The City of God (Deluxe Library Edition) (Hardback or Cased Book)

The City of God is a book of Christian philosophy presenting human history as a conflict between what Augustine calls the Earthly City and the City of God-a conflict that is destined to end in victory for the latter. The City of God is marked by people who forego earthly pleasure to dedicate themselves to the eternal truths of God, now revealed fully in the Christian faith. The Earthly City, on the other hand, consists of people who have immersed themselves in the cares and pleasures of the present, passing world.

The City of God was written in response to allegations that Christianity brought about the decline of Rome. It is considered one of Augustine's most important works, standing alongside The Confessions, The Enchiridion, On Christian Doctrine, and On the Trinity. As a work of one of the most influential Church Fathers, The City of God is a cornerstone of Western thought, presenting many profound questions of theology, such as the suffering of the righteous, the existence of evil, the conflict between free will and divine omniscience, and the doctrine of original sin.

Saint Augustine of Hippo (13 November 354 - 28 August 430 AD) was a Roman African, Manichaean, early Christian theologian, doctor of the Church, and Neoplatonic philosopher from Numidia. His writings influenced the development of the Western Church and Western philosophy, and indirectly all of Western Christianity. He was the bishop of Hippo Regius in North Africa and is viewed as one of the most important Church Fathers of the Latin Church for his writings in the Patristic Period. Augustine was one of the most prolific Latin authors in terms of surviving works. He authored more than one hundred separate titles, including apologetic works against the heresies of the Arians, Donatists, Manichaeans, and Pelagians; texts on Christian doctrine; critical examinations of the bible; and many sermons and letters. Augustine is best known for his Confessions, a personal account of his earlier life, and De civitate Dei (The City of God), which he wrote to restore the confidence of his fellow Christians after the sack of Rome.