Augustine, City of God

Selections

I don't remember much about the City of God at the moment.  It divides about in half, with the first half criticizing the Earthly City in the form of Rome and paganism. The second half describes the City of God.  The last few chapters contrast the two cities pretty heavily.  If it was me, I'd do the first four chapters to get a flavor for Rome, skip the lengthy arguments against pagans, fate, astrology, etc., and then I would read chapter 11, skip the lengthy Biblical commentary that traces the progress of the City of God through the Bible, and then read chapters 19-22.  You may want to do the chapters on Original Sin, but it all depends on what you want to focus on. Of course, if it was me, I'd try to reread it or rescan it before I made ultimate decisions.  That's my 2 cents worth, and that's all it is worth. -- Professor Szczesny  (1-4,11,19-22)

A Reading Plan for Augustine’s ‘The City of God’ from Justin Taylor:
When I have lectured on Augustine’s seminal work, The City of God, I have often mentioned a reading plan I have for the work. Here it is below. The number prior to the full stop refers to the book (there are twenty-two books in The City of God), and the numbers after the full stop refer to the chapters within the respective books.

• 1.1-36: why Augustine wrote The City of God
• 4.1-4: the nature of kingdoms without justice
• 11.1-4: the origin of the two cities, the city of God and the city of man
• 12.4-9: the origin of evil
• 13.1-24: man’s fall and sinfulness
• 14.1-28: the two cities
• 15.1-2: the two cities at the beginning of time
• 20.1-30: the end of the two cities
• 21.1-2: the eternality of the punishment of the wicked
• 22.8-9: an excursus on miracles
• 22.29-30: the beatific vision

from http://www.princeton.edu/~hos/h211/augselections.html 
Book, Chaps
I. Preface, 1-4
IV. 3, 4, 34
V. 1, 9
XI. 1, 2, 4, 5
XII. 5-8, 21-24
XIII. 12-14
XIV. 1-6
XIX. 1, 12-14, 24-28

I recommend 1, 2, 11, 12, 19, 20, 22

Modern opinions

In conclusion Augustine's influence on Western Christianity is second only to Paul and Jesus. His great influence on Luther and Calvin would distort Protestant outlooks as well. His outlook on the City of God and City of Man is still the vision of repressive Puritanism and modern Protestant fundamentalism.
http://www.sullivan-county.com/id2/augustine.htm

One of the decisive developments in the western philosophical tradition was the eventually widespread merging of the Greek philosophical tradition and the Judeo-Christian religious and scriptural traditions. Augustine is one of the main figures through and by whom this merging was accomplished.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/augustine/

Notes

Book 1 - Apparently people have been blaming the recent sack of Rome on the Christians, claiming it is a just retribution for Rome leaving off worship of its traditional Gods.  This (and following books) is an apologia for Christianity, defending it against such claims, showing that the Pagan gods have no power, and that only the worship of the true Christian God is profitable.  In particular he points out that the invaders spared all who took refuge in Christian holy places. Mentions that the points of the whole work is to contrast the worldly city (exemplified by Rome) with the true city of God.

Book 2 - The pagan Gods are characterized as demons, who incite their worshippers to immoral practices by their examples and by their rites of worship.  I think it is interesting that he never claims the gods do not exist at all (compare Deut 4:28 and Dan 5:23 "thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know"). 

Book 3 - The pagan Gods do not provide any protection from physical disasters.  Many examples from the history of Rome from Romulus to Augustus given.  Fun that I remember most of the stories he refers to from studying Greece and Rome last year.

Book 4 -

4:4 Justice being taken away, then , what are kingdoms but great robberies?  ...  When Alexander the Great asked a pirate what he meant by keeping hostile possession of the sea, he answered with bold pride, "What thou meanest by seizing the whole earth; but because I do it with a petty ship, I am called a robber, whilst thou who do it with a great fleet art styled emperor."

... followed by a lot of tedious lists of the multifarious god of rome.

Book 5 - Refutation of astrological divination.  Freewill and God's foreknowing are not contradictory.  Chapter 12 returns to the dicussion of how Rome was or was not supported by God in its dominions: Rome's virtue's serve as an example for the people of God.  Tribute to Constantine.

Book 6 - criticism of Varro and his pagan writings. criticism of unseemly pagan rites.

Book 7 - more criticism of various pagan god, beliefs, and practices.

Book 8 - concerning Greek philosophers. (fate of Socrates' accusers) "the study of wisdom consists of action and contemplation." moral, natural, rational philosophy. -- disputes the existence of multiple gods.  On idols, and the union of demons with statues.

Book 9 - very dull comparison of angels and demons and men.

Book 10 - lots on sacrifice.  Not so dull as some.  (ch31:) Souls were created, having beginning but no end.

Book 11 - on the city of God.  (5) one world, eternal (compare moses 1:37-38). (7) on the creation.  (9) angels created?  (10) God is another from the father and son; trinity.  (13) on the fallen angels and the devil.  couple mentions of manichean heresies.  (30) Six is a perfect number.

Book 12 - on the origin of the world and man. (8-9) the will is made of nothing?  (13) world and men are eternal?  There are no cycles of creation.  (lots of fallacious and confused reasoning in this book)

Book 13 - on the fall, and death. (4) infant baptism.  kind of ridiculous discussion of living vs. dying.  (11) "death: no skill is capable of escaping or explaining it"?! (19) men will have eternal bodies in the resurrection. (22) not the power, but the need of eating removed from eternal bodies.

Book 14 - on sin.  (6) how the will is part of all virtues and vices. (7) discussion of amo/diligo in Jesus/Peter conversation.  (11) Earth and souls created out of nothing.  (12-13) on the nature of original sin.  (18) On lust.  (26 - something unseemly in latin?) (28) the nature of the two cities.

Book 15 - contrasting the two cities, with examples in Cain and Abel, Romulus and Remus, etc.  Discussion of difficulties with long lives of antediluvians.  Giants in the earth. Issues concerning the flood.

Book 16 - tracing the cities in the descendants of Noah.  (5) Babylon, nations divided according to their languages. (7) Frogs produced out of the earth?  Primitive language (hebrew) survived in the the house of Heber.  (17-) on Abraham and his covenant. On Issac and Jacob. (43) Moses and David and Solomon.

Book 17 - age of prophesy, from anointing of David on; types of Christ in the history.  (4) prophesy of Hannah. (5) On Aaronic priesthood, and meaning of "Melchizedek priesthood" after Christ. (6) doesn't seem to believe the Jews will be restored. Types of Christ in the psalms.

Book 18 - tracing the Worldly City in history.  Assyria (or Babylon) and Rome models for other nations.  (3-12) History of Assyria and Egypt during the time of Abraham to Moses.  How certain men were reputed to be Gods in stories.  More history from Troy on.  Assyria falls shortly before Rome is founded.  (24) Sybilline prophesies of Christ. (~30) prophesies of Jeremiah, Zephaniah. (34) Daniel and Ezekiel.  (37) Showing that Hebrew wisdom is older than other nations' wisdom. (43) Story of Ptolemy and the 70 translators of the septuagint.  (45) Herod fiirst foreign king, as fulfilling of prophesy of the time of Christ's birth. (51) heretics. 

Book 19 - comparing with philosophical search for happiness. (need to read sections 1-4) (3) definition of virtue? virtue is learned. (4) city of god definition of supreme good and evil. Supreme good is not to be found in this life. (10) virtue turns all to peace. (11) peace is the end of our good.  peace and eternal life are the supreme good. (21) Republic cannot exist. No justice in one who does not serve god.  (23) He that worships other gods should die, another evidence that idles are god/devils. (24) Another definition of "people" which allows "republic" to exist.

Response to Book 19. (1) "For the end of our good [or the supreme good] is that for the sake of which other things are to be desired, while it is to be desired for its own sake." (2) "For this good, as soon as a man finds it, makes him happy."  So by his own words, happiness is that thing which is desired for its own sake, and not for the sake of some higher good.  (4) "life eternal is the supreme good."  This agrees superficially with Moses 1:39, but his definition of eternal life is much different from the Mormon version.  If we apply D&C 19:10-11, then eternal life is God's life.  But he says (10) "the eternal peace which no adversary will disturb.  This is the final blessedness, this the ultimate consumation, the unending end." (11) "and thus we may say of peace, as we have said of eternal life, that it is the end of our good"  But when is one most at peace in this life? When asleep! What greater peace is there than oblivion? which is what the wicked seek, when they cannot find happiness in sinning.  So even the wicked seek happiness first, and peace only when they lose all hope. (12) "there is no man who does not with to be joyful, neither is there any one who does not wish to have peace"  So, even he recognizes joy is equal to peace, but the scripture says (2 Nephi 2:25) "men are, that they might have joy."  And though he spends several chapters showing how miserable men are in this life, it is simply more proof that misery is the greatest evil, happiness the greatest good, and that the philosophers have come closer to the truth than Augustine.

Book 20 - On the final judgment, interpretation of Revelations. (2) No explanation for suffering in this world.  (3) quotes Ecclesiastes "all is vanity".  (6) First and second resurrection.  () Explaining away the millennium.  Devil should not seduce the nations understood as not seducing the nations among which the Christians dwell.  Hence devil is bound now, during the 6th thousand years, which is the millennium. (see also 15)  (10) Resurrection of body? (11) Gog and Magog are nations where the devil is shut up, which will persecute the saints.  (13) Last persecution for 3 1/2 years.  ... lots assuming predestination ... interminable stuff on the last judgment ... (19) Mystery of Iniquity: see JST, refers to apostasy. (20) "that there will be a bodily resurrection of the dead ... we must believe, if we are Christians."  (29) Elijah shall turn the heart of children to the fathers by turning the Jews to believe in Christ.  (30) Summary of judgment events: Elijah the Tishbite shall come; the Jews shall believe; Antichrist shall persecute; Christ shall judge; the dead shall rise; the good and the wicked shall be separated; the world shall be burned and renewed.

Book 21 - on the suffering of the damned and the peace of the saints. (2-3) that eternal bodies can burn without dying. (4-7) Examples of worldly wonders which are hard to believe. Pontificating on punishment. (16) overcoming temptations. (17) punishment is eternal. Various false hopes of limited suffering.  Some shall be purged by a fire different from the eternal punishment fire.  Almgiving helps only with past sins.  (boring!!!)

Book 22 - on the final state of the city of God (1) resurrected men will take the places of teh fallen angels in the eternal city. (5) bodily resurrection affirmed (8) many contemporary miracles recounted; many via relics of saints. (12-21) much about the form of resurrected bodies; flower of youth is about age 30. (19) Christ's wounds badges of honor in the resurrection. (20) quotes Cicero's definition of an immaterial God. (24) original evil is 2 things: sin and punishment; original good is 2 things: propagation and conformation. conformation: power to drink in wisdom and learn virtue. Virtue is the art of living well and to attain eternal happiness.  (30) how he calculates the "days" of the earth, putting himself in the 6th day and the eternal city in the 7th after the final judgment.