The City of God by Augustine - 1 - The Fall of Rome Isn't Christianity's Fault
Book One
Quote
📝 As for good things in life, and its ills, God has willed that these should be common to both good and wicked men.
Notes
🔥 Rome has fallen, and people are blaming Christianity. Augustine begins writing this book in order to argue that Rome's fall is not Christianity's fault. And, if anything, the people who survived the barbarian invasion of Rome did so because of Christianity.
🔥 First of all, people found protection from the invaders by going into churches. This despite the fact that it's normal practice to plunder temples (probably because there are lots of valuable things kept in them, or to just desecrate the people being invaded). Many Christian churches were spared, says Augustine, and this is rare.
🔥 Still, lots of people suffered during the invasion, both Christian and non-Christian alike. But that's life. Everyone experiences suffering, no matter if you're good or bad (see quote at the top). The difference is that suffering uplifts good men, while it damns and ruins wicked men. Christianity better equips people for the realities of life.
🔥 Christians are less attached to their worldly goods: "For we have brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." Christians know that their treasure is in heaven and they are less troubled by the loss of material things. Losing your possessions is, in fact, a good lesson in how you should value them.
🔥 Some Christians were killed, though. So what does Augustine have to say about that? Well, being dead, he says, is preferable to living in fear of death. Death brings us to heaven, our true home. Christians have their hearts set on the eternal, not the temporal things of this world. They can kill your body, but not your soul. And for those who didn't get a proper burial, there is peace knowing that "he who has no tomb has the sky for his vault." Christians are better prepared for the difficulties of life because their minds and their hearts are set on higher things.
🔥 A discussion on suicide follows, since some women killed themselves after they were raped. Some believe that suicide is a sin no matter what the circumstance. Augustine explores this question from multiple angles. God allows all kinds of suffering and we don't know why. But we must endure with faith. Our experiences of suffering either "prove our perfection or correct our imperfection."
🔥 People complain about hardships but they lead us to a better life. Rome fell into extravagance and luxury after it defeated its primary enemy, Carthage, the people whom Rome was most anxious about. So then they had nothing to worry about, and they became complacent and entitled. Prosperity corrupts. Suffering and hardship keep us and our egos in check.
Key Takeaways
💬 The fall of Rome must have been a massive event that a lot of people argued about, Augustine included. When he started this book did he know what a massive work it would become? Almost 1000 pages, starting here with this defense of Christianity's impact on Rome to developing a whole cosmic understanding of history and reality. It says something about the significance of interpreting history. Your interpretation for events in history ultimately comes from your interpretation of reality, and for Augustine, Christianity is at the center of that.