237. Bradley Green on Augustine of Hippo

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Bradley Green to discuss his book Augustine of Hippo: His Life and Impact. Called “the greatest figure of Christian antiquity”, who was Augustine (AD 354-430) – and why does he matter? What are some key highlights of his major works? Writing: “Augustine helped lay the foundation for the church’s thinking about who God is and how we properly speak about God” – we hear about how Augustine helped develop and clarify so much of how we understand the architecture of a faithful Christian worldview. Dr. Green breaks down Augustine’s major work into three major doctrinal controversies: The Pelagian Controversy, “centering on sin and grace”; The Donatist Controversy, “centering on the nature of the church – and ultimately of the sacraments”; and The Pagan Controversy, “resulting in Augustine’s magnum opus, The City of God” – a “history of redemption” that deals with nearly everything pertaining to the Christian worldview and the Christian life. Augustine champions the inspiration of Scripture, the greatness of the Triune God, the seriousness of sin, the preciousness of Christ – and the incredible wonder of the Grace of God. Listen in as Dr. Green takes us through this and more, including Augustine’s epistemology and his (perhaps underrated) doctrine of illumination. How should we understand Augustine’s place in the debate between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism? Far from championing the achievement and progression of man to the gods, based on knowledge and obedience – Augustine consistently championed the Biblical gospel of how God became man to save a people in his incredible and mysterious grace. To quote Augustine himself: “You [God] stir man to take pleasure in praising you, because you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

Book: Augustine of Hippo: His Life and Impact

Some other resources by Dr. Green:

- “Is Nicaea Enough?” in The Nicene Creed

- The Gospel and the Mind

- Covenant and Commandment: Works, Obedience and Faithfulness in the Christian Life

- Shapers of Christian Orthodoxy

Please check out the new book: What is Critical Theory?: A Concise Christian Analysis

Some resources by Augustine:

- Confessions

- On the Trinity

- The City of God

- On the Teacher

- The Enchiridion

Check out: New City Press Editions (and here)

Some other resources:

St. Augustine by Serge Lancel

Augustine of Hippo: A Life by Henry Chadwick

Augustine of Hippo: A Biography by Peter Brown

Studies in Tertullian and Augustine by B. B. Warfield (also here)

The Light of the Mind: St. Augustine’s Theory of Knowledge by Ronald Nash

Augustine and the Limits of Politics by Jean Bethke Elshtain

Saeculum by R. A. Markus

Justified in Christ by Chris Castaldo

Original Sin by Henri Blocher

Sovereignty and Responsibility by Henry Krabbendam

Engaging Thomas Aquinas by Leonardo De Chirico

Karl Marx by William Dennison

Biblical Theology by Geerhardus Vos

The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til by Lane Tipton

- “The Trinitarian Theology of Thomas Aquinas”

- “Thomistic Sacerdotalism and Reformed Federalism”

- “Theological Topics in Romans”

LDS apologist article mentioned:“Early Christian Belief in a Corporeal Deity: Origen and Augustine as Reluctant Witnesses” by David L. Paulsen (also, here)