City of God: Volume I

by St. Augustine of Hippo

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Rome having been stormed and sacked by the Goths under Alaric their king, the worshippers of false gods, or pagans, as we commonly call them, made an attempt to attribute this calamity to the Christian religion, and began to blaspheme the true God with even more than their wonted bitterness and acerbity. It was this which kindled my zeal for the house of God, and prompted me to undertake the defence of the city of God against the charges and misrepresentations of its assailants. This great undertaking was at last completed in twenty-two books. Of these, the first five refute those who fancy that the polytheistic worship is necessary in order to secure worldly prosperity, and that all these overwhelming calamities have befallen us in consequence of its prohibition. In the following five books I address myself to those who admit that such calamities have at all times attended, and will at all times attend, the human race, and that they constantly recur in forms more or less disastrous, varying only in the scenes, occasions, and persons on whom they light, but, while admitting this, maintain that the worship of the gods is advantageous for the life to come. In these ten books, then, I refute these two opinions, which are as groundless as they are antagonistic to the Christian religion. But that no one might have occasion to say, that though I had refuted the tenets of other men, I had omitted to establish my own, I devote to this object the second part of this work, which comprises twelve books, although I have not scrupled, as occasion offered, either to advance my own opinions in the first ten books, or to demolish the arguments of my opponents in the last twelve. Of these twelve books, the first four contain an account of the origin of these two cities—the city of God, and the city of the world. The second four treat of their history or progress; the third and last four, of their deserved destinies. And so, though all these twenty-two books refer to both cities, yet I have named them after the better city, and called them The City of God.

Book Summary

This text provides a deep and extensive theological argument that refutes paganism and explains core tenets of Christian doctrine. It addresses why the worship of Roman gods is futile for both temporal and eternal happiness, critiques the character and morality of those gods, and contrasts them with the nature of the one true God and the universal way of salvation offered through Christ.

Summary by Logical Section

1. Refutation of Paganism and the Problem of Evil

The author begins by addressing the pagan claim that Christianity is responsible for the recent sack of Rome and other calamities. He argues that, historically, Rome suffered far worse disasters—both moral and physical—long before Christianity existed, during the very height of pagan worship. These gods neither prevented the moral decay that led to civil wars, described by Roman authors like Sallust and Cicero as the true ruin of the republic, nor did they protect their worshippers from slaughter and destruction. The author systematically dismantles the "civil" and "fabulous" theologies, showing that the gods' characters, as depicted in their own myths and sacred rites, are filled with vice, crime, and absurdity. These rites, from the obscene plays to the cruel self-mutilation of priests, reveal the gods to be impure demons who delight in wickedness rather than beings who can offer moral guidance or protection.

2. The True God vs. Demons and the Role of a Mediator

This section shifts the argument from historical critique to philosophical theology, primarily engaging with the Platonists, whom the author respects for coming closest to the truth. While the Platonists correctly identify a supreme, unchangeable God as the source of being and blessedness, they err in promoting the worship of many lesser "gods" or "demons" as mediators. The author argues that these demons cannot be good, as their characters are defined by passion, pride, envy, and a delight in the very immoralities (like theatrical plays depicting divine crimes and magical arts) that true virtue abhors. Therefore, they cannot mediate between humans and the good God. The only true Mediator is one who is both God and man—Christ—who, by assuming a mortal human nature without sin, bridges the gap between miserable mortals and the blessed, immortal God, offering a universal way of deliverance and purification that pagan philosophy and rites could never provide.

3. The Doctrine of Creation, Time, and the Two Cities

The author explains the Christian doctrine of creation as revealed in Scripture. He refutes the idea of eternal, repeating cycles of time, arguing that God, though eternal, created time and the world at a specific beginning without any change in His eternal will. The six days of creation are presented not as a measure of God's effort but as a reflection of the perfection of His work. Within this creation, two distinct communities, or "cities," originated with the angels: one of good angels who remained in loving adherence to God (Light), and one of evil angels who, through pride, fell away from Him (Darkness). This division marks the beginning of the two cities—the City of God and the earthly city—whose histories will unfold throughout time.

4. The Origin of Humanity, Sin, and Death

Finally, the text details the creation of the human race from a single man, Adam, a method chosen by God to emphasize the value of unity. Adam was created with an "animal body," mortal only in the sense that he would die if he sinned. He lived in Paradise, where obedience would have earned him a spiritual body and eternal life without tasting death. His sin, an act of disobedience, resulted in the first death: the separation of the soul from God, which led to a loss of control over the flesh and ultimately to the second death: the separation of soul from body. This penalty of sin and death was then passed down to all his descendants. The author clarifies that death is a punishment for sin, but through Christ's grace, enduring it for the sake of righteousness (as the martyrs do) transforms it into an instrument for attaining eternal life. The future resurrection promises a "spiritual body," which is not a spirit, but a true, incorruptible fleshly body, perfected and suited for heavenly life.