I have greatly enjoyed the introduction to Jason Byassee’s Praise Seeking Understanding: Reading the Psalms with Augustine. I’m still working on the rest of the book, but the intro itself deserves to be read as we think about how we interpret the Bible. Byasee does not suggest the Fathers got it all right, but argues [...]
Archive of posts tagged Augustine
Ambrose as Pastor
In Augustine’s Confessions his description of Ambrose as a pastor is instructive. He mentions how Ambrose is taken up with ministering to the needs of his people (“to whose infirmities he devoted himselfâ€) and then stealing time for study (Book 6.3). His first mention of Ambrose’s labors provides a model portrait for pastors: And to [...]
Augustine the Preacher
In the recent translation of Augustine’s Homilies on the First Letter of John, Boniface Ramsey in his introduction describes Augustine’s sermons in this way: “they are marvelous examples of the easy interaction that Augustine enjoyed with his congregation; they demonstrate his ability to adapt to the moment, to show how scripture spoke to contemporary issues, [...]
“For you I am a bishop, with you, I am a Christianâ€
Augustine’s sermon “On the Anniversary of His Ordination†(listed as Sermon 340) provides a beautiful portrait of pastoral ministry. I have included here several excerpts. The importance of the oversight of souls is clear in these comments. Here is a good blend of authority and humility. The people need their pastors and the pastors need [...]
New Book on Augustine for Children
Simonetta Carr, whose book on Calvin I have commented on previously, has now completed a similar book on Augustine. It looks good I look forward to seeing it when it is relased later this month. Hardback, 64 pages Page size: 8 x 10 inches Retail Price: $18.00 ISBN 978-1-60178-073-7 Here are some of the endorsements: [...]
A Very Short Intro to Augustine
Earlier this week I mentioned reading a couple of short books over Thanksgiving and commented on one of them. The second book is Henry Chadwick’s Augustine: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2001). This book is only 134 pages and is a great size for carrying in a coat pocket. Chadwick, who died earlier this year, [...]
Studying Romans
Each year in the SBC a certain book of the Bible is chosen to be the focus of the “January Bible Study.†Churches are not required to do this, but it does provide a good way to encourage careful study of various books. This year the study focuses on Romans, and this Saturday I will [...]
