Augustine Through the Ages: An Encyclopedia (Hardcover)

I've now had sufficient time and use of the volume to warrant giving an opinion. I am sorry that I waited so long to add this book to my collection!

' "Augustine through the Ages" presents anew the life, work, and influence of Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354-430), one of the greatest figures in the history of the Christian church. Best known to modern readers for his "Confessions" and "City of God," Augustine has had a profound theological and philosophical impact on the Christian faith, and his legacy is also reflected in the development of Western thought as a whole.'

This book is organised and functions as an encyclopedia. Over 150 scholars in fields such as history, classics, theology, philosophy and political science have contributed to making this a very comprehensive and in-depth reference work. The contents include nearly 500 articles with appropriate bibliographic references for further research.

Entries involve his life, his work, and his influence. A few samples will illustrate:

His life: Life, Culture and Controversies
In this entry, a brief biography of Augustine is present, from birth in Thagaste in 354, in the province of Numidia, to his death in 430 in Hippo, as it was under siege from Vandal invaders. It details the major events and influences in his life, as well as the general cultural milieu of the time - education under the Roman system, the relationship of church and empire, and the influence of philosophy, particularly Neoplatonism. The controversies of his time, in which Augustine energetically participated, included the Arian, Donatist, Pelagian and Manichean trends.

His work: Confessions
This entry gives an overview of the 'Confessions', the most popular and widely-read of Augustine for twentieth-century audiences. As a result of this autobiographical work, the youth of Augustine is far better known than almost any other person in antiquity. The article includes translation and publication issues (the question about oral or written primacy is explored), as are the differing purposes of sections (autobiographical, polemical, exegetical). This work covers conversion and growth in faith and work.

His influence
Articles are included on those who influenced Augustine himself, such as Origen, Tertullian, Plotinus, and Plato, as well as upon those he influenced, from early figures such as Jerome and Ambrose, to later theologians like Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin, up to more modern figures such as Adolf von Harnack, Ernst Troeltsch, and Martin Heidegger. Similarly, Augustine's contributions toward topics that are of current (and recurring) interest such as social justice, war, suicide, contraception, etc. are explored.

The book also includes tables Augustine's works which show Latin titles, English translations, common abbreviations (very necessary for scholarship) and dates. Articles are cross-references, particularly with a view toward shared bibliographic information.

The editor, Allan D. Fitzgerald is professor of patristics at the Augustinian Patristic Institute of Rome. He also is editor of Augustinian Studies published by Villanova University. Jaroslav Pelikan offers a word at the front, which is an interesting choice, given Pelikan's Eastern Orthodox leanings, and the strained love-hate relationship Eastern Orthodoxy has traditionally had with Augustine.

This is a truly monumental work that will find an honoured place in the library of any scholar.