The Enchiridion of Augustine: Addressed to Laurentius, Being a Treatise on Faith, Hope, and Love

Ancient Christian Writers #3

by Augustine of Hippo

Excerpt from The Enchiridion of Augustine: Addressed to Laurentius, Being a Treatise on Faith, Hope, and Love

Your progress in knowledge, and the earnest desire I have that you should be a wise man: not one of those of whom it is said, 'where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wis dom of this but one of those.

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Genres: Theology, Religion, Christianity, Christian, Philosophy, Classics, Catholic

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 420

About the author

Early church father and philosopher Saint Augustine served from 396 as the bishop of Hippo in present-day Algeria and through such writings as the autobiographical Confessions in 397 and the voluminous City of God from 413 to 426 profoundly influenced Christianity, argued against Manichaeism and Donatism, and helped to establish the doctrine of original sin.

An Augustinian follows the principles and doctrines of Saint Augustine.

People also know Aurelius Augustinus in English of Regius (Annaba). From the Africa province of the Roman Empire, people generally consider this Latin theologian of the greatest thinkers of all times. He very developed the west. According to Jerome, a contemporary, Augustine renewed "the ancient Faith."

The Neo-Platonism of Plotinus afterward heavily weighed his years. After conversion and his baptism in 387, Augustine developed his own approach to theology and accommodated a variety of methods and different perspectives. He believed in the indispensable grace to human freedom and framed the concept of just war. When the Western Roman Empire started to disintegrate from the material earth, Augustine developed the concept of the distinct Catholic spirituality in a book of the same name. He thought the medieval worldview. Augustine closely identified with the community that worshiped the Trinity. The Catholics and the Anglican communion revere this preeminent doctor. Many Protestants, especially Calvinists, consider his due teaching on salvation and divine grace of the theology of the Reformation. The Eastern Orthodox also consider him. He carries the additional title of blessed. The Orthodox call him "Blessed Augustine" or "Saint Augustine the Blessed."

Santo Agostinho

Reviews

[Greg Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Augustine is arguably the most influential theologian in Western Christianity. Within Catholicism, Augustine is, of course, Saint Augustine. His writings are a foundational part of Catholic tradition. Yet, Augustine has been highly influential in Lutheran and Reformed (or Calvinist) traditions. Augustine’s writings helped Martin Luther formulate the Reformation doctrine of justification by faith. John Calvin’s Institutes of Christian Religion relies heavily on citations from Augustine. In its prefatory address to French King Francis, it was to Augustine (and other church fathers) that Calvin appealed to defend the Reformation against charges of novelty or departing from church tradition. In keeping with Augustine’s broad influence, The Enchiridion includes Protestant and Catholic theology and some doctrines unique to Catholicism. While the Enchiridion is primarily a handbook of theology, it also showcases Augustine’s technical ability in philosophy.

The Nature of Evil

Augustine developed the idea that evil has no existence in and of itself. Evil can only exist as a parasite in something good. “What are called vices in the soul are nothing but privations [absences of] of natural good. And when they are cured, they are not transferred elsewhere: when they cease to exist in the healthy soul, they cannot exist anywhere else.” (1) Furthermore, psychologically, evil has a deceptive nature. “When the mind attains the objects of its desire, however hurtful or empty they may be, error prevents it from perceiving their true nature.” This error produces a “foolish joy” (italics in the original) concerning evil. (2) Similarly, Simone Weil captured the sense in which evil is a delusional enjoyment in this thought, “Two conceptions of hell: the ordinary one (suffering without consolation); mine (false beatitude, mistakenly thinking oneself to be in paradise).” (3)

Creation and the Fall

Augustine emphasizes the unchangeable nature of God as the creator in contrast to creation, which is good but not “unchangeably good.” The changeability of creation became apparent in “some of the angels” who “rebelled against God, and were cast down from their heavenly abode.” (4) Likewise, humanity rebelled against God by disobeying his command for them in the Garden of Eden. Death and judgment for all humanity (present and future) resulted from humanity’s rebellion.

Salvation through Christ

Because of his virgin birth, Christ did not carry the guilt of death and judgment. Yet he was fully man and God in that he experienced the full range of human emotions and temptations, but as God, he could not sin. Through his death and resurrection, Christ made salvation possible for humanity. At the same time, death and judgment are still the ends awaiting every human being, “unless he be new born in Christ” through faith. (5) The certainty of death and judgment apart from Christ is difficult to accept, and clearly, many people disbelieve it. But as Pascal remarked, “Let us put on as bold a face as we like: that is the end awaiting the world's most illustrious life.” (6)

The Nature of Christian Righteousness

Augustine underscores broad areas of agreement between Catholic and Protestant Christianity regarding grace, faith, and good works performed after conversion. There is agreement that faith is a gift of God granted by grace and not based on good works performed before conversion. There is also unanimity on the truths that the Christian faith, without good works, is dead and that God’s forgiveness in no way excuses habitual wrongdoing or a lack of ongoing growth in grace as a Christian.

During and after the Reformation, differences emerged between Catholics and Protestants regarding the nature of Christian righteousness. In Catholicism, when a person becomes a Christian, a “righteousness” is conferred upon him that is “merited by Christ.” At the same time, a person receives “an interior sanctifying quality” existing “in the soul itself, which makes it truly just and holy in the sight of God.” (7) The interior sanctifying quality that a person receives is a Christian but also a human righteousness. Because it is a human righteousness, it can be increased. By contrast, Luther's formulation best characterizes the Protestant position: when a person becomes a Christian, the individual is “at once righteous and a sinner.” The person is “righteous in God’s sight because of Christ” and simultaneously “a sinner as measured according to his own merits.” (8) Because a person is declared to be righteous because of the righteousness of Christ, that individual has divine righteousness. Because it is divine, it is impossible to humanly increase it.

While the above discussion may seem like splitting hairs, it can have practical and dramatic implications. Before the Reformation, Luther was a zealous Catholic monk yet still found himself unable to obtain a clear conscience or to believe that he was forgiven as a Christian. Only by studying Scripture did he reach an epiphany that he was forgiven based on Christ’s righteousness and not his own.

The Nature of Baptism

In Augustine’s time and for many Christians throughout history (and today), baptism was the entry point into Christianity. As Augustine describes it, baptism “indicates our death with Christ to sin, and our resurrection with him to newness of life.” (9) On this point, there is general agreement throughout Christianity. Beyond this, however, there are divergent beliefs regarding baptism.

According to the Catholic understanding of baptism, as Augustine notes, “Infants die only to original sin; those who are older also die to all the sins which their evil lives have added to the sin which they brought with them.” (10)

Lutherans retained baptism's sacramental nature for the forgiveness of sins. However, they did so in keeping with the at-once-righteous-and-a-sinner theology that applied to Lutheran beliefs in general. For Lutherans, “baptism forgives the guilt of original sin, but the sinful nature that remains is real sin.” (11)

In the Reformed tradition, infant baptism is also sacramental but is a sign and a seal of future faith brought to fruition later in life. For adults, Reformed baptism is a sign and a seal of faith already granted.

The Anabaptists emerged during the Reformation as a challenge to Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed traditions. They agreed with the Reformers on the issue of justification by faith. However, they believed that adults baptized as infants should be rebaptized as adults. They held this belief based on Christ’s baptism as an adult and that the baptisms recorded in the New Testament are of adults. Reformers countered these arguments with the argument that whole families were baptized in the New Testament and that it’s reasonable to conclude that infants were included.

The Reformers rejected the Anabaptists' baptismal beliefs based on Scripture and church tradition. However, the Anabaptists' beliefs were also likely dismissed for other reasons. As the Reformation advanced, national governments (and eventually whole countries) declared themselves Catholic, Lutheran, or Reformed. In these Christian societies, where everyone was baptized as an infant, baptism was an important organizing function. In this societal context, the Anabaptists’ rejection of infant baptism was anarchical.

Stages of the Christian Life

When Christianity first emerged, as recorded in the New Testament, it was to people hearing the message of the Gospel for the first time. There was an eagerness and urgency to listen and also share the message of this new faith. As Christian history progressed, the problem of passing on the faith to the next generation emerged. This has taken the form of catechism or Sunday school classes in early childhood and young adulthood. The problem is that children brought to church since infancy have never known a life outside a church and its influence. In approaching Christianity and conversion at a young age, they are not making a clean break with a non-Christian life in the way that the earliest Christians did or in the way that adult converts today do.

Augustine speaks of a second stage in the Christian life when a person first becomes aware of sin and plunges headlong into it instead of avoiding it. In the third stage, a person turns to Christ in faith and “lives the life of the just by faith.” Augustine also speaks of those who “have never known the second stage.” Instead, they pass through it and receive “the divine assistance” of faith as soon as they receive knowledge of sin. This is a helpful way of resolving how those raised in a Christian home establish a lasting faith without ever living a life of sin. (12)

Storms Within and Without Will Someday Be Silenced

Rob Norris, a retired Presbyterian pastor in the Washington D.C. area, told a story in a sermon drawn from Victor Hugo’s novel Ninety-Three. At one point in the novel, men are aboard a ship during a violent thunderstorm when a cannon comes loose below deck. The cannon careens back and forth, smashing into the ship’s sides before finally being secured. Applying this story to life, Rob made the point that in our lives, it is sometimes necessary to calm the story raging inside of us in order to face the storm raging outside of us. Augustine points us to a time and place where this will no longer be necessary. In heaven, “no part of our nature shall be in discord with another; but as we shall be free from enemies without, so we shall not have ourselves for enemies within.” (13)

Notes

1. St. Augustine. The Enchiridion on Faith, Hope, and Love. Translated by J.B. Shaw. Regnery Publishing, 1961, pp. 11-12.

2. Augustine, The Enchiridion, p. 31.

3. Quoted from Simone Weil’s Gravity and Grace.

4. Augustine, The Enchiridion, p. 34.

5. Augustine, The Enchiridion, p. 61.

6. Quoted from Pascal’s Pensées.

7. “Justification.” The Catholic Encyclopedia, https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/0857...

8. Muller, Richard. “simul iustus et peccator” Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms. Baker Books, 2004, p. 283.

9. Augustine, The Enchiridion, p. 52.

10. Augustine, The Enchiridion, p. 53.

11. “Baptism and Original Sin.” Taken from https://wels.net/faq/baptism-and-orig....
Accessed 29 June 2024.

12. Augustine, The Enchiridion, pp. 137-138.

13. Augustine, The Enchiridion, p. 106

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some solid gems in this, a classic primer from Augustine himself on his mature thought. The Enchiridion lays out Augustine's view on original sin, the fall of man (massa damnata), predestination, the resurrection and more. I have definitely stored most all this information in the back of my head.

Interesting highlights is that even in his maturity and old age, the creationisn / traducianism debate still perplexed him, and he wavered. His understanding of the causes of predestination to life and damnation seem to be God's free mercy (life), God's justice as proximate cause vis-à-vis the sinfulness of man for those unto death (damnation). From what I have read in historical dogma, he does not probe this further, as we would have to wait until Calvin to explore the "hidden inscrutable decrees."

Amazing stuff.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Enchiridion is one of Augustine's most approachable texts. Written as an introduction to the faith, it is simple and straightforward, and does not necessitate a firm grasp of the historical context in order to understand it. As he explains the creed and the Lord's Prayer, the most basic and important theological points he stood for become apparent. There are moments of great humour and representative comments that give the reader a feel for his personality and larger work.

This would be appropriate for a theology or sunday school class of high school level or above, and also good for individual study.

[Joshua Bremerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an excellent book in many respects. His view of evil as privation gives solid foundation for discussing the problem of evil as well as fighting sin in my own heart. The fourfold state of man's nature is insightful, and the idea of our will being as free as it ever will be once we are not able to be enslaved to sin is so helpful. This went hand in hand with his discussion of resurrected, spiritual bodies.

His explanation of original sin, and its connection to conception by the Holy Spirit and birth from the virgin Mary, has lasting value. I also enjoyed his explanation of repentance being the first and greatest giving of alms.

Now, some of the not-so-great stuff that can be twisted: His general aversion to sex (even in the bounds of marriage); his connection of baptism to the removal of original sin; his treatment of purgatorial fire; the remission of sins in relation to the church (especially in terms of penance and almsgiving).

Overall, more modern Protestant Christians should read Augustine and wrestle with his arguments (both the ones that we can "amen!" and the other ones).

[Alan A · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very approachable text to learning the theology and teachings of St. Augustine. Not just him or his beliefs but these are legitimately Catholic. The purpose of this enchiridion is to teach and use as reference. In his introduction, he lays a comment hoping that the reader won’t leave it on a shelf to collect dust, but that it may edify them. Aside from Confessions, which is really good and MOSTLY simple [as there are some more complex parts to it], this is one of his easily accessible and easy to read books that I can recommend to the neophyte wanting to explore a more Augustine spirituality, following his Rule and various letters.

[Alexandru Croitor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remember discussing aborted fetuses during catechesis? yeah, me neither - this highlights some of Augustine's concerns regarding life, resurrection and human bodies and also his 'agnosticism' on these topics (add to that also angelology); nonetheless, he is *certain* about God the Father and Creator, God the Son and Redeemer, and God the Spirit and Life-giver, divine grace and human bondage to sin, predestination and human freedom.
Laurence, the recipient, got a bit of everything, in a concise orthodox manner and with references to some of Augustine's larger works for "digging deeper". A great primer on Augustine's thought!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initial thought: first read maybe more of a 4 star read, but there is enough here that I recognize with more study it will easily be a 5 star. This is St. Augustine's "Handbook" of Christian doctrine. Brief, profound, and worth chewing over.
A handful of my favorite lines:

"But the goodness of the Creator never fails either to supply life and vital power to the wicked angels (without which their existence would soon come to an end); or, in the case of mankind, who spring from a condemned and corrupt stock, to impart form and life to their seed, to fashion their members, and through the various seasons of their life, and in the different parts of the earth, to quicken their senses, and bestow upon them the nourishment they need. For He judged it better to bring good out of evil, than not to permit any evil to exist."

"We shall be made truly free, then, when God fashions us, that is, forms and creates us anew, not as men-for He has done that already-but as good men, which His grace is now doing, that we may be a new creation in Christ Jesus, according as it is said: "Create in me a clean heart, 0 God."
For God had already created his heart, so far as the physical structure of the human heart is concerned; but the psalmist prays for the renewal of the life which was still lingering in his heart."

"it is certain that those who are born of water and of the Holy Spirit cannot with propriety be called sons of the water, though they are called sons of God the Father, and of the Church their mother."

"Thus the end of every commandment is charity, that is, every commandment has love for its aim. But whatever is done either through fear of punishment or from some other carnal motive, and has not for its principle that love which the Spirit of God sheds abroad in the heart, is not done as it ought to be done, however It may appear to men."

[Drew Darby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I don't agree with Augustine on several points, I have to admit that this is a brilliant, compact, and dense little work. Several times I raised objections to some proposition or another, and in the immediately following section the objections would be treated! That doesn't mean I was always convinced, but I was impressed with the thoughtfulness. I don't know if I've ever had an experience with a book quite like that! As an encapsulation, it would serve as a good introduction to Augustine. Like all of Augustine's work though, except perhaps Confessions, the book can be exhausting to read just because of the depth of thought and the efficiently dense manner in which it is presented.

I gave it four stars because I disagree with some of the basic, unexamined propositions that lay at the foundations of sections concerning topics such as the intermediate state, penance and satisfaction, and predestination.

[Jeremiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Augustine wrote this book to help a friend answer questions regarding essential Christian doctrines. As such it's one of his most accessible and comprehensive. The J.B. Shaw translation is readable and clear.

[Brett Wiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I have engaged with Augustine’s theological thought often, I haven’t read many of his actual works. This little “handbook” on faith, hope, and love is an excellent place to start. He wrote it for a friend as a summary of the Christian faith.

There is gold here if you are willing to mine it. As he addresses complex topics such as original sin, predestination, Christ as our mediator, salvation by grace, etc., you get to witness a master theologian at work. The brevity and clarity with which he is able to explain such topics is astounding. That doesn’t mean that you will always agree with all of his conclusions, but you can’t just run past them with modern arrogance. Even in this short work, it is easy to see why Augustine is the fountainhead of western theology.

Of course, as a Credobaptist, there were some things I didn’t fully agree with. And I struggled to understand what he was getting at on some issues such as the unborn. But I was edified, challenged, and inspired by this book on the Christian faith.

[Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's remarkable how much of Augustine's theology has been summarized here by the man himself. From a Protestant perspective, that obviously means that this little book is wonderful in certain places and frustrating in others.

The frustration primarily comes through in his discussion of Soteriology: The relationship between grace and merit, penance and forgiveness, the sacraments and eternal reward/punishment. This isn't yet the robust theology of late medieval Rome, but neither is it perfectly consonant with the New Testament.

Everything else, though, is excellent. Augustine's philosophy of error, his treatments of the Trinity, sin Incarnation, predestination, free will, his reading of the Lord's Prayer -- all of that is worth wading through the confused soteriology.

[Matthew Bloomquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Augustine is a stud. Lots of great content in this book. You can clearly see how he is claimed as founder of both the Eastern and Western church. Catholic leaning views may start with Augustine but are taken way farther such as infant baptism and alms. However, he is clearly the founder of “Reformed Doctrine”. Calvin and the reformers are all deeply indebted to his work on Gods Sovereignty in salvation and its relation to human will. He masterfully raises and addresses many important questions like the question of evil, Gods free grace in salvation, and man’s will. His theology is precise and doxological in nature as is typical of Augustine. Great book.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully rich and stimulating, as Augustine always is.

[Jake Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed a second read of this book. It is a great resource to explore Augustine’s thought on various topics. Some of the sections were pure gold (privation of evil; incarnation; the will of God in election; charity) and some of them were not so much (angels, baptismal regeneration). A great read nonetheless.

“But when our sins had separated the human race far from God, it was necessary for us to be reconciled to God for the resurrection of our flesh to eternal life by the mediator who alone was born, lived and was killed without sin, that human pride might be rebuked and healed by the humility of God and that man might be shown how far he had wondered from God when he was called back by God-incarnate, and example of obedience was offered to rebellious man by the man who is God, and, when the only-begotten took the form of a slave which had previously deserved nothing…”

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Augustine that I've read -- mostly because his other works are significantly larger and more dense than this one. But I enjoyed this one so much that I may try to tackle some others. Anything that I could say about Augustine has been said many times before by many other people, so I won't repeat myself. But if you're interested in reading Augustine, I'd recommend this as a good starting point.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's really amazing how a book written so long ago can contain so many truths and statements accurate to our lives and faith today. Although Augustine can get a bit wordy at times, this is definitely a must-read for Christians who are serious about the theology of our faith. Make sure you read it with someone, though. Discussion helps break through the wordiness!

[Jed Ojeda · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent explanation of the Christian faith by one of the greatest theologians of all time, St. Augustine of Hippo.

[Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and brief exposition of Augustinian theology by Augustine himself.

[Karl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why read it? I was curious how much Christianity has changed in 1600 years. And whether the early church is closer to Paul, the synoptic gospels, John or some other brand of early Christianity. Are there any references to stoicism? Plenty of reasons to read it.

Copied parts I found interesting while reading:


On the very first page you get an on-one-leg-summary: "God should be worshiped in faith, hope, love". Very much in keeping with modern Christianity. Then Augustine specifies which questions he wants to answer: "What is to be sought after above all else? What, in view of the divers
heresies, is to be avoided above all else? How far does reason support religion; or
what happens to reason when the issues involved concern faith alone; what is the
beginning and end of our endeavor? What is the most comprehensive of all
explanations? What is the certain and distinctive foundation of the catholic faith?"

Science
"Wherefore, when it is asked what we ought to believe in matters of
religion, the answer is not to be sought in the exploration of the nature of things
[rerum natura], after the manner of those whom the Greeks called "physicists."20
Nor should we be dismayed if Christians are ignorant about the properties and the
number of the basic elements of nature, or about the motion, order, and deviations
of the stars, the map of the heavens, the kinds and nature of animals, plants,
stones, springs, rivers, and mountains; about the divisions of space and time, about
the signs of impending storms, and the myriad other things which these "physicists"
have come to understand, or think they have. For even these men, gifted with such
superior insight, with their ardor in study and their abundant leisure, exploring
some of these matters by human conjecture and others through historical inquiry,
have not yet learned everything there is to know. For that matter, many of the
things they are so proud to have discovered are more often matters of opinion than
of verified knowledge.
For the Christian, it is enough to believe that the cause of all created things,
whether in heaven or on earth, whether visible or invisible, is nothing other than
the goodness of the Creator, who is the one and the true God.21"

Goodness of the trinity
"10. By this Trinity, supremely and equally and immutably good, were all
things created. But they were not created supremely, equally, nor immutably good.
Still, each single created thing is good, and taken as a whole they are very good,
because together they constitute a universe of admirable beauty"

Was not certain a priori that he would say Jesus was immutably good. That takes away something from Christ becoming man. That's not the Jesus of the gospels. It also makes it less probable he interpreted the OT literally, because God is not immutably good in there.

Theodicy
"11. In this universe, even what is called evil, when it is rightly ordered and
kept in its place, commends the good more eminently, since good things yield
greater pleasure and praise when compared to the bad things. For the Omnipotent
God, whom even the heathen acknowledge as the Supreme Power over all, would
not allow any evil in his works, unless in his omnipotence and goodness, as the
Supreme Good, he is able to bring forth good out of evil. What, after all, is anything
we call evil except the privation of good? In animal bodies, for instance, sickness and
wounds are nothing but the privation of health. When a cure is effected, the evils
which were present (i.e., the sickness and the wounds) do not retreat and go
elsewhere. Rather, they simply do not exist any more. For such evil is not a
substance; the wound or the disease is a defect of the bodily substance which, as a
substance, is good. Evil, then, is an accident, i.e., a privation of that good which is
called health. Thus, whatever defects there are in a soul are privations of a natural
good. When a cure takes place, they are not transferred elsewhere but, since they
are no longer present in the state of health, they no longer exist at all.22"

I wonder if he means this literally, or if it is a stoic take on the ills of life. Can't think of discussions of theodicy in the NT on the top of my hat.

Lying
He has a chapter on lying :). He's against it:
"Some go so far as to contend that in cases concerning the
worship of God or even the nature of God, it is sometimes a good and pious deed to
speak falsely. It seems to me, however, that every lie is a sin, albeit there is a great
difference depending on the intention and the topic of the lie. He does not sin as
much who lies in the attempt (...)"

In a later chapter:
"Every lie, then, must be called a sin, because every man ought to speak
38This refers to one of the first of the Cassiciacum dialogues, Contra Academicos. The gist of
Augustine's refutation of skepticism is in III, 23ff. Throughout his whole career he continued to
maintain this position: that certain knowledge begins with self-knowledge. Cf. Confessions, Bk. V,
Ch. X, 19; see also City of God, XI, xxvii.
39Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17.
40A direct contrast between suspensus assenso--the watchword of the Academics--and assensio, the
badge of Christian certitude.
41See above, VII, 90.
12
what is in his heart--not only when he himself knows the truth, but even when he
errs and is deceived, as a man may be. This is so whether it be true or is only
supposed to be true when it is not. But a man who lies says the opposite of what is
in his heart, with the deliberate intent to deceive. Now clearly, language, in its
proper function, was developed not as a means whereby men could deceive one
another, but as a medium through which a man could communicate his thought to
others. Wherefore to use language in order to deceive, and not as it was designed to
be used, is a sin" (Platonic, right?)
"Nor should we suppose that there is any such thing as a lie that is not a sin,
just because we suppose that we can sometimes help somebody by lying. For we
could also do this by stealing, as when a secret theft from a rich man who does not
feel the loss is openly given to a pauper who greatly appreciates the gain. Yet no one
would say that such a theft was not a sin. Or again, we could also "help" by
committing adultery, if someone appeared to be dying for love if we would not
consent to her desire and who, if she lived, might be purified by repentance. But it
cannot be denied that such an adultery would be a sin. If, then, we hold chastity in
such high regard, wherein has truth offended us so that although chastity must not
be violated by adultery, even for the sake of some other good, yet truth may be
violated by lying? That men have made progress toward the good, when they will
not lie save for the sake of human values, is not to be denied. But what is rightly
praised in such a forward step, and perhaps even rewarded, is their good will and
not their deceit. The deceit may be pardoned, but certainly ought not to be praised,
especially among the heirs of the New Covenant to whom it has been said, "Let your
speech be yes, yes; no, no: for what is more than this comes from evil."42 Yet because
of what this evil does, never ceasing to subvert this mortality of ours, even the joint
heirs of Christ themselves pray, "Forgive us our debts."43"

Primitive

Angels and the devil
28. While some of the angels deserted God in impious pride and were cast
into the lowest darkness from the brightness of their heavenly home, the remaining
number of the angels persevered in eternal bliss and holiness with God. For these
faithful angels were not descended from a single angel, lapsed and damned. Hence,
the original evil did not bind them in the fetters of inherited guilt, nor did it hand
the whole company over to a deserved punishment, as is the human lot. Instead,
when he who became the devil first rose in rebellion with his impious company and
was then with them prostrated, the rest of the angels stood fast in pious obedience
to the Lord and so received what the others had not had--a sure knowledge of their
everlasting security in his unfailing steadfastness.


Scepticism
"Nor am I at the moment trying to deal with that knottiest of questions which
baffled the most acute men of the Academy, whether a wise man ought ever to
affirm anything positively lest he be involved in the error of affirming as true what
may be false, since all questions, as they assert, are either mysterious [occulta] or
36Cf. Acts 12:9.
37Virgil, Aeneid, X, 392.
11
uncertain. On these points I wrote three books in the early stages of my conversion
because my further progress was being blocked by objections like this which stood at
the very threshold of my understanding.38 It was necessary to overcome the despair
of being unable to attain to truth, which is what their arguments seemed to lead one
to. Among them every error is deemed a sin, and this can be warded off only by a
systematic suspension of positive assent. Indeed they say it is an error if someone
believes in what is uncertain. For them, however, nothing is certain in human
experience, because of the deceitful likeness of falsehood to the truth, so that even if
what appears to be true turns out to be true indeed, they will still dispute it with
the most acute and even shameless arguments."

Cogito ergo sum
"no one can "not know" that he himself is alive. If he
is not alive, he cannot "not know" about it or anything else at all, because either to
know or to "not know" implies a living subject"

His references
Augustine never refers to Stoicism, Epictetus, Seneca, Aurelius, Musonius Rufus, Epicurus, Socrates or Plato. Aristotle is referenced once as are Virgil and Lucretius. Almost all references are to canonical biblical texts. There is a mention of the Academy, I don't know if its as in a platonic academy. See the previous heading scepticism

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Enchiridion is a very short (141 pages) treatise on Faith, Hope, and Love that Augustine wrote for a friend. It is broken down into questions with a short answer (two pages at most). This is a great book if you want to have an understanding of Augustine's theology because he covers it all here without going too far into philosophical discussions, which he is very prone to do.

The most interesting parts to me were his discussion on evil arising from a corruption of good and how God works good through evil in this fallen world. It also gave me insight into the catholic understanding of almsgiving as necessary to salvation, which I disagree with, but Augustine roots in the fact that they considered forgiving someone who has sinned against you as almsgiving. He also explains the catholic understanding of purgatory, which was unconvincing, but interesting to hear where it was derived from.

It is a great companion to bible reading or if you do not have long to read and want something short and weighty to reflect on.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this short but essential compendium of the Christian faith, Augustine has surely included enough material to offend every Christian. The "Protestant" (meaning not a denomination, but a theological orientation that cuts across denominations, and can be found today not uncommonly among Roman Catholics) will surely be offended by Augustine's high view of the sacraments and his identification of baptism with the regeneration that washes away original sin ex opere operato, even for infants. The "Catholic" (meaning again not a denomination but a theology) will be offended by Augustine's high view of grace and his "Calvinistic" formulation of predestination (indeed, "double predestination," as if there were any meaningful difference). Hopefully, both of these orientations can profitably read this work and realize they each have something to learn from the other. This is not to say that there are not intermingled here certain private opinions of the saint which cannot be made a rule of orthodoxy (such as his belief that Original Sin is simply the implication of the child in the ineluctable carnal lust of his parents), but on the whole the exegesis and teaching here should be enlightening for every Christian.

[Wagner Floriani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of gems along this slow read. Augustine structure of this little Christian handbook through the contents of faith, hope, love is genuinely brilliant. The introductory essay from the translator/editor is also remarkable.

[Jan Bochat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This provides a concise summary of Christian theology: God is to be served by man in faith, hope, and charity. The majority of Augustine’s work is faithful to Scripture in its understanding of the purpose, nature and content of theology. Unsurprisingly, Augustine is a product of his time, as revealed by his understanding of justification through penance. Nevertheless, readers are helped to consider how doctrine pushes us to worship God through love (charity); being transformed by the grace of our unchangeably good Creator. In addition, the cosmic significance of Christ’s work is unveiled through often neglected angelology.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Religion in its broadest sense is the fact that everyone has at least one god which they worship through their daily actions. Augustine expands this to include that which we believe, hope for, and love, which thus includes chronology past (believe), present (love), and future (hope for). My formulation assumes all three, but having them a bit more explicit is helpful.

So what are we to believe? Who are we to love? What are we to hope for? Augustine lays it all out, both in philosophical and anti-philosophical ways. For the former, he elaborates on his conception of Evil being parasitic on Good and thus not existing in the strictest sense; for him, Good is That Which Exists (since existence comes from God and God always has existed, therefore all derivative existence is also good), and Evil is that which detracts from Good, who is the fullness of existence. Philosophically speaking, Good is substance while Evil is accident. All of this might be surprising for people who only know Augustine as the main proponent of Original Sin, but I think it provides a nice counterweight to Original Sin, helpfully preventing us from falling into body-hating gnosticism. This is one of the many places where Augustine tempers that which could run away into extremism. Another example: "Now what shall I say of love? Without it, faith profits nothing; and in its absence, hope cannot exist...And so the Apostle Paul approves and commends the 'faith that worketh by love;' and this certainly cannot exist without hope. Wherefore there is no love without hope, no hope without love, and neither love nor hope without faith."

For the anti-philosophical side of his argument, Augustine mercifully releases the average person from needing to do their own philosophical inquiry. Not only are most people uninterested or unprepared for such deep dives, but faith is the first step, the thing required before we can even do any philosophy. Though I don't think he uses the exact phrase, this echoes his notion of "Credo ut intelligam" , or "I believe in order to understand." Trying to philosophically arrive at our starting assumptions assumes an antecedent starting assumption, namely that we can arrive at any starting assumptions rationally. No matter how much we want our worldviews to be philosophically airtight (whatever that means), they can never be: they must start somewhere, which in essence means they must start with some sort of unprovable faith.

Augustine dares to claim that this does not mean we can't know anything, nor have any certainty, as philosophers even back then regularly asserted. Below is how he approaches things:

...for all things, as they assert, are either unknown or uncertain. Now I wrote three volumes shortly after my conversion, to remove out of my way the objections which lie, as it were, on the very threshold of faith. And assuredly it was necessary at the very outset to remove this utter despair of reaching truth, which seems to be strengthened by the arguments of these philosophers. Now in their eyes every error is regarded as a sin, and they think that error can only be avoided by entirely suspending belief. For they say that the man who assents to what is uncertain falls into error; and they strive by the most acute, but most audacious arguments, to show that, even though a man’s opinion should by chance be true, yet that there is no certainty of its truth, owing to the impossibility of distinguishing truth from falsehood. But with us, “the just shall live by faith.”

...

But I am not sure whether one ought to argue with men who not only do not know that there is an eternal life before them, but do not know whether they are living at the present moment; nay, say that they do not know what it is impossible they can be ignorant of. For it is impossible that any one should be ignorant that he is alive...


The selfsame men who set up as a god their search for absolute philosophical/scientific truths must of necessity make absurd, obviously untrue statements, such as their conclusion that they can't even be sure they themselves exist. It seems that things alone and taken to extremes are the cause of folly: as with logos sans ethos and pathos, so also with faith without love or hope. In a way this echoes my lamenting of "scientia sine sapientia," knowledge without wisdom, which is so common today.

Even back in Augustine's day, we had the same problems. Ecclesiastes really is right: there's nothing new under the sun. Every time we think we've hit on something new, it has existed before, and it will exist again. All things are wearisome.

For example, Augustine brings up Kant's categorical imperative: "The question is this: whether at any time it can become the duty of a good man to tell a lie?" The conclusion he comes to is that yes it is always a sin to lie, but the amount of blame varies widely depending on your level of ignorance and your intentions. He gives an interesting example when he was accidentally told the wrong directions to get somewhere, but it actually saved his life, because he avoided some bandits on the road he was supposed to travel.

Another example which hits closer to home:

Whence also the expression in Genesis: “The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great,” because in these cities crimes were not only not punished, but were openly committed, as if under the protection of the law. And so in our own times: many forms of sin, though not just the same as those of Sodom and Gomorrah, are now so openly and habitually practised, that not only dare we not ex-communicate a layman, we dare not even degrade a clergyman, for the commission of them... “Woe to the sins of men! for it is only when we are not accustomed to them that we shrink from them: when once we are accustomed to them, though the blood of the Son of God was poured out to wash them away, though they are so great that the kingdom of God is wholly shut against them, constant familiarity leads to the toleration of them all, and habitual toleration leads to the practice of many of them. And grant, O Lord, that we may not come to practise all that we have not the power to hinder.”


Contemporary examples are nearly too numerous to comment on. As I've theorized elsewhere, there's never a net increase or decrease in taboos, only a shifting of which ones go in and out of vogue. It's the same with sins that we put up with. We're in an age where "justice," whatever that means, is righteously upheld as an important virtue, but myriad other issues are left in the mud. I remember the birth pains of 2014 when the gay marriage issue burst into the public discourse. Overnight everyone became an expert in Jewish law and the various relevant scriptures. Something which had never existed in the history of the world (gay marriage) was suddenly not only debatable, but had such momentum behind it that those who knew which way the wind blew got behind it. The same happened with the trans debate in the last couple years, but here it was so abbreviated that there was no debate: almost instantaneously, like God's own creation, people said it and it was so.

Despite all the "changes" happening today, none of this is really new. All of us know what is right and wrong, and if we claim we don't, we at the very least know what is selfish versus selfless, in other words what is Godly (exalts God) versus godless (makes us a god). There's really no excuse for any of us ever. I think Augustine might be too lenient when he argues there are either sins of ignorance or sins of not performing the duty we know. I guess I'm more Kierkegaardian. For even pre-literate children know what is right and wrong, you can see it in their eyes when they do something mischevious, when they think they can get away with evil, and when they get caught in their evil (their eyes immediately well up with tears).

We can certainly debate the specifics of sin, but we need not get so hung up on distracting trends. Augustine spills considerable ink over the Antinomian dilemma, namely "Christians" who professes faith in God but who regularly act in absolute contradiction to that faith. To sum it all up, James already covered this: that profession is not faith, but rather a mockery of faith. Some try to use the obscure passage about "passing through fire" to argue that these people will just go to purgatory for a while, but Augustine is right to differentiate that that passage speaks of having Christ as their foundation, while the "Christian-in-name-only" person doesn't even have Christ as their foundation, as James points out. Faith without a change in actions is dead, i.e. is not faith. In other words, if you claim to hold Christian faith but are never faced with moral dilemmas, never have had to deny yourself, spoiler alert, you're not a Christian.

Building off of this discussion, I do find it shocking how us Protestants have run so far in the direction of the Solas that we have completely done away with and actively shun any sort of alms giving or other propitiation. Though yes, we Protestants follow the letter of scripture and say that such things are not "required" before we can be forgiven/justified, we often in speech and in action downplay them so significantly that we shut our ears and shout any time we hear someone speak about doing good works in the wake of sin. This is a theological travesty. Of course, this doesn't mean we should swing in the opposite extreme and literally worship Mary as the Papists do (curiously, Augustine contradicts a couple main Marian heresies: "the one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who only has had power to be so born as not to need a second birth"), but it does mean we should amend our ways and be much more willing to do good. We should follow the example of the Tax Collector, rather than our usual posture of the Pharisee thanking ourselves that we're not like those filthy Catholics (I am using hyperbole here, I do not think Catholics are filthy).

I fear that without tying some sort of action to our propitiation, we risk not taking sin seriously enough. As Augustine writes: "For not only do they commit these sins, but they love them so much that they would like to go on forever committing them, if only they could do so with impunity. Now, he who loveth iniquity hateth his own soul; and he who hateth his own soul is not merciful but cruel towards it. For in loving it according to the world, he hateth it according to God."

This brings us back to all the debates about social trends I mentioned above. In the same way that we refuse to attach any sort of physicality to sins, so also do we risk abstracting them, and continuing them with impunity. As discussed in the more philosophical beginning of this work, that which is Good is that which leads us toward fullness of existence; the fullest existence is God's, and the farther we stray from that, the darker things get. Augustine leaves open the possibility of purgatory, but he doesn't outright teach it. He thinks it possible as an extrapolation of the propitiation, but doesn't make a dogmatic statement on it.

He speaks likewise about abortion, being unsure medically or philosophically when life begins in the womb. But he does come to the common-sense conclusion that "To deny that the young who are cut out limb by limb from the womb...have never been alive, seems too audacious." We can't deny the violence of such an act unless we are likewise willing to do violence to our consciences and to language; but the part I cut out (ha) about the possible endangering of the mother's life, that makes it a complicated issue, and Augustine grants that. Either way, however, "from the time that a man begins to live, from that time it is possible for him to die. And if he die, wheresoever death may overtake him, I cannot discover on what principle he can be denied an interest in the resurrection of the dead."

In other words, we should take a keen interest in others and their faith, hope, and love. Unlike this supposedly "tolerant," libertarian, laissez-faire world we find ourselves in, we shouldn't be scared of engaging people on these important topics. But we must remember to do so with faith, hope, and love. I think the main thing to remember from this short book isn't just the doctrinal teachings, but the social aspect of life and morality. I'll end with a section where he speaks about one of the central aspects of Christianity: loving our enemies, which starts in forgiveness:

But none of those is greater than to forgive from the heart a sin that has been committed against us. For it is a comparatively small thing to wish well to, or even to do good to, a man who has done no evil to you. It is a much higher thing, and is the result of the most exalted goodness, to love your enemy, and always to wish well to, and when you have the opportunity, to do good to, the man who wishes you ill, and, when he can, does you harm. This is to obey the command of God: “Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which persecute you.” But seeing that this is a frame of mind only reached by the perfect sons of God, and that though every believer ought to strive after it, and by prayer to God and earnest struggling with himself endeavor to bring his soul up to this standard...it cannot be doubted that the implied undertaking is fulfilled if a man, though he has not yet attained to loving his enemy, yet, when asked by one who has sinned against him to forgive him his sin, does forgive him from his heart.

[Noah McMillen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Augustine’s Enchiridion was so interesting because sometimes he sounds very much like a Reformed theologian and sometimes very much like a Roman Catholic.

Reformed sounding quotes:
“For as a man who kills himself is still alive when he kills himself, but having killed himself is then no longer alive and cannot resuscitate himself after he has destroyed his own life--so also sin which arises from the action of the free will turns out to be victor over the will and the free will is destroyed […] He serves freely who freely does the will of his master. Accordingly he who is slave to sin is free to sin. But thereafter he will not be free to do right unless he is delivered from the bondage of sin and begins to be the servant of righteousness. This, then, is true liberty: the joy that comes in doing what is right.”

“since no one is set free save by unmerited mercy and no one is damned save by a merited condemnation […] Now, obviously, God did not act unjustly in not willing their salvation, even though they could have been saved, if he willed it so […] But our God is above in heaven; in heaven and on earth he hath done all things whatsoever that he would. This obviously is not true, if there is anything that he willed to do and did not do, or, what were worse, if he did not do something because man's will prevented him, the Omnipotent, from doing what he willed. Nothing, therefore, happens unless the Omnipotent wills it to happen. He either allows it to happen or he actually causes it to happen […] For he is called Almighty for no other reason than that he can do whatsoever he willeth and because the efficacy of his omnipotent will is not impeded by the will of any creature.”

“As the Supreme Good, he made good use of evil deeds, for the damnation of those whom he had justly predestined to punishment and for the salvation of those whom he had mercifully predestined to grace.
For, as far as they were concerned, they did what God did not will that they do, but as far as God's omnipotence is concerned, they were quite unable to achieve their purpose. In their very act of going against his will, his will was thereby accomplished. This is the meaning of the statement, "The works of the Lord are great, well-considered in all his acts of will"--that in a strange and ineffable fashion even that which is done against his will is not done without his will. For it would not be done without his allowing it--and surely his permission is not unwilling but willing--nor would he who is good allow the evil to be done, unless in his omnipotence he could bring good even out of evil.”

“In any case, the word concerning God, "who will have all men to be saved," does not mean that there is no one whose salvation he doth not will--he who was unwilling to work miracles among those who, he said, would have repented if he had wrought them--but by "all men" we are to understand the whole of mankind, in every single group into which it can be divided: kings and subjects; nobility and plebeians; the high and the low; the learned and unlearned; the healthy and the sick; the bright, the dull, and the stupid; the rich, the poor, and the middle class; males, females, infants, children, the adolescent, young adults and middle-aged and very old; of every tongue and fashion, of all the arts, of all professions, with the countless variety of wills and minds and all the other things that differentiate people. For from which of these groups doth not God will that some men from every nation should be saved through his only begotten Son our Lord? Therefore, he doth save them since the Omnipotent cannot will in vain, whatsoever he willeth.” - very similar sounding to arguments for limited atonement

Roman Catholic sounding quotes:
“Now if in his being born, her virginity had been destroyed, he would not then have been born of a virgin. It would then be false (which is unthinkable) for the whole Church to confess him "born of the Virgin Mary."”

“ It may be discovered or remain hidden whether some of the faithful are sooner or later to be saved by a sort of purgatorial fire, in proportion as they have loved the goods that perish, and in proportion to their attachment to them.”

“alms should be offered as propitiation to God for our past sins.”

“There is no denying that the souls of the dead are benefited by the piety of their living friends, when the sacrifice of the Mediator is offered for the dead, or alms are given in the church. But these means benefit only those who, when they were living, have merited that such services could be of help to them.”

- abundant affirmations of baptismal regeneration

Other points of interest:
“there can be no evil where there is no good. This leads us to a surprising conclusion: that, since every being, in so far as it is a being, is good, if we then say that a defective thing is bad, it would seem to mean that we are saying that what is evil is good, that only what is good is ever evil and that there is no evil apart from something good. This is because every actual entity is good [omnis natura bonum est.] Nothing evil exists in itself, but only as an evil aspect of some actual entity. Therefore, there can be nothing evil except something good.”

“For God judged it better to bring good out of evil than not to permit any evil to exist. And if he had willed that there should be no reformation in the case of men, as there is none for the wicked angels, would it not have been just if the nature that deserted God and, through the evil use of his powers, trampled and transgressed the precepts of his Creator, which could have been easily kept--the same creature who stubbornly turned away from His Light and violated the image of the Creator in himself, who had in the evil use of his free will broken away from the wholesome discipline of God's law--would it not have been just if such a being had been abandoned by God wholly and forever and laid under the everlasting punishment which he deserved? Clearly God would have done this if he were only just and not also merciful and if he had not willed to show far more striking evidence of his mercy by pardoning some who were unworthy of it.”

- the idea of the elect humans replacing the reprobate angels
- Sex in marriage being a sin
- Interprets Romans 9 in a very “Calvinist” manner

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little work was a pleasure to read. It consists of Augustine's thoughts on the Nicene Creed (faith) the Lord's Prayer (hope) and a short discourse on Christian love. It will serve as a good introduction to Augustine's theological thought.

For my part, I love Augustine's emphasis on the primacy of grace. His defense of the sacramental system is irritating, as it seems very weak. Finally, his take on faith and works is quite disappointing. He does not clearly distinguish between justification and sanctification.

There are a lot of things in this short work that will make the Christian's heart rejoice, and there a few things that are less than celebratory. By any account, this little "handbook" of theology is worth reading, for Augustine is always worth reading.

[South Asia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and short Augustine read. He outlines faith and talks about God's sovereignty and the basics of the Christian faith. He has some great thought provoking sections like the mediation between God and man. He also writes about the giving of alms and penance.

[Matt Pitts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of Augustine's shorter and probably simpler works. Catechism is a misleading title, though the original title, Enchiridion, is a meaningless word to most today. Well worth the read. Augustine never disappoints.

[Joe Boenzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walking through a library on my way to the laundry, several volumes of the Fathers of the Church caught my eye, and among them I found St Augustine's handbook on Christian doctrine, which he wrote specifically for a certain Laurentius. The theme of this letter/handbook is "Faith, Hope and Charity." I wondered if Augustine was the first to develop a systematic teaching on this "theological virtues," and so I picked up the book. I used if in my daily meditation for a little over a month.

Now, I was surprised at how easily I could absorb Augustine's teaching, as his writing seemed clear to me. I remember trying to read Augustine the year after I had graduated from university and getting absolutely nowhere. Funny how 50 years and three advanced degrees can change one's comprehension skills. I say this because, while I found the book a delight, I suspect that most of my friends would find it just the opposite. Perhaps Augustine himself felt similarly, for in the final chapter he writes to Laurentius: "Judge for yourself whether you should call it a handbook or should use it as such. As for myself, thinking as I did that your zeal in Christ should not be esteemed lightly, and believing and hoping good things of you in the help of our Redeemer, and loving you deeply as one of His members, I have to the best of my ability written this book for you on faith, hope and charity. May its usefulness be equal to its length!" (p. 112)

I am sure that in the ancient world a volume of 166 pages would have been considered a long one. It is not long by our standards. What I find good about it is that the author approaches virtues for life in a steady, systematic way. He presents the Christian calling, sin, divine mercy, and virtues to overcome weakness and live in a way that would be ready to accept God's lead through all the ups and downs of life. It seems to me that some have called this book "Augustine's catechism", because he answers many questions about day-to-day Christian life. Ultimately, for Augustine, faith, hope and charity are the gifts of God that make acceptance of his calling both possible and rewarding.

Overall, I have enjoyed this small volume, and am grateful the Augustin took the time to explain discipleship in Christ so thoroughly and simply to his friend Laurentius (and to us).

The actual edition that I read was part of the series: "Ancient Christian Writers: The Works of the Fathers in Translation", edited by Johannes Quasten STD and Joseph C. Plumpe, PhD, of the Catholic University of America Washington DC. published by Newman Press (New York/Ramsey NJ) in 1947. It was reprinted by the same publisher in a new edition of the series in 1978. This book was the third volume of the series, known from antiquity as the Enchiridion de Fide Spe et Caritate. The translator: Louis A. Arand, SS., STD, president of Divinity College, Catholic University of America.

[Laura Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Enchiridion is Augustine’s endeavor to condense the basic tenets of Christian thought into a manual of sorts. As such, the book is comprised of short chapters that cover a wide array of topics, from the definition of love to whether resurrection bodies will include cut-off fingernails. Augustine writes that he hopes his book would be “something you could carry around, not just baggage for your bookshelf” (9). And certainly, The Enchiridion is a far less intimidating volume than, say, City of God. Anyone who has read works by Augustine previously may recognize some of the ideas and will probably be pleasantly surprised by his brevity and lucidity.

This book is particularly insightful because it covers a number of topics that don’t tend to come up in modern church culture, like the nature of evil, the promise of future resurrection, and Jesus’ role as judge. Augustine brings clarity to these somewhat nebulous concepts. Even the simple concept of almsgiving is one that seems to have been lost to us; but Augustine restores its place (without unduly elevating it) and expands its implications, saying that because we love our neighbor as ourselves, we must give alms to ourselves by recognizing both our sinfulness and the mercy of God.

Augustine also elegantly handles such topics as predestination, justice, God’s wrath, and the incarnation. He demonstrates deftly how Jesus’ divinity is absolutely crucial for his role as our redeemer. At the same time, Augustine deals with things of particular relevance to our modern context. For instance, the “Academics” against whom he writes in chapter 20 represent a similar relativism to what we encounter today. Augustine is quick to show that their “higher wisdom” of denying all knowledge should really be considered “a sort of dementia.”

This book serves to highlight a number of Augustine’s more important ideas and contributions to Christian thought. It is both refreshing and relevant, and provides much to think about in a concise but potent package.