JACKSON, Tenn. — Nov. 20, 2020 — A new book on Augustine of Hippo by Brad Green provides readers with an overview of the thought and influence of one of the Christian church鈥檚 most influential philosophers and theologians.
鈥淎ugustine of Hippo: His Life and Impact鈥� was published this month by Christian Focus as part of a series on the church fathers. Green is professor of theological studies at 51社区.
Green said the series in general provides a 鈥渕eaty but not overly technical introduction to the church fathers from a Protestant evangelical perspective.鈥� Augustine was born in 354 A.D. and served as bishop of Hippo in North Africa. He wrote such books as 鈥淐onfessions鈥� and 鈥淭he City of God鈥� that are Christian classics, and his theology has helped shape the western church for centuries.
鈥淧articularly if you鈥檙e in the western half of the church, whether Roman Catholic or Protestant, Augustine really is one of the two or three architects of our theological edifice,鈥� Green said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 kind of set the stage for how much of western theology developed.鈥�
While Green鈥檚 book provides a biographical chapter to set the context of the man鈥檚 life, the bulk of the book addresses Augustine鈥檚 thought and influence.
鈥淚t attempts to summarize the content of his theology and to suggest how a Protestant might engage and appropriate, or not appropriate, his thought,鈥� Green said.
Green鈥檚 interest in Augustine stems from his own days as a doctoral student at Baylor University when he was trying to make sense of postmodernism and skepticism about knowledge. Augustine became a lifeline for Green during a challenging time.
In Augustine鈥檚 thought, Green found an anchor for the idea that words have meaning. Augustine gave him a Christian understanding of knowledge and epistemology, he said.
鈥淗e provided me with some handles to begin to think like a Christian about the life of the mind,鈥� Green said.
Green said he hopes the book will provide readers with a general understanding of Augustine that will also lead them to interact with him at a deeper level in their own theological development.
鈥淚f you are trying to make sense of how to think, act and live like a Christian in the present day, Augustine was working through all of that really early in the church鈥檚 history,鈥� Green said.
鈥淎ugustine of Hippo: His Life and Impact鈥� is .