Augustine for Armchair Theologians / Edition 1

by Stephen A. Cooper

Overview

In this book, Stephen Cooper provides an overview of the greatest theologian of the early church: Augustine of Hippo. Augustine has had a towering influence in the history of Christianity and his Confessions has long been regarded as one of Christianity's classic texts. Cooper introduces the life and thought of Augustine through discussing the Confessions and shows how many of Augustine's human struggles are still with us today. He also examines the theological views of Augustine that emerged through the important controversies of his times.

Written by experts but designed for the novice, the Armchair series provides accurate, concise, and witty overviews of some of the most profound moments and theologians in Christian history. These books are essential supplements for first-time encounters with primary texts, lucid refreshers for scholars and clergy, and enjoyable reads for the theologically curious.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780664223724
Publisher:	Westminster John Knox Press
Publication date:	09/30/2002
Series:	Armchair Theologians
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.53(d)

About the Author

Stephen A. Cooper is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	vii
	Introduction: Who Is Augustine Anyway?	1
1.	Faint Beginnings	13
2.	Teenager in Love	41
3.	A Young Man on His Own	53
4.	A Professional Teacher	75
5.	Leaving Behind	83
6.	Treading Water: Worldly Goals of a Suffering Soul	97
7.	Light upon Light: Encounter with the Books of the Platonists	115
8.	Converting Conversions	135
9.	Deaths and a New Life	157
10.	Confessions without End	175
11.	Career of the Bishop	191
	Conclusion	215
	Further Reading	219
	Index	221

Editorial Reviews

An associate professor of religious studies at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania, Cooper offers a kind of guided tour through the great theologian Augustine's Confessions summarizing here, explaining there, spicing the whole with substantial quotations from his own translations from the original. Augustine's life and mind are never out of place and always worth bringing to a new audience, so that while Cooper himself is somewhat overshadowed by Augustine, this cleanly written book should be a worthwhile addition to many libraries. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Among the fathers of the early Christian church there are few who seem larger than life, Augustine being the exception. Cooper distills much of Augustine's two major works, CONFESSIONS and CITY OF GOD, to give us a biography of this saint, covering much of his pre-conversion stage. Simon Vance moves in and out of Augustine's voice effortlessly while giving us what could be a contemporary film, given the earthy subject matter and its timeless story of the struggle towards faith. True to its moniker, this entry in the Armchair series makes accessible the life and works of, arguably, the most influential Christian thinker of all. S.M.M. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

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