Augustine: A Very Short Introduction

145 Pages·2001·3.105 MB·English

by  Henry Chadwick

Augustine: A Very Short Introduction
‘a very considerable achievement ... deep learning and lucidity
make this a finely balanced and authoritative introduction to
Augustine’s thought’
Times Literary Supplement
‘a triumph of compression and lucidity’
Church Times
‘For so rich and suggestive a summary, fully worthy of its subject, a wide
readership will long have cause to be grateful.’
D. F. Wright, New College, Edinburgh
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ARISTOTLE Jonathan Barnes LOGIC Graham Priest
Augustine Henry Chadwick MACHIAVELLI Quentin Skinner
THE BIBLE John Riches MARX Peter Singer
Buddha Michael Carrithers MEDIEVAL BRITAIN
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HINDUISM Kim Knott Socrates C. C. W. Taylor
HISTORY John H. Arnold STUART BRITAIN John Morrill
HUME A. J. Ayer THEOLOGY David F. Ford
Indian Philosophy THE TUDORS John Guy
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Intelligence Ian J. Deary BRITAIN Kenneth O. Morgan
ISLAM Malise Ruthven Wittgenstein A. C. Grayling
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Henry Chadwick
Augustine
A Very Short Introduction
1
For Juliet
3
Great Clarendon Street, Oxford ox2 6dp
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© Henry Chadwick 1986
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First published as an Oxford University Press paperback 1986
First published as a Very Short Introduction 2001
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Data available
ISBN 0–19–285452–6
13579108642
Typeset by RefineCatch Ltd, Bungay, Suffolk
Printed in Spain by Book Print S. L.
Contents
List of illustrations vii
Abbreviations ix
1
The formation of Augustine’s mind: Cicero, Mani,
Plato, Christ 1
2
Liberal arts 32
3
Free choice 40
4
A philosophical society 46
5
Vocation 58
6
Confessions 68
7
Unity and division 79
8
Creation and the Trinity 91
9
City of God 101
10
Nature and grace 115
Further reading 129
Index 131
NOTE: This book uses material from the Larkin Stuart Lectures, Toronto
1980, and the Sarum Lectures, Oxford 1982–3.
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List of illustrations
1 The oldest portrait of St 5 St Augustine in the ’region
Augustine. 2 of dissimilarity’ 71
Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana,
2 St Augustine’s vision of St Florence
Jerome by Vittore
6 Saints Augustine and
Carpaccio 24
Monica, 1854, by Ary
Archivi Alinari, Florence
Scheffer 73
3 Scenes from the life of St National Gallery, London
Augustine: Baptism of St
7 Contemporary portrait of
Augustine, 1645, by
St Ambrose 98
Benozzo Gozzoli 29
© Archivo Iconografico S.A./Corbis
8 The Emperor Julian the
Apostate 102
4 Aerial photo of the ruins
The Louvre, Paris
of St Augustine’s church
at Hippo 60
9 The City of God, oldest
From Erwan Marec: Monuments
known manuscript 104
Chrétiens d’Hippone: Ville
Épiscopale de Saint Augustin. Arts et
10 Colossal head of Emperor
Métiers Graphiques, Paris, 1958
Constantine the Great 108
German Institute of Archaeology,
Rome
11 St Augustine in his cell,
fifteenth century, by Sandro
Botticelli 127
Archivi Alinari, Florence
Abbreviations
Ac Contra Academicos
B De baptismo
BC De bono conjugali
BV De beata vita
C Confessiones
CD De civitate Dei
CE De consensu evangelistarum
CG De correptione et gratia
CR De catechizandis rudibus
DDC De doctrina christiana
DEP Contra duas epistulas Pelagianorum
DP De dono perseverantiae
E Epistulae
EJo In epistulam Johannis
EP Contra Epistulam Parmeniani
F Contra Faustum Manichaeum
GC De gratia Christi et de peccato originali
GL De Genesi ad litteram
J Contra Julianum Pelagianum
Jo Tractatus in Evangelium Johannis
LA De libero arbitrio
M De moribus ecclesiae catholicae et de moribus Manichaeorum
N De natura et gratia