Skip to main content

Augustine on the Christian Life






Augustine on the Christian Life by Gerald Bray

For all that has been written on St. Augustine, from Peter Brown’s excellent biography to the many monographs on his theology, few have given much thought to how the saint from North Africa influences believers in their Christian life.  In steps Gerald Bray, with his keen sense of vision for Christian history and the followers of Christ who have made dramatic impacts.  Bray covers much ground in this book on Augustine, from his conversion to his writings, especially his polemical and Trinitarian ones, with an eye at every point to how this man of God helps us to follow Christ as well.
The loss of a close friend is a time of much pain and soul-searching, such was the same for Augustine as he lost his good friend Thagaste.  Yet, it is in the response after the death that muc introspection came for Augustine.  Bray writes,

“The bitter experience of losing a close friend led Augustine to meditate on the meaning and importance of love. Love lies at the heart of Christianity and corresponds to the deepest yearnings of the human heart. Everyone wants to love and be loved, but in human life all relationships come to an end. Over time we lose those who are nearest and dearest to us—our parents, our siblings, our friends, and even (as in Augustine’s own case) our children. The only love that is constant is the love of God, and it is in his love that all other loves acquire immortality (51).” 

Although Augustine did not convert after this point in his life, what he found in the ways of Manicheanism did not satisfy his needs that only God could provide.  This point of loss, of searing pain, led Augustine one step closer to Christ. 

Bray does an excellent job at helping the reader understand Augustine’s concept that “outside the church there is no salvation.”  He writes, “The reason for this is that it was to the church that God had given the Scriptures and ensured that their message would be proclaimed in fullness and purity throughout the world. Schisms and heresies detracted from this mission, even if they preserved a substantial element of the apostolic teaching. Faith in Christ came by the hearing of the Word of God, and that was possible only in and through the ministry of the church.8 This is why Augustine said that it was impossible for anyone “to regard God as a merciful Father unless he is prepared to honor the church as his mother (134).”  Further, with the lack of literacy among the common people, the church was where people could hear the Bible, even if it was in Latin.  Part of Augustine’s remarks should be understood in light of his zealous love for the local community of believers in an individual congregation.  Augustine did believe that corruption happened inside the church also, but he saw the sacraments and the Word of God residing in the church.
With wisdom and grace, Gerald Bray gives us a book on Augustine that is to be commended to all.

Thanks to Crossway for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saving Casper

Saving Casper: A Christian and an Atheist Talk about Why We Need to Change the Conversion Conversation by Jim Henderson and Matt Casper http://www.amazon.com/Saving-Casper-Christian-Conversion-Conversation/dp/1414364881 Many readers will quickly know the authors of this book from their previous release Jim and Casper Go to Church.  Jim and Matt’s new book entitled Saving Casper focuses on the way we talk about conversion in the church and the devastating ways we have pushed away atheists and other non-believers by our posture.  Both Jim and Matt traversed the national landscape, meeting in churches and asking hard questions about faith, conversion, and life. The basic premise of the book and travel is laid out here in their words, “Part of what Casper and I are trying to achieve when we speak to a group of Christians is to help people move a little bit on their “judgment meter.”  This capacity, while intellectually and often theologically uncomfortable,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Essential Christian Doctrine

  Essential Christian Doctrine , General Editor John MacArthur Pastor John MacArthur has for years been teaching the Word of God in both pulpit ministry, books, and conferences with an aim to displaying God’s revelation to his listeners in a winsome and foundational manner.  This new book, Essential Christian Doctrine takes an entire life of teaching and preaching and encapsulates the main contours of the Christian faith for its readers.  John in a systematic way highlights the most necessary teachings from Scripture including God’s Word, the Trinity, while also including sections on Man and the Future. One of the most helpful ways the authors bring to light biblical truth and theology is the way in which they group together particular themes.  In the section on the Holy Spirit, instead of a complex discussion of personhood, word pictures of the Holy Spirit are introduced in a discernible and profitable manner.  The metaphors for the Holy Spirit include fir...
Post a Comment
Read more

God's Grace for All of Life

The Romance of Grace by Jim McNeely III To be honest, when I received this book in the mail I had visions of what it might be like with a title like, ‘The Romance of Grace.’  The emotional rollercoaster and one-sided perspective on how our emotions fuel our faith was my presumption about the book, but this was the furthest thing from the truth as I started reading.  The Romance of Grace by Pastor Jim McNeely III is a careful look at the movements of grace in the way God pursues us with his love and his desire to get us to love him back.  McNeely writes, “We are entering a cosmic romance with a passionate lover, and He is interested in our heart’s truest desire.  His deepest objective isn’t to make us more moral; it is to get us to love Him back.  Virtue is the fruit, not the root” (18).  Why is this helpful?  For one thing, beginning with God’s initiating grace frees us from starting out on the wrong foot in the way we tell the story and...
2 comments
Read more