The City of God, Volume 1
'The City of God, Volume 1' Summary
Rome having been stormed and sacked by the Goths under Alaric their king, the worshipers of false gods, or pagans, as we commonly call them, made an attempt to attribute this calamity to the Christian religion, and began to blaspheme the true God with even more than their wonted bitterness and acerbity. It was this which kindled my zeal for the house of God, and prompted me to undertake the defense of the city of God against the charges and misrepresentations of its assailants. This work was in my hands for several years, owing to the interruptions occasioned by many other affairs which had a prior claim on my attention, and which I could not defer.
However, this great undertaking was at last completed in twenty-two books. Of these, the first five refute those who fancy that the polytheistic worship is necessary in order to secure worldly prosperity, and that all these overwhelming calamities have befallen us in consequence of its prohibition. In the following five books I address myself to those who admit that such calamities have at all times attended, and will at all times attend, the human race, and that they constantly recur in forms more or less disastrous, varying only in the scenes, occasions, and persons on whom they light, but, while admitting this, maintain that the worship of the gods is advantageous for the life to come. In these ten books, then, I refute these two opinions, which are as groundless as they are antagonistic to the Christian religion.
But that no one might have occasion to say, that though I had refuted the tenets of other men, I had omitted to establish my own, I devote to this object the second part of this work, which comprises twelve books, although I have not scrupled, as occasion offered, either to advance my own opinions in the first ten books, or to demolish the arguments of my opponents in the last twelve. Of these twelve books, the first four contain an account of the origin of these two cities—the city of God, and the city of the world. The second four treat of their history or progress; the third and last four, of their deserved destinies. And so, though all these twenty-two books refer to both cities, yet I have named them after the better city, and called them The City of God.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
LatinPublished In
426 CEGenre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Author
Saint Augustine of Hippo
Algeria, Rome
Augustine of Hippo also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian, philosopher, and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings influenced the development of Western philo...
More on Saint Augustine of HippoDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
Bible (DRV) New Testament by Douay-Rheims Version
The Douay-Rheims New Testament is a translation of the Latin Vulgate, the standard Latin text of the Bible used by the Catholic Church. It was publish...
Summa Contra Gentiles, Second Book (On Creation) by Saint Thomas Aquinas
Dive into the depths of philosophical exploration with "Summa Contra Gentiles, Second Book (On Creation)" by Saint Thomas Aquinas. This timeless maste...
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels - St. Matthew by J. C. Ryle
This book, a part of the "Expository Thoughts" series by J.C. Ryle, delves into the Gospel of Matthew, breaking it down into manageable sections. Ryle...
Three Ecumenical Creeds by Anonymous
This book presents a compilation of the three major ecumenical creeds of the Christian faith: the Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed, and the Athanasia...
Bible (KJV) 00: Preface by King James Version
The preface to the KJV Bible is fitting to read, as it reminds contemporary readers of the transitory nature of all Bible translations. The preface is...
Confessionum Libri Tredecim by Saint Augustine of Hippo
"Confessions" is an autobiographical work by Saint Augustine of Hippo, written between 397 and 398 AD. It is a profound and introspective account of A...
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Brothers Karamazov is the last novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky spent nearly two years writing The Brothers Karamazov, which...
Bible (YLT) 01: Genesis by Young's Literal Translation
Young's Literal Translation is a translation of the Bible into English, published in 1862. The translation was made by Robert Young, compiler of Young...
Hurlbut's Story of the Bible Part 4 by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut
Some years ago, the editor of an English magazine sent a communication to "the hundred greatest men in Great Britain" asking them this question: "If f...
Bible (WNT) NT 04: John by Weymouth New Testament
The Weymouth New Testament is a translation of the New Testament into modern English by Richard Francis Weymouth, an English Baptist scholar and layma...
Reviews for The City of God, Volume 1
No reviews posted or approved, yet...