‘Scriptural Narratives and Divine Providence: Spiritual Training in Augustine’s City of God

N. Kamimura, ‘Scriptural Narratives and Divine Providence: Spiritual Training in Augustine’s City of God’, in: Patristica, supplementary vol. 4 (Japanese Society for Patristic Studies, 2014): 43–58.

Originally delivered at the 6th Prayer and Spirituality in the Early Church International Conference at St Patrick’s campus of Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, on 8 July 2010.


Abstract
In his most comprehensive work, the City of God, Augustine shows the destined beginning, progress, and end of the ‘two cities’ into which all humanity is divided: one of which is the earthly and the other of the heavenly. In the first part of the work, he attempts to refute the ‘false teaching’ of pagan religious practices and ideas, and then enters into a discussion of the philosophers proclaiming the usefulness of the cult of the gods. It is noteworthy that not only does Augustine admire the ‘entire effort of philosophy’ made first by Socrates as the‘correction and regulation of morals’ (De ciu. dei 8.3) but emphasises the goal of the spiritual training as overcoming the limits of Platonists’ philosophical reflections. I concentrate on the characteristics of Augustine’s view of spiritual training in the City of God, thereby gaining some understanding of the perspective from which he made use of the dimension in speaking about divine providence. I shall first consider the significance of his critical assessment of the Platonists’ philosophical reflection from the viewpoint of the division of all humanity. Then,in the latter part of the City of God, I shall ask how the different scope of the exercises of the soul is extended. Finally, I shall examine how his dealing with the appropriate attitude towards temporal realities in this life is affected and reveal the central feature of spiritual training from the viewpoint of the authority to which the soul is subject.
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