Catholic Thought discussion

Book X
Subchapters
- The Terminology of Religion and the Worship Due to God Alone
- The One Source of Happiness, both Human and Angelic
- Sacrifice is Due to God Alone
- The Significance of the Sacrifice Commanded under the Old Law: the Self Directed to God in Love
- The Miracles that Confirm the Command to Sacrifice to God Alone
- Porphyry on Theurgy and the Purification of the Soul
- Porphyry’s Letter to Anebo
- The Visible Miracles and Visible Appearances of the Invisible God
- Divine Providence, the Education of Humanity, and the Giving of the Law
- Angels, Miracles, and the Worship of God
- The Ark of Testimony and the Miracles Associated with It
- Sacrifice, the Angels, and the Worship of God
- Demons, Persecutions, and the Martyrs
- Porphyry on the Principles and the Purification of the Soul
- Christ the True Mediator and the True Principle of our Purification
- Psalm 73 and the True Good
- Porphyry on the Angels and the Theurgic Arts
- Porphyry’s Failure to Recognize the Truth: Pride and Humility
- Corrections of Plato
- The Soul Has not Always Existed
- The Universal Way of the Soul’s Liberation

In this magnificent chapter, Augustine takes us from what is true happiness, that is being united with God in love, through how the pagans and Platonists (through the philosopher, Porphyry) have misunderstood union with God and individual purity which brings us to God, and that the true source of are not demons, who are working against that union, but Christ by His incarnation and sacrifice. This was a super chapter that put the entire Part 1 into context. In Book X’s closing paragraph, Augustine summarizes what he was trying to do in Part 1 and projects what he will do in Part 2.

In these ten books, then, even if less fully than a few people expected of us, we have satisfied the desires of some, so far as the true God and Lord has deigned to give us his help, by refuting the objections of the ungodly, who prefer their own gods to the founder of the holy city which we have undertaken to discuss. Of these ten books, the first five were written against those who suppose that the gods are to be worshiped for the sake of the goods of this life, and the last five against those who hold that the worship of the gods should be maintained for the sake of the life to come after death. Next, as we promised in the first book, I shall set forth, so far as I am aided by God, what I judge should be said about the origin, the course, and the due ends of the two cities, which are, as we have said, deeply interwoven and mixed together in this world.

So Augustine ends Part 1 by rejecting the pagan notion of sacrifice as a means of obtaining happiness and showing how it is a dead end while Christianity the true sacrifice was obtained by Christ the real mediator with God so that our souls can ultimately reach beatific union. One can see how then it all fits together.

St. Augustine is addressing Platonists or “scholars of Plato” as he calls them and Porphyry (c. 232-303) in particular. [Porphyry lived in times of Dioclecian and Maximian (284-305) last and most severe persecution of Christians.] He questions why they refuse to accept Christ “Why is it that you refuse to be Christians, on the ground that you hold opinions which, in fact, you yourselves demolish? Is it not because Christ came in lowliness, and ye are proud?” (p. 326-7) The vice of the proud, he tells them is to be afraid to be corrected. The Platonists failed to recognize that God loves the world and he would descend down to the world.

God sacrificed Himself to redeem man for rebellion against Himself. St. Augustine discusses what sacrifice is early in Book X. A change of heart is the main feature of St. Augustine’s “misericordia.” This is different from the Stoic view. They did not allow the world to move them. Pride is the correct way for St. Augustine to describe this attitude. Christ had compassion for the world.

We can follow Christ’s example by compassion and caring for our neighbor. All we do for our neighbor must be for God’s sake. St Augustine concludes Book X reasoning that Christians are the best philosophers and proper philosophy in religion leads to Christianity.

I'll try to highlight something from Book X this week Galicius. Coming to the end of Part 1 now, I have to say I am enjoying this read. I can now understand the organization of City of God, and it makes sense. I am also enjoying Augustine's writing style. Certainly his The Confessions of St. Augustine is more engaging since it's a biography, but City of God is quite engaging too for a philosophic work. I was trying to compare the writing style of Augustine to Thomas Aquinas, and Augustine is superior. Augustine is much more engaging, though I think Thomas might be the better philosopher. I don't exactly know how Augustine does it, but he has a writing voice that enters your thinking process, enters the reader's soul. He kind of makes his way into one's brain. Anyway, I am really enjoying this read.

From Manny: " I don't exactly know how Augustine does it, but he has a writing voice that enters your thinking process, enters the reader's soul. He kind of makes his way into one's brain." I agree!
Like many writers who were writing out of an earlier place and time, their writing style takes some getting used to before you can enter into their way of thinking. One of the pleasant surprises for me in my (admittedly spotty and sketchy at times) reading, is Augustine's sense of humor. That, for me at least, keeps me engaged. His thinking is definitely timeless. Many of the heresies he attacks here go by other names in our day, I think...