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bllowns's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
scottacorbin's review against another edition
3.0
The past is a foreign country. When we read history, we shouldn't seek to necessarily read moral tales and place ourselves at the helm. Instead, we must seek to have humility and strive to understand the characters in their place and time.
I had to constantly remind myself of this when reading Peter Brown's magisterial biography of Augustine of Hippo, or known affectionately by most as St. Augustine. Brown's prose and integration of source material in this biography is remarkable. At times, even beautiful. Yet, all that being said, this was an incredibly difficult book to read. Augustine is one of the most brilliant - if not *the* most brilliant - minds in the history of the Christian church, compiling a massive amount of intellectual material over the course of his life. The reader of Augustine needs to proceed with caution. Thus, doing justice to Augustine's legacy in under 500 pages is an accomplishment in and of itself. But within these 500 or so pages is not loose musings or thoughts but sentences loaded with thoughtfulness. Peter Brown writes with heavy prose. Readers beware.
All in all, this is an incredible book, but in attempting to traverse the mountain of Augustine's thought, by way of Peter Brown's leading, don't be surprised if you get altitude sickness - I know I did. The views are stunning but only if you can handle the headaches.
I had to constantly remind myself of this when reading Peter Brown's magisterial biography of Augustine of Hippo, or known affectionately by most as St. Augustine. Brown's prose and integration of source material in this biography is remarkable. At times, even beautiful. Yet, all that being said, this was an incredibly difficult book to read. Augustine is one of the most brilliant - if not *the* most brilliant - minds in the history of the Christian church, compiling a massive amount of intellectual material over the course of his life. The reader of Augustine needs to proceed with caution. Thus, doing justice to Augustine's legacy in under 500 pages is an accomplishment in and of itself. But within these 500 or so pages is not loose musings or thoughts but sentences loaded with thoughtfulness. Peter Brown writes with heavy prose. Readers beware.
All in all, this is an incredible book, but in attempting to traverse the mountain of Augustine's thought, by way of Peter Brown's leading, don't be surprised if you get altitude sickness - I know I did. The views are stunning but only if you can handle the headaches.
mikegprint's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
nellybly's review against another edition
4.0
I really wasn't expecting this biography to be so engaging. It can be dense material but the author did an amazing job telling Augustine's story, using his own words from his own work. Really enjoyed it.
andysmith's review against another edition
4.0
Very good, but a little technical towards the end, and I wish the chapter titles weren't in latin. Overall, however, fantastic read. Highly recommended.
tim_michiemo's review
5.0
4.6 Stars - Top Read of 2020
Peter Brown has written a phenomenal biography of one of the greatest men in church history, Augustine of Hippo. This is the first book about Augustine that I have read and so my expertise on this subject is minimal, but I would have to say that this Augustine biography is an excellent read.
Peter Brown's biography of Augustine is not a conventional one. This book is a scholarly work but is also incredibly accessible. Brown both uses accessible language and skillfully brings us into the culture and world of the 4th century BC. Brown's emphasis on the cultural background of the life of Augustine is the strongest point of his book and what makes it unconventional. The outline of Augustine's life is a bit harder to trace in this book, but Brown is heavy-handed on the background and culture that influenced Augustine.
Brown traces Augustine's life from his birth in Northern Africa, to his dabbling with Manichaeism, to his conversion, his battling with the Donatists, his writing on Confessions & the City of God, and his death. The highest points of Brown's book are his analysis of Augustine's platonic influences and his thinking behind writing the Confessions and the City of God. Brown balances Augustine well, showing Augustine's pastoral care and desire to proclaim that grace was something accessible to all believers, not just the elite bishops and ascetics. The weakest point of Brown's book is simply the structure. Brown merely hints at the flow of events of Augustine's life and spends most of the time unpacking the cultural, philosophical, and historical influences behind those events.
Yet, I found this book to be a profound, and insightful look into the life of Augustine. Brown approaches the topic of Augustine's life humbly and truly shows the pastoral nature of a man who was indebted to God's grace and was seeking to protect that truth. This biography is more advanced though and is heavy on cultural background, rather than Augustine's life and theology. I highly recommend this book as a secondary read for the casual reader, but the first read for scholars and students.
https://loveaboundinginknowledge.wordpress.com/2020/08/19/augustine-of-hippo-a-biography-peter-r-l-brown/
Peter Brown has written a phenomenal biography of one of the greatest men in church history, Augustine of Hippo. This is the first book about Augustine that I have read and so my expertise on this subject is minimal, but I would have to say that this Augustine biography is an excellent read.
Peter Brown's biography of Augustine is not a conventional one. This book is a scholarly work but is also incredibly accessible. Brown both uses accessible language and skillfully brings us into the culture and world of the 4th century BC. Brown's emphasis on the cultural background of the life of Augustine is the strongest point of his book and what makes it unconventional. The outline of Augustine's life is a bit harder to trace in this book, but Brown is heavy-handed on the background and culture that influenced Augustine.
Brown traces Augustine's life from his birth in Northern Africa, to his dabbling with Manichaeism, to his conversion, his battling with the Donatists, his writing on Confessions & the City of God, and his death. The highest points of Brown's book are his analysis of Augustine's platonic influences and his thinking behind writing the Confessions and the City of God. Brown balances Augustine well, showing Augustine's pastoral care and desire to proclaim that grace was something accessible to all believers, not just the elite bishops and ascetics. The weakest point of Brown's book is simply the structure. Brown merely hints at the flow of events of Augustine's life and spends most of the time unpacking the cultural, philosophical, and historical influences behind those events.
Yet, I found this book to be a profound, and insightful look into the life of Augustine. Brown approaches the topic of Augustine's life humbly and truly shows the pastoral nature of a man who was indebted to God's grace and was seeking to protect that truth. This biography is more advanced though and is heavy on cultural background, rather than Augustine's life and theology. I highly recommend this book as a secondary read for the casual reader, but the first read for scholars and students.
https://loveaboundinginknowledge.wordpress.com/2020/08/19/augustine-of-hippo-a-biography-peter-r-l-brown/
coruscate68's review against another edition
4.0
Highly informative with a valuable epilogue which serves as Brown's own "retractions", this definitive biography, however, left me longing for a more penetrating encounter with St. Augustine's spirit.
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