Augustine: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 144 pages
• Published by: Oxford University Press, USA June 7, 2001
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0192854526
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0192854520
• Book Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 0.6 inches
• Weighs: 4.2 ounces

Product Review

"The ten chapters of this volume discuss Augustine's views of free choice, vocation, creation, and other societal questions, while it also reveals biographical facts of the sage's life."--Worship and Arts
"The book is a marvel of comprehension achieved without a loss of clarity. As a connected account of Augustine, the thinker, it will doubtless stand as among the most popular which now exist."--International Philosophical Quarterly
"I do not know of any other summary of the mind of Augustine which serves the reader so well."--History: Reviews of New Books
"The best brief introduction to Augustine's context and thought for the beginning undergraduate. great for history, philosophy, and religion courses--clear, elegant, thorough."--Robert I. Burns, University of California, Los Angeles
"All the main thought elements of Augustine set in the attracively told narrative of a fascinating life."--John J. Glanville, San Francisco State University


Product Description
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.

Reader Reviews
Firstly, it should be noted that this book is not 895 pages! It is, in actuality, 144 pages - and it is a detailed 144 pages, too. This is actually the first book I ever read that got me interested in the thought of the early Church Fathers and it is a great introduction to St. Augustine. (The entire series is great, actually.) Although this book is only a sketch, it provides some really helpful information when it comes to issues such as the Pelagian controversy and Augustine's views on Original Sin. It is interesting to note that although Augustine is held in such high regard by many today, his own ideas were sometimes reviled and considered heretical in his own time. Of course, it is also worth noting that Augustine's ideas are oftentimes completely misunderstood today; people sometimes force later developments onto Augustine. Due to his continuing controversy - and the man is one of the more controversial orthodox thinkers in the history of the Christian Church - this book is worth reading. For those interested in further reading, the suggested readings in the back are a great place to start (I myself just picked up Peter Brown's autobiography on Augustine). For those who have no desire to become scholars on Augustine, however, this "very short introduction" is a very fine introduction as well. It is a great place to start.