Saint Augustine: How to Understand Christianity's Great Teacher

By: William Harmless

Narrated by: William Harmless

St. Augustine of Hippo (354 - 430) is unquestionably one of the most influential figures in Western civilization. This audio course will bring you to the heart of St. Augustine’s works, revealing how his words speak to us across the centuries.

According to his rival and contemporary St. Jerome, Augustine “established anew the ancient faith”. A preeminent Doctor of the Church, saint, and patron of the Augustinian religious order, he had an indelible influence on Christianity. This audio series will provide you with a comprehensive portrait of St. Augustine. Much of the course is drawn from Augustine’s own words, which have echoed throughout the centuries. You will encounter segments devoted to each of his timeless masterpieces (Confessions and City of God) and to each of his best-known controversies (against the Manichees, Donatists, and Pelagians). You will also examine his everyday work as a bishop, preacher, and interpreter of the Bible.

This series is designed to help you navigate the vast corpus of Augustine’s writings, tuning your ears to the melodies of Augustine’s speech and the power of his mind.

Drawn from William Harmless’ book Augustine in His Own Words (2010), the lectures are intended for a broad listening public. They pair state-of-the-art scholarship with lucid translations, giving listeners a first taste of Augustine as his contemporaries knew him: a theologian of masterful eloquence.

This course is part of the Learn25 collection.

©2010 Now You Know Media Inc. (P)2010 Now You Know Media Inc.

Engaging

This is an engaging overview with ample readings from St. Augustine's work to give a sense of the expressiveness of the great saint and the broad range of topics he covered. The copious examples of Augustine's words are amazing, relevant, easy to understand. The author has a knack of picking out great quotes.

A great overview of Augustine's theology

Though I had hoped for a more in depth look of Augustine's philosophical contributions, I only have positive things to say. Fr. Harmless does a masterful job of going through Augustine's theology in a meaningful and easy to follow path.