St. Augustine's City of God and Christian Doctrine [A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church - Volume 2], new edition (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, September 2002), hardcover, 624 pages, English.
Augustine is said to be the greatest Christian thinker next to the Apostle Paul. Luther set the BIBLE and the CONFESSIONS OF SAINT AUGUSTINE above all other books.
"One of the classic texts of Western civilization [originally 22 volumes it explains the fall of Roman in terms of Scripture -- SK]. . . . DE CIVITATE DEI is an important contribution of interest to students of theology, philosophy, ecclesiastical history, the history of political thought, and late antiquity." -- Publisher's Annotation (from the Cambridge University Press edition)
"Augustine began writing THE CITY OF GOD at age 59 [shortly after the city of Rome had been sacked by the Goths in 410 A.D., much to the surprise, it is said, of both the Romans and the Goths. -- SK] and worked on it, off and on, for much of the next 14 years. The impetus for the beginning of this vast work (and its recurring focus) was the charge of Pagans (polytheists) that Christianity was responsible for the decay and demise of the Roman Empire. The charge put forward the claim that the prosperity and social stability of the state was dependent upon polytheistic worship. In response, Augustine arrays several lines of argument, rebutting the assumed 'goodness' of the Pagan state, as such, and detailing the ethical/moral and logical failings of Paganism. Augustine displays tremendous scholarship, employing the writings of Paganism's greatest historians and philosophers in his case against their religious claims. The result is a giant literary, philosophical, historical, theological and exegetical work. . . .
"Against the 'city', i.e., society, of many gods, there is but one alternate society, this Augustine calls The City of God, adopting the expression found in several of King David's psalms. Not only is the society of many gods the society of polytheists, it is also the 'city' of pantheists, atheistic materialists and philosophical Cynics. In the case of the Cynics and atheists, these false gods are the myriad gods of self, indeed, at least as many gods (selves) as there are believers in them. Thus there are two 'cities,' two loves, two ways to understand the big questions of existence, two destinations. Says Augustine:
"The one City began with the love of God; the other had its beginnings in the love of self." XIV:13.
"The city of man seeks the praise of men, whereas the height of glory for the other is to hear God in the witness of conscience. The one lifts up its head in its own boasting; the other says to God: 'Thou art my glory, thou liftest up my head.' (Psalm 3.4) In the city of the world both the rulers themselves and the people they dominate are dominated by the lust for domination; whereas in the City of God all citizens serve one another in charity. . ." XIV:28-- Wesley L. Janssen, Reader's Comment
"Augustine reflects deeply here on human nature and the meaning of eternal life and eternal punishment, within an explication of the 'meaning' of history. He writes of all human history as a single narrative. This also a work of Biblical exegesis, as Augustine treats Scripture as a historical document. For Augustine, creation is good, creation exists in time and has a history. Indeed, since God enters into history to show man His love, history itself is sanctified, through the City of God.
"The book contains the parallel histories of what Augustine terms the City of God and the City of Man, both descended from Adam. The City of Man is founded on murder (specifically fratricide, the murder of a brother, viz. Cain and Abel, Romulus and Remus). The City of Man has been deceived and debased, fallen under the sway of pagan gods, which appear to be either demons or, at best indifferent or benign spirits that are mistakenly worshipped. The City of God, on the other hand, is a pilgrim on this earth, toiling here in the joyous expectation of final salvation in God's Kingdom." -- Penn Jacobs, Reader's Comment
"His 'grand unifying theory' of Western civilization, uniting the organization of Rome with the thought of Greece and the revelation of the Bible, has been accepted as the de facto definition of what it means to be Western until only the very last few decades of our time. . . .
"This seamless blend of literary prowess from Rome's greatest scholar and highest ranking professor generates for the reader a powerful education in philosophy, history and theology, tied together with awesome rhetoric, that is uniquely powerful, erudite, insightful and useful all at once.
"From a historical and literary perspective, this may have been the very most important book ever written by reputedly human hands. ["Calvin paraphrased Augustine about 400 times in THE INSTITUTES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION." -- C. Gregg Singer]
"As it is written for the leaders of society and not for the average citizen, be ready to be intrigued, challenged to thought, and impressed with every line.
"By no means must the reader have any kind of religious belief to benefit from this book, nor must the reader agree with all that Augustine postulates, nor can the reader, due to the great distance of time separating him from us and improvements in scientific knowledge since his time. The importance, greatness and power of the writing itself commend it to us." -- Chris Miller, Reader's Comment
"One who has been introduced to Augustine through his auto-biographical CONFESSIONS may find it easier to follow his logic as he discusses the numerous topics of THE CITY OF GOD." -- Reader's Comment
"It would do the modern Church well to read this book since Augustine places the City of God (i.e., Christ and His Church) within the context of the pagan world in which we live, and its message is as applicable today as it was 1,500 years ago when he first wrote it." -- Reader's Comment
"History and theology in one rich volume." -- Reader's Comment
St. Augustine's final sentence of THE CITY OF GOD is "All things must be referred to the Glory of God."
"When you see that, then you will see the key to the story, and you will see the key to history." -- C. Gregg Singer
"The classic exposition of history in terms of Scripture." -- C. Gregg Singer
City of God, Saint Augustine, Philip Schaff (editor), Rev. Marcus Dods, D.D. (translator)

http://www.ccel.org/fathers/NPNF1-02/
The Confessions of Saint Augustine
"The story of his sinful pursuits before conversion, and of his conversion, then of his confession to God, and his discoveries of the greatness of God after his conversion." -- Publisher's Annotation.

http://www.ccel.org/a/augustine/confessions/confessions.html
The Works of Saint Augustine

http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jod/augustine.html
The Comprehensive John Calvin Collection (CD-ROM) (Contains some works of Augustine.)

http://www.ageslibrary.com
The Comprehensive John Calvin Collection CD-ROM in Logos Library System (LLS) format

http://www.logosbiblesoftware.com/logosbiblesoftware/calcom.html
The Classical View of History (Augustine)
Dr. C. Gregg Singer, "The Christian View of History," lecture series.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=7150273140
Church History #09: Augustine #1
Dr. C. Gregg Singer, "Church History" lecture series.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=41504163949
Church History #10: Augustine #2
Dr. C. Gregg Singer, "Church History" lecture series.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=41504164048
Church History #11: Augustine #3
Dr. C. Gregg Singer, "Church History" lecture series.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=41504164152 ( )