In praise of Augustine; Herbert A. Deane writes; "Genius he had in full measure ... he is the master of the phrase or the sentence that embodies a penetrating insight; a flash of lightning that illuminates the entire sky." To provide the student with a glimpse of that genius and a synthesis of Augustine's views on man and society; the author presents the most important passages from Augustine's entire body of work in which human nature; the social order; and the nature and function of the state are discussed. Marshaling this primary material; he masterfully weaves the connections between Augustine's social and political ideas and the general framework of his thought. A new foreword by Richard A. Munkelt makes a substantial contribution in critiquing Deane's assimilation of certain aspects of Augustine's thought to modern-day liberalism. The new foreword also contains extensive additional bibliography on the subject of Augustine's political thought. "Will undoubtedly remain the basic work on this subject."--Library Journal "Professor Deane significantly contributes both to historical understanding of Augustine's political thinking and to appreciation of its permanent relevance to the moral dilemmas of politics. No other study of Augustine's political thought gives nearly so much so well."--Political Science Quarterly "This book would be salutary; possibly purgatorial; reading for all politicians; psychologists; and educationalists."--Times Literary Supplement
#45403 in Books 2014-08-22Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x .91 x 5.50l; .0 #File Name: 1616367776304 pages
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Our Family StoryBy Mr. David Lewis Bates"History shouldn't be boring. History is basically story-telling. Stories shouldn't be boring; especially if we're telling stories about our family..."This was how Dr. D'Ambrosio began his talk many years ago when I attended a lecture he gave on Early Church Fathers. Over the next hour; he regaled us with stories of our Catholic family; and anecdotes about our forefathers in faith. He told us about some of the early martyrs; but the stories which really stuck with me were those concerning the rather colourful lives of St. Ambrose and his protege; St. Augustine. Up until that point; I had no idea that so much passion and drama could be hidden behind the images of those old; bearded men which I saw in stained glass each Sunday. It was with great excitement; therefore; that I pre-ordered Dr. D'Ambosio's new book; "When The Church Was Young"...I was not disappointed. In short; Dr. D'Ambrosio has produced my new favourite introductory volume to the Church Fathers. While quite a lot of Patristics books can be rather dry; the style of this book is easy and relaxed; which meant that I got through the entire book in just a few days.There are several things which I think are uniquely achieved in this book. The first thing which is worth commending is the way in which the author manages to connect the stories of each Early Church Father into an overarching narrative. This is extremely helpful in keeping the chronology and flow of events clear in one's head.The next thing is that; although I would say that this is an introductory book; it is absolutely packed with little nuggets of information I hadn't come across before. In fact; every time I found one of these gems; I put a little post-it on the page and the book is now littered with these slips of paper.The final thing about this book which sets it apart from others is in the area of what you might call "application". At the end of each chapter; Dr. D'Ambrosio connects the events; issues and themes discussed in that chapter to both contemporary secular society and to today's Church. In these sections; he shows how the lessons learned in the early centuries can be applied to today's world and how the wisdom of the Fathers is the sage advice we need to hear as we attempt to remedy contemporary dilemmas and struggles.Upon completing this book I immediately purchased two more copies; certain that I would quickly find homes for them. No sooner had they arrived; I had put them into the hands of friends; enthusiastic to read them after hearing my glowing reports on Facebook.All in all; I loved this book. It's an excellent introductory guide to the Fathers which is never-the-less jammed full of valuable material presented in an accessible fashion. Dr. D'Ambrosio is right; history shouldn't be boring; and neither is this book; thanks to his excellent retelling of our family story.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Insightful; revealing; Easily read and understood for average personBy LRSThis is such a well written book for the average layman who wants to learn more about the people that formed The Church; and the evolution of how things have come about. It is so easy to understand and flows very well. All the names you have heard from the Liturgy at Church; in the Eucharastic Prayers; this makes one understand how much meaning is in all of that. If you want to develop a more spiritual relationship with God and His Church; this book will certainly do that for you. It also reveals ancient customs and practices that were initiated back then and still are carried through to today but not practiced like we should. To understand the Early Fathers of the Church is to help make The Church become alive to one in today's time. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for a deeper insight into their faith relationship with God and His Church.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A MUST read for any Christian!By JoseExecellent book for anyone of any denomination to dip into the history of Christianity. Well put together; covering a wide range of events in early church history. The fast moving pace makes it hard to put this book down. I've read several books on Christian history; but most authors paint the picture for you based on their opinion rather than allowing the early Christian writers to speak for themselves. Marcellino does excellent job guiding the story along in a straightforward manner; allowing the early Christian writers to tell the story. He provides tons of direct quotes; which allows the reader to submerge themselves into the minds of these courages early Christians. The world is forever indebted to these early Christians; without their valor and courage not only Christianity but the world as a whole would not be the same today!
