Catholic Thought discussion

Summary

Subchapters
- The Prophetic Significance of Noah and His Sons
- The Generations of the Sons of Noah
- The Tower of Confusion and the Diversity of Human Languages
- Are Monstrous Races Descended from Noah and thus from Adam?
- The Line of Descent from Shem
- The City of God among the Peoples of Earth
- Heber and the Hebrew Language
- Peleg, Nimrod, and the Number of Peoples
- A Turning Point: Abraham Abraham’s Departure from Haran
- The First of God’s Promises to Abraham
- The Second Promise to Abraham
- The Third Promise to Abraham
- Abraham’s Vision at Mamre
- Abraham’s Sons: the Birth of Ishmael and the Promise of Isaac
- God’s Appearance to Abraham at Mamre
- The Birth and the Sacrifice of Isaac Abraham’s Marriage to Keturah
- The Twins Born to Isaac
- God’s Promise to Isaac
- The Blessing of Jacob
- Jacob and Joseph
- From Moses to David


In Book XVI, Augustine continues through the Book of Genesis to point out the two cities and the people who were at the heart of both cities. Augustine points out that after the flood, Noah’s sons would fill the two cities, Shem the City of God while Ham the City of Man. Augustine spends some time describing how from the three sons of Noah the earth was repopulated through several generations. He also spends some time how from these generations the multi-language world developed, that from the City of Man a confusion of languages filled the earth, so that God scattered men from a tower the sons of man across the earth. Augustine clearly states that there was never a time that people from both cities did not exist. But it is with Abraham that the City of God will be manifested. Augustine walks us through Abram’s relationship with God and the blessing of being given Isaac, though he and Sarah were well past child bearing age. He shows us how Abraham’s other sons, from other women, were to be part of the City of Man. Isaac, however, would maintain the City of God, and Isaac’s progeny, Jacob, and Jacob’s son, Joseph, would continue the City of God. Augustine then concludes the Book with projecting Moses through David as linked with the City of God.

Book XVI concludes this segment of the recurring read. There is one more segment left, Books XVII through XXII. I must admit the Books are getting longer as we go along. It's getting harder to complete one in a week. But they are more fascinating I think.

I'm reading his The Confessions of Saint Augustine right now.

Michelle wrote: "I'm reading his The Confessions of Saint Augustine right now."

Oh that's wonderful Michelle. It's a great read. Except for the last three chapters, which went over my head. I think we have it in our Catholic Thought archives. I believe we had it as a group read once. You might want to check out our comments and summaries.

Yes, I will!

Michelle. The Sacred and Profane Love podcast by Jennifer Frey, a Catholic convert and philosophy, has been interviewing a leading scholar on Augustine's Confessions in her last two episodes. It will conclude with a third episode. You might get a lot out of hearing these episodes as you read Confessions. They take up the book in chapter order, so that is really helpful too. The first episode is #61, here:
https://sacredandprofanelove.com/podc...

Once you click that episode, the #62 should be readily available, and I assume the final episode will be coming out shortly.

Manny wrote: "Michelle. The Sacred and Profane Love podcast by Jennifer Frey, a Catholic convert and philosophy, has been interviewing a leading scholar on Augustine's Confessions in her last two episodes. It wi..."

That is excellent, Manny- thank you!