Verbum July 2019 Free Book of the Month

Is live and is all sorts of Augustinian goodness:

First, it looks like there are a couple display bugs on the page; the prices of the +1 & +2 aren't showing.

Second, the freebie itself is excellent--his On the literal interpretation of Genesis, which I'm pretty sure is NOT in the Schaff collection of the Fathers that most of us have.

This is from the description of the resource:

Augustine’s Two Books on Genesis against the Manichees and On the Literal Interpretation of Genesis: An Unfinished Book represent the first two of five explanations of the beginning of the Book of Genesis that he undertook between 388 and 418.

Emphasis mine. Okay, so, are the other three available? It doesn't look like they are part of the offer, but are they part of this particular edition of the Fathers? If so, it might be nice to see if they're covered by the sale on the logos.com site.

I can't find them, though. Does anyone know?

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Ken McGuire

Well - there is "Confessions". That would be one of them. IIRC he also treated the opening of Genesis in some Anti-Pelagian writings, but the exact name of the treatise escapes me at this time.

Edit: from the opening of the Verbum freebie: DURING THE many years of his writing career Saint Augustine undertook an explanation of the beginning of the Book of Genesis at least five times. The first of these, On Genesis against the Manichees (De Genesi contra Manichaeos), was written in 388 or 389, shortly after his return to Africa and before his ordination to the priesthood. The second attempt, On the Literal Interpretation of Genesis: An Unfinished Book (De Genesi ad litteram imperfectus liber), was written about 393; that it remains incomplete bears witness to Augustine’s inability to offer a literal interpretation of the text. A third time, in the final three books of his Confessions (Confessiones), Augustine once again takes up the exposition of the beginning of Genesis, presenting a highly figurative interpretation. Fourthly, there is his monumental work in twelve books, On Genesis Literally Interpreted (De Genesi ad litteram), which he began later than 404 and eventually published before his work On the Trinity (De trinitate) which was completed, it now seems, after 420. Finally he again turned to the beginning of the Book of Genesis in book eleven of The City of God (De civitate Dei) that was written by 417/8. This volume presents Augustine’s first two commentaries on the beginning of Genesis—neither of which has been previously translated into English.

Augustine of Hippo. (1991). On Genesis: Two Books on Genesis against the Manichees; and, on the Literal Interpretation of Genesis: An Unfinished Book. (T. P. Halton, Ed., R. J. Teske, Trans.) (Vol. 84, pp. 3–4). Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press.

Darrell Tan

Interesting question. I'm afraid I don't know, but this link https://www.amazon.com/Genesis-Vol-Works-Saint-Augustine/dp/1565481755 says that he "devoted three treatises to these chapters. The first two -- On Genesis: A Refutation of the Manichees and his Unfinished Literal Commentary on Genesis -- are early works. The third and longest -- The Literal Meaning of Genesis -- was produced at the height of Augustine's maturity..."

This link https://www.jstor.org/stable/20556975?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents says "at least four": in addition to the three above, the Confessions XII-XIII.

SineNomine

Second, the freebie itself is excellent--his On the literal interpretation of Genesis, which I'm pretty sure is NOT in the Schaff collection of the Fathers that most of us have.

Even if it were, the CUA series is vastly more readable and generally more literal.

Donald Antenen (Logos)

The display issue is fixed.

Enjoy the Augustine!

Sean

Even if it were, the CUA series is vastly more readable

The CUA series is vastly better than the Schaff collection, and also vastly more expensive.

Ken McGuire

The CUA series is vastly better than the Schaff collection, and also vastly more expensive.

True enough. But the CUA series isn't really that expensive compared with many works of more recent theologians. And while IMHO we should certainly study recent works, Augustine is a figure whose influence continues to be significant for Christian thought.

SineNomine

And while IMHO we should certainly study recent works, Augustine is a figure whose influence continues to be significant for Christian thought.

Indeed. Most recent works aren't significant for Christian thought even now.