On Christian Doctrine

The words in his title have gotten an offputting reputation in other contexts, and that's a shame. Doctrine is guidance in love. Augustine himself, probably from somebody's frightening childhood experience with City of God, would tend to offer an intimidating nameplate. Try anyway. He is a master of......more

A fascinating little book for all kinds of people: late antiquity buffs; philosophers; hermeneuts; and of course, Christians. Augie usually manages to find his way to a reasonable middle position: against biblical literalism, also against waiting for a direct experience of God. Book one describes 't......more

I'm not much for Augustine's Confessions, which I've started and given up twice over the years for being too grovelling and self-pitying. Augustine is a gifted explicator, however, and his prose is a joy to read; On Christian Doctrine deserves its place at the headwaters of post-antiquity western tr......more

Reading Augustine is very good for your soul. Save for some of the expected Augustine-isms that are more or less an over-correction from his personal experiences and should be taken with a grain of salt, this is a book to consume slowly, annotate copiously, and live with for a lifetime. It's amazing......more

Very good. Finally got around to reading the New City version. The translator excels—as well as occasionally ribs Augustine! Book I is the strongest; Book IV is the weakest. But overall, great. There's a reason why this has been an essential resource in reading the Bible for so many centuries!......more