Table of Contents

Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Works of Augustine; Notes on chronology; Bibliographical note; 1. Approaching Augustine; 2. Words, signs and things; 3. Certainty, belief and understanding; 4. Soul, body and personal identity; 5. Will, love and right action; 6. Individuals, social institutions and political life; 7. Evil, justice and divine omnipotence; 8. Augustinus redivivus; Appendix 1: Porphyry's account of the sentence in the De Magistro; Apendix 2: Traducianism, creationism and the transmission of original sin; Appendix 3: Augustine and Julian: aspects of the debate about sexual concupiscentia; Indexes.

Promotional Information

A detailed and accurate account of the character and effects of Augustine's thought.

Reviews

'... masterful study ... Rist places [Augustine] firmly in the tradition of classical philosophy and uncovers the intellectual unease which made him a deep and original thinker.' John Marenbon, The Times '... is likely to be reckoned by readers to rank as Rist's best book so far: the sheer magnitude of the subject and the contemporaneity of some the issues have evoked a book to match'. Henry Chadwick, The Times Literary Supplement 'Rist's study of Augustine is a stunning achievement ... [His] exposition is simple, lucid, based on vast learning and has the sympathetic understanding required for true insight. What distinguishes his study from many others is his acute awaremeess of the problems, obscurities, unresolved tensions and incoherences in Augustine's thought'. R. A. Markus, Theology