Augustine: Christian Truth and Fractured Humanity(Christian Theology in Context)

St. Augustine, the North African bishop of Hippo (AD 354-430), has been much studied. But there has been no systematic attempt to consider the context which shaped his life and thought. Augustine's long and controversial career and his vast literary output provide unrivalled evidence for understanding the diverse ways in which Christianity confronted, assimilated, and finally transformed the traditional society of late antiquity. This book sets Augustine in his cultural and social context showing how, as a Christian, he came to terms with the philosophical and rhetorical ideals of classical culture, and, as a bishop, with the ecclesiastical, ascetic, and political structures of late antique society. According to Augustine, the Fall of man and Original sin fracture and vitiate mankind's ability to know or to will the good. This is revealed as the keystone of his theology, effecting a decisive break with classical ideals of perfection and shaping the distinctive theology of Western Christendom.

Review :
`It is a brave, honest, and scholarly work which will be of value and interest to a wider range of reader than the students the author envisaged.' Journal of Theological Studies, vol.52, no.2 `the book is a solid contribution to Augustinian scholarship' Theological Studies `the book certainly will be a boon, not only to her students, but to any serious students of Augustine, especially in terms of his relation to classical culture and to the society in which he lived' Theological Studies `To treat the life, thought, and cultural climate of Augustine of Hippo is no small feat; to do it as judiciously and as well as Carol Harrison has here, is remarkable. Here is one of the most thorough and articulate sketches of Augustine's life available today, earning a place on the shelf next to Bonner, Bourke and Brown.' David Vincent Meconi, Journal of Early Christian Studies, 9:2, June 2001 `Since the writer is a distinguished student of Augustine, scholarly research has not been sacrificed to accessibility, but rather has enhanced it. A long bibliography and clear notes will take interested readers further. The book is easy to read and remarkable for being so comprehensive within the compass of a couple of hundred pages.' Mary Charles-Murray, The Expository Times `It is a very rich book.' Mary Charles-Murray, The Expository Times `Carol Harrison is to be congratulated on achieving so much in the small compass of the series volumes ... The happy marriage of teaching and research is especially evident in the sure-footedness with which she selects a place to begin on each issue. The beginner in Augstine studies will notget lost in this book, and the student who has had his writings on the bedside table for many years will find fresh insights.' Dr Gillian Evans, Church Times, 12/01/01. `I think this book is a success in terms of its purposes, and an enjoyable read.' Dr Gillian Evans, Church Times, 12/01/01.