Book description
St Augustine, bishop of Hippo, was one of the central figures in the
history of Christianity, and City of God is one of his greatest
theological works. Written as an eloquent defence of the faith at a time
when the Roman Empire was on the brink of collapse, it examines the
ancient pagan religions of Rome, the arguments of the Greek philosophers
and the revelations of the Bible. Pointing the way forward to a
citizenship that transcends the best political experiences of the world
and offers citizenship that will last for eternity, City of God is one
of the most influential documents in the development of Christianity.
St Augustine of Hippo was the great Doctor of the Latin Church. Born
in North Africa in AD 354, he was brought up as a Christian and at 16
went to Carthage to finish his education. Until 387, Augustine
followed the Manichean religion and founded his own school of rhetoric
in Rome. After his baptism, he returned to Africa and lived in the
community he formed there until his death in 430. His written output
there includes Confessions and City of God, among over 113 books.
Henry Bettenson (1908-1979) (translator) was educated at Bristol
University and Oriel College, Oxford. He taught Classics for 25 years
at Charterhouse 'Documents of the Christian Church' and 'Early
Christian Fathers'.
Dr Gill Evans (introducer) teaches medieval intellectual history,
medieval theology and ecumenical theology in the Faculty of History at
Cambridge. She has published widely in this area.
