Writings of Saint Augustine
Books in this Series (8)
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The Confessions: A Modern Translation
Written as a prayer addressed to God, the Confessions recounts Augustine’s journey from youthful ambition and moral struggle through philosophical searching and finally to Christian faith. Along the way, Augustine reflects on memory, desire, sin, grace, and the restless human longing for truth. His story culminates in his conversion at Milan, yet the work reaches beyond autobiography into sustained theological reflection. The later books of the Confessions move beyond narrative to explore themes such as memory, time, and the interpretation of Genesis. These reflections reveal Augustine not only as a penitent believer, but as a profound biblical theologian whose thought would shape Christian doctrine for centuries. The work also provides essential context for Augustine’s later writings on grace, human will, and divine sovereignty.
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On the Trinity: de Trinitate
Written over many years, On the Trinity represents Augustine’s most sustained effort to articulate the Christian confession of one God in three persons. The early books focus on the biblical foundations of Trinitarian doctrine, examining key passages that address the unity and distinction of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit within the life and teaching of the Church. In the later books, Augustine turns to a series of analogies drawn from human experience, especially from the operations of the mind, memory, understanding, and love. These reflections are offered not as solutions to the mystery of God, but as disciplined ways of thinking that lead the reader toward greater theological depth and humility.
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The City of God, Volume One: The Refutation of Pagan Religion (Books 1–10)
Written in the aftermath of Rome’s fall, Augustine’s City of God confronts the charge that Christianity was responsible for the empire’s decline and exposes the theological emptiness of pagan religion. In the first ten books of The City of God, Augustine addresses one of the central accusations of his age: that the abandonment of the traditional gods had brought disaster upon Rome. With historical argument, theological reasoning, and sharp rhetorical skill, he demonstrates that Rome’s gods neither preserved the city from calamity nor provided moral transformation or true happiness to their worshipers.
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The City of God, Volume Two: The Origin, History, and Destiny of the Two Cities (Books 11–22)
In the second half of The City of God, Augustine moves beyond refutation to construct one of the most influential Christian interpretations of history ever written. Following his critique of pagan religion in the opening books, Augustine turns in Books 11–22 to a positive exposition of Christian doctrine. He traces the origin of the two cities—the City of God and the earthly city—to the beginning of creation, locating their division not in political structures but in the fundamental orientation of love toward God or toward self. Augustine develops this vision across the sweep of history. He reflects on the fall of angels and humans, the nature of death and sin, and the role of Christ as the true mediator. Sacred history is set alongside secular history, as the people of God move through time within, not apart from, the rise and fall of earthly powers.
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The Letters of Saint Augustine: A Modern Translation
Written over the course of several decades, Augustine’s letters address a remarkable range of theological, pastoral, and personal concerns. In them, Augustine responds to doctrinal controversies, offers spiritual counsel, adjudicates ecclesiastical disputes, and reflects on Scripture and Christian life. Together, the letters provide an unparalleled portrait of the church in late antiquity and of Augustine’s role within it. This volume presents a modernized revision of the English translation published in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers series. While the NPNF translation has long been valued for its accuracy, its nineteenth-century language and syntax can be difficult for modern readers. This revision updates vocabulary, clarifies sentence structure, and removes unnecessary archaisms, while remaining faithful to the content and theological precision of the original translation.
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Doctrinal and Moral Writings: The Enchiridion and Other Treatises
At the heart of this volume stands The Enchiridion, Augustine’s enduring handbook of Christian teaching, organized around the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. Written to provide a clear and compact guide to what Christians are to believe and how they are to live, it has shaped theological instruction for centuries. Several of the included treatises focus on the formation of new believers and the nature of belief itself. On the Catechising of the Uninstructed offers practical guidance on how to explain the faith with clarity and pastoral sensitivity. Treatise on Faith and the Creed and On the Creed: A Sermon to the Catechumens unfold the articles of the Creed as a framework for understanding the central claims of Christian confession. In Concerning Faith of Things Not Seen and On the Profit of Believing, Augustine reflects on trust, testimony, and authority, showing how faith and reason work together in the pursuit of truth.
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Anti-Manichaean Writings: Writings in connection with the Manichaean Controversy
These writings arise from Augustine’s long and personal involvement with Manichaeism, a movement he followed for years before his conversion to Catholic Christianity. As a result, his critique is shaped not only by formal theological argument, but also by an intimate knowledge of the system’s internal logic, moral claims, and intellectual appeal. Across these treatises, Augustine confronts the Manichaean vision of the world as a conflict between coeternal principles of light and darkness. He defends the unity and goodness of the Creator, the integrity of the material world, and the coherence of the biblical account of creation, while developing a sustained reflection on the nature of evil, human will, and moral responsibility.
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Anti-Donatist Writings: Writings in connection with the Donatist Controversy
This modernized edition brings together Augustine’s three anti-Donatist writings, presenting his most extended engagement with the Donatist controversy in clear, contemporary English for students, pastors, and readers of historical theology. The Donatist controversy arose in the aftermath of the Diocletianic persecutions and centered on the question of whether the moral failure of clergy invalidated the sacraments they administered. From this dispute emerged a lasting schism, with Donatist communities claiming to represent a pure church set apart from a compromised wider communion. Augustine’s response addresses these claims directly and at length.