Episode Summary: Literature and History – Episode 101: Against the Pagans (Augustine's City of God, Part 1 of 2)

Host: Doug Metzger
Release Date: February 4, 2023

Introduction

In Episode 101 of "Literature and History," host Doug Metzger embarks on an in-depth exploration of St. Augustine's monumental work, "City of God", specifically focusing on the first half of this extensive treatise. This episode initiates a two-part series aimed at dissecting Augustine's arguments against paganism and his theological defenses of Christianity amid the decline of the Roman Empire.

Background on Augustine's City of God

"City of God" is a comprehensive 1,100-page theological masterpiece written by St. Augustine between 413 and 427 CE. Composed in response to the sack of Rome in 410 CE, the work serves multiple purposes:

1. Defending Christianity: Augustine argues that Christianity was not the cause of Rome's decline but rather a culmination of divine will.
2. Revisionist History: He offers a reinterpretation of world history, positioning Christianity as the ultimate outcome.
3. Theological Inquiry: The treatise delves into unresolved theological questions such as the nature of evil, salvation, free will, and the afterlife.

As Metzger notes at [00:12], Augustine's work was intended to reassure Christians facing persecution and barbarian invasions, blending personal faith with a critical analysis of paganism and Roman history.

Key Themes in Books 1-10

1. Theological Response to Rome’s Decline

Augustine begins by addressing the prevalent notion among pagans that Christianity was responsible for Rome's weakening. At [12:30], Metzger explains that Augustine's primary goal is to demonstrate that Rome's fall was not a divine punishment for Christianity but part of a larger, divine plan.

Notable Quote:

"The City of God explains the tribulations of Augustine's Christian contemporaries... defends the Old Testament's narratives as literally true." — [00:12]

2. Critique of Pagan History and Culture

Augustine systematically critiques paganism, asserting that Roman polytheism was morally corrupt and ineffective in safeguarding the empire. He utilizes sources like Virgil's "Aeneid", Livy, and Sallust to support his arguments.

At [35:00], Augustine contrasts the brutal sack of Troy in the "Aeneid" with the sparing of Christian holy sites during the Visigoth invasion, attributing the latter to divine intervention:

"In Christian holy places the frenzy of butchery was checked."

3. Augustine’s Views on Free Will and Predestination

In book five, Augustine tackles the complex interplay between free will and predestination. Metzger highlights Augustine's stance that while God's foreknowledge encompasses human actions, individuals still possess the freedom to make moral choices.

Notable Quote:

"Our wills themselves are in the order of causes, which is for God, fixed and is contained in his foreknowledge." — [110:00]

4. Critique of Pagan Philosophy

Augustine condemns pagan philosophies, particularly Platonism and Neoplatonism, for their polytheism and reliance on demonic intermediaries. He argues that these philosophies lack the moral coherence provided by Christianity.

At [100:00], Augustine asserts:

"Pagan gods... failed to offer eternal bliss like Augustine's deity did, and thus they could be confidently dismissed."

5. Augustine’s Interpretation of Roman History

Augustine's historical analysis heavily relies on early Republic sources, largely excluding the imperial period. Metzger points out that this selective focus creates a biased portrayal of Roman history, emphasizing moral degradation under paganism without acknowledging the complexities of the imperial era.

Notable Quote:

"The sacred and self-aggrandizing myths that Rome often told about itself were often morally and logically unintelligible." — [120:00]

6. Impact of Augustine’s Personal Context

Augustine's personal experiences, including his interactions with pagan aristocrats like Rufius Antonius Volusianus, deeply influenced his writing. At [75:00], Metzger explains that Augustine wrote "City of God" to offer solace and justification to Christians enduring persecution and societal upheaval.

Augustine’s Methodology and Sources

Augustine's critique is grounded in a limited pool of sources, primarily:

• Virgil's "Aeneid"
• Livy's "Ab Urbe Condita"
• Sallust's "Histories"
• Cicero's works
• Lucan's poetry
• Plutarch's biographies

Metzger emphasizes at [80:00] that Augustine's reliance on these texts, some of which blend fact and fiction, resulted in a predominantly negative depiction of pagan Rome. This narrow focus omits many critical sources from the imperial period, leading to a one-sided historical narrative.

Notable Observation:

Augustine's limited engagement with Roman history "was written in order to puncture the age-old balloon of Roman exceptionalism..." — [130:00]

Impact and Legacy of Augustine's Critique

Metzger discusses how "City of God" has profoundly shaped medieval and later perceptions of Rome and paganism. Augustine's portrayal reinforced the notion of Rome’s moral decline under paganism, contributing to lasting misconceptions about Roman religion and culture.

Notable Insight:

"Augustine retrojected a broad-based hostility and an incompatibility between Christianity and pagan religion that are often not well attested during the Imperial period." — [130:00]

Conclusion and Preview of Part 2

The episode concludes by summarizing Augustine's influential yet limited critique of Roman paganism. Metzger sets the stage for the second part of the series, which will delve into books 11 through 22 of "City of God." In the next episode, listeners can expect to explore Augustine's development of concepts like original sin, innate depravity, and his further theological elaborations that have shaped Christian doctrine for centuries.

Notable Quotes

• Defending Christianity:

  "The City of God explains the tribulations of Augustine's Christian contemporaries... defends the Old Testament's narratives as literally true." — [00:12]

• Divine Intervention in Rome's Sack:

  "In Christian holy places the frenzy of butchery was checked." — [35:00]

• Free Will and Predestination:

  "Our wills themselves are in the order of causes, which is for God, fixed and is contained in his foreknowledge." — [110:00]

• Critique of Pagan Philosophy:

  "Pagan gods... failed to offer eternal bliss like Augustine's deity did, and thus they could be confidently dismissed." — [100:00]

• Historical Bias:

  "The sacred and self-aggrandizing myths that Rome often told about itself were often morally and logically unintelligible." — [120:00]

• Impact on Perceptions of Rome:

  "Augustine retrojected a broad-based hostility and an incompatibility between Christianity and pagan religion..." — [130:00]

Overall Summary

In this comprehensive first part of Episode 101, Doug Metzger meticulously breaks down Augustine's "City of God", focusing on books 1 through 10. Augustine's work serves as a robust defense of Christianity against pagan critiques amidst the declining Roman Empire. By leveraging a selective range of historical and literary sources, Augustine presents a scathing critique of paganism and Roman culture, arguing for the moral and theological superiority of Christianity. Metzger highlights Augustine's limited methodological approach, which, while influential, introduced biases that have persisted in historical perceptions of Rome and its religions. The episode effectively sets the foundation for understanding Augustine's enduring legacy in shaping Western theological and historical thought, paving the way for a deeper exploration of his ideas in the forthcoming second part of the series.

Tune in Next Time: Join Doug Metzger in the second part of this series, where he will explore books 11 through 22 of Augustine's "City of God," delving into Augustine's formulations of original sin, innate depravity, and his comprehensive theological system that has influenced Christian doctrine for over a millennium.