority of the City of God over the city of man. With Biblical and historical examples, Augustine shows that citizens of the City of God have characters and hopes that set them apart from the ungodly. He exposes the ugliness of paganism and the folly of men outside of the City of God. Today's reader will see that these differences between the two cities manifest themselves as clearly in our day.

Rating:
Summary: A central Christian work
Review: This is one of the great statements of Christian thought. It is the work which will define for many throughout the generations the fundamental Christian way of thinking about the world. Unfortunately this means it too is tarred by a fire- and- brimstone replacement theology which ruled Christian thinking in regard to the Jews for close to fifteen hundred years afterward.
The work sets up the basic contrast between the Good and the Evil, those who are part of the City of God( whether on Earth or in Heaven) and those who are in the City of sins, condemnation, and death. Augustine is a great teacher of doctrine, and his doctrine divides the world into the saved and the damned. If you are not going to be with the Church then you are not going to live. His idea in short is an absolute idea, and his great intellect argues to support a way of understanding the world which is total and complete.
The intellectual challenge presented by this book is great indeed. And in it one of the great minds of religious history expounds his fundamental teaching.
As one who belongs to a people and religion condemned in this book I cannot simply sing its praises. But it is impossible not to recognize the great scope and power of the mind at work here.

Rating:
Summary: Read this and be changed forever.
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Read this and be changed forever.
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Re translation of COG
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Ouch
Review: What can I say about this book? That as a Pagan, I consider it the ultimate insult to all human beings? After all, it was written at a time when the Christians were starting on a major campaign to slaughter Pagans and bring us into the Dark Ages.

I could say that Diogenes searched far and wide for an honest man. And that I too have searched far and wide. For a stupid man. And that now I've finally found one in gus, the author of this book.

I could tell about how the author felt that if torture were appropriate for those who broke the laws of men, it was even more appropriate for those who broke the laws of god. I could say that gus had no sympathy for Roman virgins who were raped by the Goths (he said they asked for it). I could say that I am totally outraged by and fed up with folks like gus who tyrannically tell the rest of us how to worship.

But I think I'll stop here.