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Great, concise introduction to the thought of a giant in the history of Christianity.
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Very Short Introductions #038
Augustine: A Very Short Introduction
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Augustine was arguably the greatest early Christian philosopher. His teachings had a profound effect on Medieval scholarship, Renaissance humanism, and the religious controversies of both the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation. Here, Henry Chadwick places Augustine in his philosophical and religious context and traces the history of his influence on Western thought, both within and beyond the Christian tradition. A handy account to one of the greatest religious thinkers, this Very Short Introduction is both a useful guide for the one who seeks to know Augustine and a fine companion for the one who wishes to know him better.
About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.
About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1,1986
This edition
- Format
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144 pages, Paperback
- Published
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June 7, 2001 by Oxford University Press
- ISBN
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9780192854520
- ASIN
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0192854526
- Language
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English
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Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 77 votes)
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Despite saying at the start that the book would eschew much biographical coverage of Augustine, there was sufficient for me! Especially for someone who lived over 1,500 years ago. And the biography is important, because most life events seemed to have a significant influence on Augustine's thinking and writing at the time. The book makde very clear to me that Augustine relied heavily on the Greeks philosophers and Roman writers, as much as anything in the Bible.
Quite a tough read, nevertheless, and a somewhat bigger book might have alievated the feelins of indequacy I felt when faced with Plotinus et al.
But has renewed an interest in tackling Diarmaid MacCulloch's 'Christianity: the First Three Thousand Years'.
Quite a tough read, nevertheless, and a somewhat bigger book might have alievated the feelins of indequacy I felt when faced with Plotinus et al.
But has renewed an interest in tackling Diarmaid MacCulloch's 'Christianity: the First Three Thousand Years'.
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أفكار القديس أوغسطينوس عن أنسنة الحروب تشابه اتفاقيات جنيف الأربعة التي صدرت سنة 1949 م.
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Omitting most of Augustine's biography the summary of his ideas manages to provide a lucid introduction to very complex and evolving ideas. While many will find this book too schematic, I thought that it provided a good framework for further reading.
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This is a very short and small book. I'm not familiar with Augustine but seems like this is a good introduction to know about him. And even though this book is very short, but it's dense and technical so it can at times be quite challenging to process and understand what the author is saying. The author also prefer to use a more academic and technical choice of words which makes it even harder for the average reader. But overall I think this is a good book to begin for those who want to know more about Augustine.
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Chapter 1: The formation of Augustine's mind: Cicero, Mani, Plato, Christ
Chapter 2: Liberal arts
Chapter 3: Free choice
Chapter 4: A philosophical society
Chapter 5: Vocation
Chapter 6: Confessions
Chapter 7: Unity and division
Chapter 8: Creation and the Trinity
Chapter 9: City of God
Chapter 10: Nature and grace
Chapter 2: Liberal arts
Chapter 3: Free choice
Chapter 4: A philosophical society
Chapter 5: Vocation
Chapter 6: Confessions
Chapter 7: Unity and division
Chapter 8: Creation and the Trinity
Chapter 9: City of God
Chapter 10: Nature and grace
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This is a great companion for those who are studying Saint Augustine's works. While the bare facts of Augustine's life are well known, his religious and intellectual interests pre-conversion are less so. Yet making sense of Augustine's writings and spiritual trajectory arguably requires at least some knowlege of the Neoplatonist ideas that he engaged with and wrote about prior to becoming a Christian. It's equally important to have an idea of the controversies within Catholicism at the time Augustine was a bishop to understand some of his theological positions. Chadwick provides all of this context with great clarity, and this book has a comprehensive bibliography for those who wish to follow up on any particular points.
In addition, this book provides a sense of just how far-reaching Augustine's influence has been throughout the centuries, not only on the level of Christianity, but also across various academic disciplines to this day. He really was a brilliant intellectual and prolific writer. Upon reading this, it became apparent that Augustine had anticipated some trends in philosophy that were presented as 'new' to me back in the '90s as being 'post-Christian', such as post-structuralism. Highly recommended.
In addition, this book provides a sense of just how far-reaching Augustine's influence has been throughout the centuries, not only on the level of Christianity, but also across various academic disciplines to this day. He really was a brilliant intellectual and prolific writer. Upon reading this, it became apparent that Augustine had anticipated some trends in philosophy that were presented as 'new' to me back in the '90s as being 'post-Christian', such as post-structuralism. Highly recommended.
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This is a phenomenal overview of Augustine's thought and an introduction that will definitely inspire further reading of and about Augustine. An easy read as well.
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