411 - Wisdom from St. Augustine

Wisdom from St. Augustine
By Vernon J. Bourke
Houston, The Center for Thomistic Studies, 1984. 224 pp. $21.95 ($11.95 paper).

This book contains essays written over a period of several decades, most of which have been previously published. There is much variety of content and purpose among the essays. The book derives its unity from Bourke's continual insistence on the value of the wisdom of Augustine for the twentieth century and his persistent attempts to provide access to that wisdom.

The essays are of two types. Several examine contemporary studies in Augustine. New editions of Latin texts, modern English translations, and recent interpretive work are evaluated. Other essays explore Augustine's views on such issues as the character of knowledge, the nature of spiritual growth, the formation of values, and the meaning of history. Bourkes argument is that Augustines teaching on each of these subjects is inextricably connected to the conviction that God is the supreme good in relation to which all other goods must be known, judged, and loved. This conviction is the heart of the wisdom from Augustine.

At times the relationship between the Essays examining recent critical scholarship and those exploring particular themes in Augustine is unclear. The book does provide an informed, multi-faceted guide to the study of Augustine.

Rebecca H. Weaver
Union Theological Seminary
Richmond, Va.