wwatts1734's review
5.0
Modern catechisms from the Roman Catechism of the Council of Trent to the current Catechism of the Catholic Church use the structure of teaching first the Faith, then Morals, then Spirituality, using the formulaic prayers and creeds of the Church such as the Lord's Prayer, the 10 Commandments and the Apostle's Creed. This technique was used first by St. Augustine in the Enchiridion. St. Augustine uses the Apostle's Creed as a basis to discuss the Faith, he uses the Lord's Prayer to explain Christian Hope and he uses the 10 Commandments to discuss Christian morality. In this short work St. Augustine delves in a profound way into the most basic Christian teaching. Even if you are a lifelong Christian, this work will give you a greater understanding of the most basic truths of the faith.
I would highly recommend this work to all Christians as well as anyone who wants a greater understanding of the Christian faith.
I would highly recommend this work to all Christians as well as anyone who wants a greater understanding of the Christian faith.
sizrobe's review
4.0
Some capital L Literature about Christianity from early in the days of the church. Mercifully short, but also very slow going and sometimes convoluted.
Some highlights include: Every crime is a sin, but not every sin is a crime. Faith without works is dead. It's a sin to take from a rich man and give to a poor man, even if the rich man wouldn't notice it missing and it would be a huge boon to the poor. Failure to believe in the redemption of sins is in and of itself sinful. Christ allowed himself to be baptized, not because he needed it, but merely to show humility. All lies are sin, regardless of purpose, it's just a matter of exactly how sinful. Even a lie for someone's benefit is sinful.
Not all of it made total sense to me. Apparently, being superstitious about certain numbers is a big no-no for reasons I didn't fully grasp. I had to reread chapter 78 over and over, going through it with a fine tooth comb to be sure I wasn't misreading. In short, it says that it's sinful to take another Christian to court, and that such issues should be dealt with inside the church. I take it that this has changed significantly in the church since this book was written.
And finally, one bit actually made me chuckle. In one chapter, he confesses that he isn't certain if the sun, moon, and stars are some form of angels, or merely "luminous bodies." A lot of the stuff in here is timeless, but some things really do change.
Some highlights include: Every crime is a sin, but not every sin is a crime. Faith without works is dead. It's a sin to take from a rich man and give to a poor man, even if the rich man wouldn't notice it missing and it would be a huge boon to the poor. Failure to believe in the redemption of sins is in and of itself sinful. Christ allowed himself to be baptized, not because he needed it, but merely to show humility. All lies are sin, regardless of purpose, it's just a matter of exactly how sinful. Even a lie for someone's benefit is sinful.
Not all of it made total sense to me. Apparently, being superstitious about certain numbers is a big no-no for reasons I didn't fully grasp. I had to reread chapter 78 over and over, going through it with a fine tooth comb to be sure I wasn't misreading. In short, it says that it's sinful to take another Christian to court, and that such issues should be dealt with inside the church. I take it that this has changed significantly in the church since this book was written.
And finally, one bit actually made me chuckle. In one chapter, he confesses that he isn't certain if the sun, moon, and stars are some form of angels, or merely "luminous bodies." A lot of the stuff in here is timeless, but some things really do change.
holtfan's review
5.0
Initial thought: first read maybe more of a 4 star read, but there is enough here that I recognize with more study it will easily be a 5 star. This is St. Augustine's "Handbook" of Christian doctrine. Brief, profound, and worth chewing over.
A handful of my favorite lines:
"But the goodness of the Creator never fails either to supply life and vital power to the wicked angels (without which their existence would soon come to an end); or, in the case of mankind, who spring from a condemned and corrupt stock, to impart form and life to their seed, to fashion their members, and through the various seasons of their life, and in the different parts of the earth, to quicken their senses, and bestow upon them the nourishment they need. For He judged it better to bring good out of evil, than not to permit any evil to exist."
"We shall be made truly free, then, when God fashions us, that is, forms and creates us anew, not as men-for He has done that already-but as good men, which His grace is now doing, that we may be a new creation in Christ Jesus, according as it is said: "Create in me a clean heart, 0 God."
For God had already created his heart, so far as the physical structure of the human heart is concerned; but the psalmist prays for the renewal of the life which was still lingering in his heart."
"it is certain that those who are born of water and of the Holy Spirit cannot with propriety be called sons of the water, though they are called sons of God the Father, and of the Church their mother."
"Thus the end of every commandment is charity, that is, every commandment has love for its aim. But whatever is done either through fear of punishment or from some other carnal motive, and has not for its principle that love which the Spirit of God sheds abroad in the heart, is not done as it ought to be done, however It may appear to men."
A handful of my favorite lines:
"But the goodness of the Creator never fails either to supply life and vital power to the wicked angels (without which their existence would soon come to an end); or, in the case of mankind, who spring from a condemned and corrupt stock, to impart form and life to their seed, to fashion their members, and through the various seasons of their life, and in the different parts of the earth, to quicken their senses, and bestow upon them the nourishment they need. For He judged it better to bring good out of evil, than not to permit any evil to exist."
"We shall be made truly free, then, when God fashions us, that is, forms and creates us anew, not as men-for He has done that already-but as good men, which His grace is now doing, that we may be a new creation in Christ Jesus, according as it is said: "Create in me a clean heart, 0 God."
For God had already created his heart, so far as the physical structure of the human heart is concerned; but the psalmist prays for the renewal of the life which was still lingering in his heart."
"it is certain that those who are born of water and of the Holy Spirit cannot with propriety be called sons of the water, though they are called sons of God the Father, and of the Church their mother."
"Thus the end of every commandment is charity, that is, every commandment has love for its aim. But whatever is done either through fear of punishment or from some other carnal motive, and has not for its principle that love which the Spirit of God sheds abroad in the heart, is not done as it ought to be done, however It may appear to men."
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