Classic Book of the Month: City of God

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Tuesday, November 1st. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Mary Reichard.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. Coming next on The World and Everything in It: Classic Book of the Month for November.

Some classic books admittedly aren’t a lot of fun. That doesn’t mean they’re a waste of time, like this one. Here’s WORLD’s Emily Whitten.

EMILY WHITTEN, REVIEWER: Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote our Classic Book of the Month back in the 5th century. He begins this way in the audiobook version read by Mark Meadows.

CLIP: The glorious city of God is my theme in this work which you, my son, Marcellinus, suggested….

Originally written in Latin, Augustine composed The City of God over about twelve years near the end of his life. So, it reflects a lifetime of study by one of Christianity’s greatest theologians.

It also reflects the challenges of his time. When barbarians sacked Rome, some claimed it was because Romans had rejected the pagan gods. Augustine answers that charge in The City of God, pointing to Rome’s sin and God’s sovereign rule as the true reasons for Rome’s loss. In this audiobook clip, he also reminds readers that Christ’s power can be seen another way—the attacking Visigoths often spared Romans who took refuge in Christian churches.

CLIP: The cruelties which occurred in the sack of Rome were in accordance with the custom of war, whereas the acts of clemency resulted from the influence of Christ’s name...

Classical educator Clint Lum says Augustine can help us understand the cultural and political conflict of our day. For one thing, Augustine argues that such conflict flows naturally from the clash of two cities all around us—the heavenly city and the earthly city. Here’s Lum reading a passage on this point.

LUM: What we see then is that two societies have issued from two kinds of love. Worldly society has flowered from a selfish love which dares to despise even God. Whereas the communion of saints is rooted in a love of God that is ready to trample on self.

Lum says these two cities aren’t always easy for us to recognize.

LUM: They are commingled, and in fact in each individual, though we might have our citizenship in the city of God, we, to varying degrees, are still very much under the influence of the earthly city.

Augustine saw the influence of both cities in his own life. Raised by a pagan father and a Christian mother, Augustine rejected Christ as a young adult. But pursuing his career for his own benefit proved unfulfilling.

LUM: But he gave up, I mean, what would have been a life like Cicero or like these great Roman figures.

After his conversion, Augustine wanted to lead a quiet life in North Africa, but he was dragged into church leadership by Christians who believed the church needed his gifts. The work took painful self-discipline.

LUM: Some of those passages and confessions he writes, like, he's in the midst of dying all the time.

In terms of its subject matter, The City of God can be broken into several sections. Early on, Augustine looks at the Roman gods. He shows that they never have and never will provide happiness—either earthly or eternal. Lum explains what follows.

LUM: Part three, he's going to ask similar questions, but of Christianity. So what is the true source of happiness? And he's gonna go to Genesis one. Let's start at the beginning. And then from there, he's going to march his way forward to his present day. And then from there, he's going to march his way forward all the way into the eschaton...

Augustine echoes the teachings of Scripture, presenting history as ruled by the God of the Bible. Ultimately, those who embrace Christ through faith will find a joyful end.

LUM: On that day, we shall rest and see, see, and love, love and praise for this is to be the end without the end of all our living–that kingdom without end, the real goal of our present life.

Our Classic Book of the Month, The City of God by Augustine, isn’t a quick or easy read. An unabridged version may run more than 1,000 pages. Lum recommends starting with an abridged version like the one published by Image Classics. He also recommends using a reading guide and online lectures to sharpen your study. I’ve found the 2019 Youtube lecture by Graham H. Walker helpful on that point.

Lum says Augustine is a difficult thinker, but he can help us live wisely and faithfully.

LUM: This is a wonderful heirloom that we have as Christians, and we should take hold of it with pride.

I’m Emily Whitten.

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