Augustine on the Christian Life: Transformed by the Power of God (Theologians on the Christian Life)
Overview
Augustine is widely considered to be the most influential theologian in church history after the apostle Paul. Dramatically converted from a life of licentiousness to one of wholehearted devotion to Christ, the humble North African pastor quickly established himself as a leading figure within the ancient church. In Augustine on the Christian Life, historian Gerald Bray explores the rich spirituality of this extraordinary man, examining his historical context, approach to the Christian life, and work as a preacher and teacher of God’s Word. Drawing on Augustine’s many writings—including his classic spiritual autobiography, the Confessions—Bray demonstrates Augustine’s enduring relevance for Christians today.
Top Highlights
“Evil is therefore a defect—the absence or perversion of what is good—not a power or substance in its own right” (Page 24)
“This was to become one of the most significant ways in which Augustine would discover truth as a Christian, and so it is important to understand how it first came into his life.” (Page 24)
“As he put it, ‘I loved my own sin, not because of what it gave me, but for the pleasure of sinning in itself.’12” (Page 55)
“he called his son Adeodatus (‘given by God’), the Latin equivalent of the Greek Theodoros (Theodore” (Page 22)
“The more he came to understand of God, the less he trusted in himself and his own resources.” (Page 50)
- Title: Augustine on the Christian Life: Transformed by the Power of God
- Author: Gerald Bray
- Series: Theologians on the Christian Life
- Publisher: Crossway
- Print Publication Date: 2015
- Logos Release Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo; Theology › Early works to 1800; Christian life
- ISBNs: 9781433544941, 9781433544972, 9781433544958, 9781433544965, 1433544946, 1433544970, 1433544954, 1433544962
- Resource ID: LLS:GSTNCHRSTNPWRGD
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T00:25:55Z
Dr. Gerald Bray is Research Professor of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL, and Distinguished Professor of Theology at Knox Theological Seminary, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
He was born and raised in Montreal, Canada, where he did his undergraduate work at McGill University. He completed his doctoral studies at the Sorbonne in Paris and went on to study theology in Cambridge. In 1978 he was ordained in the Church of England and served a parish in London for two years before going on to teach at Oak Hill College in London. He has been at Beeson since 1993.
Dr. Bray is the editor of the Anglican journal Churchman and has published a number of books, including the award-winning Biblical Interpretation: Past and Present (InterVarsity Press, 1996), Yours Is the Kingdom: A Systematic Theology of the Lord's Prayer(InterVarsity Press, 2007), God Is Love (Crossway, 2012), and his most recent work, God Has Spoken: A History of Christian Theology (Crossway, 2014).
Dr. Bray speaks several languages fluently. He has lived in Germany, Greece, and Russia, and he has taught in several European countries and Australia. He can often be found in one of the archives of the Church of England, researching parts of its history, on which he has also published a number of important works. He is also an avid swimmer and cyclist.