Augustine: A Very Short Introduction by Henry Chadwick

Augustine: A Very Short Introduction Reviews

• 
  Ahmad Sharabiani

  Augustine: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions #38), Henry Chadwick
  
  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.
  
  تاریخ خوانش روز دوم ماه جولای سال 2016 میلادی
  
  آگوستین معروف به «آگوستین قدیس» از تأثیرگذارترین فیلسوفان، و اندیشمندان مسیحیت، در دوران باستان و سده های چهارم و پنجم میلادی به شمار می‌آیند؛ ایشان از شکل دهندگان سنت مسیحی غربی (کاتولیک و پروتستان) هستند. در باب فلسفه ی تاریخ، و سیاست، «آگوستین» به جهان، به شکل ثنوی یا «مانوی» نگاه می‌کنند. فلسفه ی تاریخ ایشان در کتاب «در باب شهر خدا» یافت می‌شود. آگوستین ملت‌ها را در طول تاریخ، به دو قطب شهر خدا، و شهر دنیا، تقسیم‌ بندی می‌کنند؛ مردم شهر خدا کسانی هستند که مرکزیت آن‌ها همان «اورشلیم»، یعنی زادگاه «عیسی مسیح» است. اینان مردمی خدایی هستند که به توحید باور دارند، و به خداوند عشق می‌ورزند. نقطه ی مقابل این شهر، شهر دنیا قرار دارد، که مرکزیت آن‌ها شهر «بابل» است، و این امر به خاطر فساد، و فحشایی که در «بابل» آن روزگار رایج بوده‌، می‌باشد. مردم شهر دنیا، انسان‌های مغرور و متکبری هستند، و دین آنان ادیان چند خدایی، یعنی مشرک هستند. نکته جالب توجه در نظریات آگوستین در این باره این امر است که ایشان باور داشتند که افرادی هستند که به ظاهر در شهر دنیا هستند، ولی در واقع در شهر خدا زندگی میکنند و همچنین عکس آن یعنی مردمی هستند که به ظاهر در شهر خدا هستند ولی در باطن در شهر دنیا می‌باشند. این امر دیدگاه شمول گرایانه آگوستین به مسیحیت را نشان می‌دهد، که از پایه‌ های شکل‌گیری نظریه پلورالیسم دینی «جان هیک» در دوران کنونی است. در واقع در اینجا «آگوستین» صرف انجام اعمال ظاهری را، مبتنی بر پذیرش مسیحیت نمی‌دانند، بلکه آنچه اهمیت دار�� باطن، و نیت اعمال است، که برای عشق به خداوند صورت گیرد. همچنین این افراد شهر دنیا و شهر خدا، در روز قیامت از یکدیگر جدا می‌گردند، و در قیامت است که مشخص می‌شود که کدام یک اهل شهر دنیا و کدام اهل شهر خدا هستند. این نظریات از این حیث در مقوله فلسفه تاریخ می‌گنجد، که در واقع «آگوستین» اقوام کل تاریخ را به دو قسمت تقسیم‌ بندی می‌کنند، یعنی به اقوام عالم از دیدی تاریخی می‌نگرند، و همچنین به خاطر اینکه مسیحیت حاضر نتیجه گناه تاریخی است که از آدم تا حالا به افراد رسیده‌ است. در مقوله ی فلسفه سیاست قرار می‌گیرد، به این خاطر که اقوام و ملت‌های جهان را، با ذکر نام شهر به عنوان مرکزیت این اقوام، در دو قسمت شهر دنیا و شهر خدا تقسیم‌ بندی می‌کنند. ا. شربیانی
• 
  Christopher

  Reading this book has indeed given a very short introduction to Augustine's thought, major works and context out of which he was working, as well as some biographical detail.
  
  Notable for me has been learning that some of the major influences on Augustine's thought were:
  - Cicero's 'Hortensius';
  - Neo-platonic writings of Plotinus & Porphyry
  - Manicheism and Donatism
  
  Regarding OUP's series 'A Very Short Introduction to ... ', I have mixed feelings.
  - On the surface they seem very attractive, being almost pocket-sized, and do seem to give good coverage to their respective themes. However, once opened, the text runs pretty much from edge to edge of the page, with no room for making any notes. The second thing that irritates is that to my taste the texts are just a bit too condensed. I've read some of the Routledge Critical Thinkers series, and find these to be more useful. Not only do they give a more in depth presentation / analysis of the work at stake, but the pointers for further study are more informative.
  
  That said, I might still buy the occasional one in the future, but would try to see it in the flesh first, just to make sure it's worth the bother.
• 
  Daniel Wright

  Chapter 1: The formation of Augustine's mind: Cicero, Mani, Plato, Christ
  Chapter 2: Liberal arts
  Chapter 3: Free choice
  Chapter 4: A philosophical society
  Chapter 5: Vocation
  Chapter 6: Confessions
  Chapter 7: Unity and division
  Chapter 8: Creation and the Trinity
  Chapter 9: City of God
  Chapter 10: Nature and grace
• 
  Illiterate

  A reasonable chronological description of Augustine’s ideas. Chadwick adds little, rarely discussing even links among the ideas.
• 
  Ian Clary

  Based on lectures Chadwick gave in Toronto and Oxford, this is a short book that introduces readers to major themes in Augustine of Hippo's thought. As a broad survey, it is very clearly written and easy to understand. Chadwick is a master of early Christian studies and knows Augustine very well, and it is obvious when you read this book. If someone has read a biography of Augustine (Chadwick's would be a good place to start), this would make for a great second step to get at his theology and philosophy. Chadwick focuses on topics like Augustine and the life of the mind, the freedom of the will (he addresses it again with Pelagianism), the Confessions, Christian unity (per Donatism), creation and Trinity (per Manichaeism), etc. Chadwick also pays much attention to the role that Neoplatonism played in Augustine's overall thought.
  I'd highly recommend reading this.
• 
  Darren Lee

  This is a very short and small book. I'm not familiar with Augustine but seems like this is a good introduction to know about him. And even though this book is very short, but it's dense and technical so it can at times be quite challenging to process and understand what the author is saying. The author also prefer to use a more academic and technical choice of words which makes it even harder for the average reader. But overall I think this is a good book to begin for those who want to know more about Augustine.
• 
  Elia Mantovani

  This book offers good tips to depict properly the main features of Augustinism, the style is plain and most of the times very easy going. Nonetheless, this Introduction is not to be considered as a text available for every student devoid of any ground in the fields of Patristic theories, Paleo-Christian history and even knowledge of the intellectual context of Augustine. Moreover, some parts are too redundant and others are excessively technical (e.g. the argument of the Neoplatonic heritage, the one about the controversy around sexuality with the Pelagians). In short, have some other readings before this and use this book to enhance your knowledge of the topic.
• 
  Wade Luce

  Accomplished what it set out to do. Lots of punchy and concise summaries of Augustines philosophy and theology
• 
  Taylor Rollo

  This is definitely a short introduction, with emphasis on the word short. However to try to do it and less than 200 pages is always going to be short, too short. But my biggest problem with this book is how Chadwick places considerable emphasis on Augustine's borrowing from platonic thought, as if Plato, Plotinus, and Porphory were his highest authority. He places so much emphasis on that and so little emphasis on the Bible's influence on Augustine, that he essentially makes him out to be a platonic philosopher with a Christian twist.
  
  That is not a fair a reading of Augustine. Certainly Augustine was affected by platonic thought, just like all of us are affected by the philosophical presuppositions of our cultural time and place. But it would be more accurate to say that platonic thought gave Augustine categories of thought and ways of thinking that he then filled with Biblical data. Yes, he was affected by Plato but not to the point of being a platonic philosopher with a Christian twist. His authority was always the scriptures, and his thought process was often platonic with scripture as his guide. That does mean that he had some errors because of his platonic categories, but that does not mean he was mostly controlled by them.
  
  In no other place is this more clear than in his last chapter. Chadwick makes it seem like Augustine's view on the doctrine of grace was mostly platonic and polemic instead of being based on scripture. It is true that Augustine worked out the details of this doctrine in his controversy with Pelagius, but that does not mean that it was not wholly scriptural. Augustine did not build this doctrine off a few scant texts as Chadwick makes it sound. Chadwick also makes it sound the doctrines of grace as formulated by Augustine have been a hiccup in just a few periods in history, instead of the dominant view of the early church, the Reformation, and beyond the Reformation, at least until modern times where American individualism has overridden biblical thought.
  
  So overall I do not think this is a very good introduction to augustinian thought. If I were you I would not waste my time on it. Plus, as many people have commented, Chadwick writes in such a way that if you do not know platonic philosophy already before you read this book, you will not be able to understand much of what he is saying.
• 
  Bill Fornes

  I think I needed a stronger background in philosophy to get something out of this work.
• 
  Peter Bradley

  Please give my Amazon review a helpful vote -
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-re...
  
  Augustine: A Very Short Introduction by Henry Chadwick
  
  Henry Chadwick's book lives up to its subtitle. It is a short and effective survey of the life and thinking of one of the seminal thinkers of Western civilization. Chadwick structures his survey by looking at topics such as free will, grace, Creation, and the Trinity. Chadwick intersperses these chapters with biographical chapters on Augustine's approach to vocations and a chapter on The City of God.
  
  Chadwick begins by explores Augustine's intellectual influences, including Manichianism, Cicero and Neoplatonism. This chapter was particularly useful because Chadwick offers a lucid and comprehensible explanation of the ideas of Neoplatonism. For example, Chadwick explains:
  
  "This way of thinking of causative emanation in the great chain of being enabled Plotinus to achieve several things at once. On the one hand it solved the problem of how to keep the transcendent One and the world from losing all relation to each other, without the Absolute ceasing to be Absolute, and without the world logically dropping out of existence altogether. It expressed a kind of redemption by ‘conversion’ to the source of being. On the other hand, it alleviated a problem which caused acute mental gymnastics for all Platonists, namely answering the question how evil could ever have entered into the continuum of things, when that was an overflow of supreme goodness and power.
  Plotinus taught that at the apex of the hierarchy are three divine existences: the One, Mind, and Soul. The One is supremely Good, and therefore all lower levels of the hierarchy below the One must be also distinct from the Good; in short, less than perfectly good. Even Mind has some inferiority about it, some delusions about its own grandeur. Soul, still further down the scale, has the power to produce matter. Matter, being at the opposite extremity of the hierarchy from the good One, is in cosmic terms utter evil, formless non-being."
  
  These are ideas that interface with classical Christian theology. How does a perfect God create an imperfect world? How does a perfect, infinite and transcendent God enter into a finite and changing creation? Augustine viewed Platonism as the philosophy closest to Christianity, so he had to deal with these issues.
  
  Because I am currently reading The City of God, I found Chadwick's chapter on Augustine's great work to be particularly useful. For example, Chadwick advises:
  
  "The title came from the Psalter, and was chosen to offer a conscious contrast to the Republics of Plato and Cicero, with whom parts of the work were a running combat."
  
  Bazinga! I immediately started to read references to Plato and Cicero as oppositional points to the arguments that Augustine was making, rather than Augustine supporting those writers.
  
  Significantly, Chadwick splices autobiographical details into his discussion of The City of God. For example, he writes:
  
  "In regard to justice, the city of God had an obvious bias to the poor. Augustine noticed that the most vocal defenders of paganism were in general defenders of the old social order in which the poor fawned on the rich, and the rich exploited their dependent clients (CD 2.20). He realized how inadequate was private almsgiving and the Church chest with its register of paupers daily fed from the soup kitchen. The dimensions of destitution were too great to be met except by redistributive taxation (CD 5.17)."
  
  And:
  
  "The domination of one man over another may be abused, but it is the lesser of two evils where the alternative is anarchy and every man for himself. Augustine hated the slave trade. Whenever feasible, he used the church chest to emancipate slaves oppressed in bad households. On one occasion his people took direct action to liberate slaves from a ship in Hippo harbour, and the chest was used to reimburse the aggrieved owners. It was hard to stop destitute parents selling their children. Augustine was once nonplussed by a reasonably well-to-do tenant farmer who sold his wife and, when Augustine expostulated, declared that he preferred the money. Yet slavery was not an unmitigated evil when slaves in good homes were better clothed, fed, and housed than the free wage labourers who were the great majority of the labour force.'
  
  These are fascinating insights that bring Augustine, the man and author to life, and make his theological writings more relevant to the modern reader.
  
  I recommend this as an excellent source of information for anyone interested in learning more about Augustine's life and thoughts.
• 
  Clif

  Henry Chadwick in this excellent work avoids going into the biography of Augustine, sticking to his philosophy and how the mind of Augustine developed over his lifetime. The man was far more open minded even into old age than one might assume about a person completely dedicated to religion and was genuinely dedicated to finding the proper way to think about things for which there was, and still is, no clear evidence as we moderns understand it.
  
  Those, like me, who put little value in discussion of whether the Father and the Son are one and the same, or the nature of the three-in-one, the detailed handling of Augustine's theology may hold little appeal, but Chadwick doesn't leave it out because of its profound impact on the Church. Augustine is the very rock upon which Catholic theology has been built. We are told of the influences on Augustine that educated his thinking. He was a man of his times who did not develop his philosophy in a vacuum.
  
  What interesting times they were in the 4th century. Discussion of the various Christian sects, the tensions between them and between Christians and the authorities at a time when pagan practices were still popular I found fascinating.
• 
  Jack Booth

  Great little introduction to the thought of Augustine. The focus is more on the thought of Augustine with minimal attention paid to the life and times of the Saint, as Chadwick himself explains on p1. Throughout heavy focus is made on Augustine the Neoplatonic philosopher, with reference to his influences of Plotinus and Porphyry.
  
  Chadwick structures the book chronologically, developing along with Augustine's life and the successive works he wrote. Thus a good overview of the works of Augustine is given. Constant reference is also made to the major works of Augustine throughout - Confessions, City of God, the Trinity and his Sermons and Commentary on the Psalms - showing the continuity of his thought.
  
  However, the fact that Chadwick is an Anglican does come to the surface at some points in my opinion, otherwise it seems quite ecumenical.
  
  Overall a great little overview of Augustine's thought and works which should be a great key to knowing where to start reading Augustine's huge corpus.
• 
  أحمد لطفي

  الكتاب على تناوله السيرة الفكرية لواحد من أهم مُفكرّي المسيحية، إلّا أنه بدا جامع تاريخي وفكري وفلسفسي للعصر المذكور
  --
  قرأت تعليقًا على الكتاب يقول بحاجة القارئ إلى خلفية فلسفية خاصةً فلسفة أفلاطون، وهذا بلا شك واجب
  --
  أكبر فائدة من اكاتب كانت "كيف تطورت العقيدة المسيحية حتى أصبحت بشكلها الحالي" ومن أغرب النتائج المستنتجة إنها عقيدة جزء كبير منهل = فلسفي..
  --
  كثير منّا كمسلمين، يرتبط بعقلنا مفهوم "الآب" بالله الخالق ، و"الإبن" بسيدنا عيسى "البشري" وروح القدس الذي يساوي عندنا سيدنا جبريل، ولذا فنحن نفهم العقيدة المسيحية بالإعتماد على الخلفية المعلوماتية المتخيلة وهذا خاطئ، لأن الثالوث يعني عندهم غير ذلك إطلاقًا، الأمر يشبه -إلى حدٍ ما أن أقول لك، أنت روح وجسد وإرادة، هذا ثالوث، لكنّه في النهاية شخصك الواحد!
  --
  هذا بالنسبة لي شيئًا مهما مع عدم اقتناعي به، وذا لأنّي -قبل اليوم- كنت أرى العقيدة المسيحية غير منطقية بالمرّة..
  --
  سأقرأ الكتاب مرّة أخرى يومًا ما!
• 
  Hussain

  الكتاب رغم صغر حجمه الا انه يقدم دراسة عميقة لحياة أوغسطينوس الذي عاش في الفرن الرابع ونشأته في شمال افريقيا (الجزائر وتونس) لقد علم نفسه بنفسة وكونه وثني اعتنق المناويا وبعد سن الرجولة ونتيجة لانتقاله للعيش في روما اعتنق المسيحية الكاثوليكية لينتقل من الوثنية الى التوحيد المسيحي
  كانت اشهر مؤلفاته الاعترافات وهي اول سيرة ذاتية كتبت في التاريخ ولازالت موجودة الى الان وكذلك كتب مدينة الله محاولا في هذا الكتاب توصيف الايمان بالله وهل يمكن لمن ولد من صلب ادم ان لا يحمل اثم خطيئة ادم وهل من الممكن النجاة بدون هداية الله نتيجة لقيام الشخص بالاعمال الحسنة ، كما ان الخطية بالنسبة اليه تتمثل في الجنس ممثلة في جسد المرأة التي اليها تعود الخطيئة
  الكتاب جميل والافكار التي تحدث عنها اوغسطينوس جديرة بالمراجعة حتى بعد مرور ١٥ قرن على وفاته
• 
  أسامة بوجبارة

  كتاب يشدك في كل صفحة إلى سيرة القديس أوغسطين ..
  
  يمثل هذا الرجل حلقة مهمة من الحلقات التاريخية والمهمة في الأديان الابراهيمية جميعًا وليس في المسيحية وحسب.
  
  فهو كان من أوائل الأشخاص الذين أدركوا اهمية الاشتباك مع الفلسفة اليونانية وحاولوا أن يقاربوا بين النتاج الفلسفي اليوناني بمشاربه الأفلاطونية والأرسطية مع الإيمان الديني .
  
  فضلًا عن ذلك كانت سيرة هذا الرجل تمثل سيرة النقاء في أبهى صورها .. لا أتحدث عن ذلك النقاء المزيف والتبتل المصطنع .. بل عن قديس لم يرد أن يكون قديسًا .
• 
  M. Ashraf

  A good very short introduction; but I had prior knowledge of Augustine works and life portrayed in the Story of Civilization; thus I do not think this added much to it. it was a good recap though.
  It is a very short book full of philosophical views and reference to the Confessions and for the City of God... adding them to the to-read list.
  
  
• 
  Nathan

  Very good, rather heady. Curious readers just wanting information on Augustine's thoughts on issues of current evangelical interest (Calvinism, creation, etc.) might find themselves thrown too much into the deep end of the pool. Chadwick expertly places Augustine in his own context rather than in ours. Very interesting discussion of the Donatists.
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  Igor

  Despite the title 'short', it is a dense introduction to a complex and proliferate writer, philosopher and theologian.
  
  Agreeing with him or not. It is impossible not to admire his effort and reasoning 1.600 years ago.
  
  For my purpose, it was wonderful.
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  Sara Amri

  كتاب رائع للتعريف بالقديس أوغسطينوس بداية من حياته المضطربة ما بين الإيمان و اللامبالاة ثم دخوله إلى المسيحية و بداية مشواره الديني إلى جانب تعلمه و دراساته مع كتاباته و آراءه حول عدة أمور سواء دينية أو تتعلق بالتاريخ و الفلسفة و مشاكل عصره
• 
  Heba books

  
  مقدمة قصيرة عن أوغسطينوس، نعرف من خلالها نبذة عن حياته ونشأته والمفكرين الذين تركوا أكبر الأثر على تفكيره في موضوعات مختلفة مثل الخلق والحرية والثالوث.
  للأسف كان اختياراً غير موفقا لي فأنا غير مهتمة بهذا الموضوع.
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  JR Snow

  A good introduction. Chadwick writes with his characteristically British back-handed praise. Sometimes the VSI can be oddly organized, but this one is concise and covers all the bases without feeling overly rushed.