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The Enchiridion on Faith Hope and Love (Augustine Series 1)
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Written as a favor for a friend this little work is a wonderful explanation of the Christian faith. A true catechism from which, throughout the history of the church, other catechisms have drawn and learned including the recent Catechism of the Catholic Church which quotes Augustine extensively. Within the context of the three theological virtues, faith, hope and love, Aug
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paper, 144 pages
Published
October 1st 1999
by New City Press
(first published 420)
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Start your review of The Enchiridion on Faith Hope and Love (Augustine Series 1)
Some solid gems in this, a classic primer from Augustine himself on his mature thought. The Enchiridion lays out Augustine's view on original sin, the fall of man (massa damnata), predestination, the resurrection and more. I have definitely stored most all this information in the back of my head.
Interesting highlights is that even in his maturity and old age, the creationisn / traducianism debate still perplexed him, and he wavered. His understanding of the causes of predestination to life and d ...more
Interesting highlights is that even in his maturity and old age, the creationisn / traducianism debate still perplexed him, and he wavered. His understanding of the causes of predestination to life and d ...more
The Enchiridion is one of Augustine's most approachable texts. Written as an introduction to the faith, it is simple and straightforward, and does not necessitate a firm grasp of the historical context in order to understand it. As he explains the creed and the Lord's Prayer, the most basic and important theological points he stood for become apparent. There are moments of great humour and representative comments that give the reader a feel for his personality and larger work.
This would be appro ...more
This would be appro ...more
Jul 25, 2021
Alexandru Croitor
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
theology-classics
Remember discussing aborted fetuses during catechesis? yeah, me neither - this highlights some of Augustine's concerns regarding life, resurrection and human bodies and also his 'agnosticism' on these topics (add to that also angelology); nonetheless, he is *certain* about God the Father and Creator, God the Son and Redeemer, and God the Spirit and Life-giver, divine grace and human bondage to sin, predestination and human freedom.
Laurence, the recipient, got a bit of everything, in a concise or ...more
Laurence, the recipient, got a bit of everything, in a concise or ...more
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 corr ...more
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 corr ...more
Although I don't agree with Augustine on several points, I have to admit that this is a brilliant, compact, and dense little work. Several times I raised objections to some proposition or another, and in the immediately following section the objections would be treated! That doesn't mean I was always convinced, but I was impressed with the thoughtfulness. I don't know if I've ever had an experience with a book quite like that! As an encapsulation, it would serve as a good introduction to Augusti
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This is the first Augustine that I've read -- mostly because his other works are significantly larger and more dense than this one. But I enjoyed this one so much that I may try to tackle some others. Anything that I could say about Augustine has been said many times before by many other people, so I won't repeat myself. But if you're interested in reading Augustine, I'd recommend this as a good starting point.
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It's really amazing how a book written so long ago can contain so many truths and statements accurate to our lives and faith today. Although Augustine can get a bit wordy at times, this is definitely a must-read for Christians who are serious about the theology of our faith. Make sure you read it with someone, though. Discussion helps break through the wordiness!
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Apr 27, 2019
Jed Ojeda
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
augustinianism,
church-fathers,
apologetics,
philosophy,
nonfiction,
theology,
catechism,
christian,
catholic
An excellent explanation of the Christian faith by one of the greatest theologians of all time, St. Augustine of Hippo.
A short book on the training of the catechumenate by Augustine (~70 pages). It's Augustine, so about as awesome as you think it would be.
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An excellent and brief exposition of Augustinian theology by Augustine himself.
Why read it? I was curious how much Christianity has changed in 1600 years. And whether the early church is closer to Paul, the synoptic gospels, John or some other brand of early Christianity. Are there any references to stoicism? Plenty of reasons to read it.
Copied parts I found interesting while reading:
On the very first page you get an on-one-leg-summary: "God should be worshiped in faith, hope, love". Very much in keeping with modern Christianity. Then Augustine specifies which questions h ...more
Copied parts I found interesting while reading:
On the very first page you get an on-one-leg-summary: "God should be worshiped in faith, hope, love". Very much in keeping with modern Christianity. Then Augustine specifies which questions h ...more
The Enchiridion is a very short (141 pages) treatise on Faith, Hope, and Love that Augustine wrote for a friend. It is broken down into questions with a short answer (two pages at most). This is a great book if you want to have an understanding of Augustine's theology because he covers it all here without going too far into philosophical discussions, which he is very prone to do.
The most interesting parts to me were his discussion on evil arising from a corruption of good and how God works good ...more
The most interesting parts to me were his discussion on evil arising from a corruption of good and how God works good ...more
In this short but essential compendium of the Christian faith, Augustine has surely included enough material to offend every Christian. The "Protestant" (meaning not a denomination, but a theological orientation that cuts across denominations, and can be found today not uncommonly among Roman Catholics) will surely be offended by Augustine's high view of the sacraments and his identification of baptism with the regeneration that washes away original sin ex opere operato, even for infants. The "C
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This provides a concise summary of Christian theology: God is to be served by man in faith, hope, and charity. The majority of Augustine’s work is faithful to Scripture in its understanding of the purpose, nature and content of theology. Unsurprisingly, Augustine is a product of his time, as revealed by his understanding of justification through penance. Nevertheless, readers are helped to consider how doctrine pushes us to worship God through love (charity); being transformed by the grace of ou
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Reading Augustine’s Enchiridion was so interesting because sometimes he sounds very much like a Reformed theologian and sometimes very much like a Roman Catholic.
Reformed sounding quotes:
“For as a man who kills himself is still alive when he kills himself, but having killed himself is then no longer alive and cannot resuscitate himself after he has destroyed his own life--so also sin which arises from the action of the free will turns out to be victor over the will and the free will is destroye ...more
Reformed sounding quotes:
“For as a man who kills himself is still alive when he kills himself, but having killed himself is then no longer alive and cannot resuscitate himself after he has destroyed his own life--so also sin which arises from the action of the free will turns out to be victor over the will and the free will is destroye ...more
This little work was a pleasure to read. It consists of Augustine's thoughts on the Nicene Creed (faith) the Lord's Prayer (hope) and a short discourse on Christian love. It will serve as a good introduction to Augustine's theological thought.
For my part, I love Augustine's emphasis on the primacy of grace. His defense of the sacramental system is irritating, as it seems very weak. Finally, his take on faith and works is quite disappointing. He does not clearly distinguish between justification ...more
For my part, I love Augustine's emphasis on the primacy of grace. His defense of the sacramental system is irritating, as it seems very weak. Finally, his take on faith and works is quite disappointing. He does not clearly distinguish between justification ...more
This book is talking about the primary understanding of Christianity doctrine, belief, hope and love.God should be worshiped in faith, hope, love. Augustine explains the relationship of these values and uses different evangelists said to give a role model to readers.
This book contains several points you may never think of:
1.The relationship of belief, hope and love
Augustine briefly explains the relationship of Charity, hope and belief as following: "as one might expect, but faith as well, bec ...more
This book contains several points you may never think of:
1.The relationship of belief, hope and love
Augustine briefly explains the relationship of Charity, hope and belief as following: "as one might expect, but faith as well, bec ...more
An excellent and short Augustine read. He outlines faith and talks about God's sovereignty and the basics of the Christian faith. He has some great thought provoking sections like the mediation between God and man. He also writes about the giving of alms and penance.
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The Enchiridion is Augustine’s endeavor to condense the basic tenets of Christian thought into a manual of sorts. As such, the book is comprised of short chapters that cover a wide array of topics, from the definition of love to whether resurrection bodies will include cut-off fingernails. Augustine writes that he hopes his book would be “something you could carry around, not just baggage for your bookshelf” (9). And certainly, The Enchiridion is a far less intimidating volume than, say, City of
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Jul 11, 2021
Dr Yerima
added it
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An elegant exposition of the Christian faith. More accurately, I would say, it is a summary of St. Augustine’s mature theological-philosophical thought, all encapsulated under the theme of faith, hope, and love.
This handbook truly solidifies Augustine´s position as doctor ecclesiae, not just of the Roman church, but also of the whole trajectory of Western Christianity. In 33 short chapters (or 122 points) Augustine runs through his whole system: on the Holy Trinity and the Incarnation, ontology ...more
This handbook truly solidifies Augustine´s position as doctor ecclesiae, not just of the Roman church, but also of the whole trajectory of Western Christianity. In 33 short chapters (or 122 points) Augustine runs through his whole system: on the Holy Trinity and the Incarnation, ontology ...more
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 Chris
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Wonderful book that sheds a light into Christian thought.
Augustine is perhaps one of the most influential Christian writers outside the Bible... and this is for better and for worse. Inside this book you will find a godly man who is profoundly impacted by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He sheds much light into early Christian thought on things such as free will vs God’s choice, as well as the humanity and deity of Jesus. Yet he also has some error that I, as a Protestant Christian, would state as i ...more
Augustine is perhaps one of the most influential Christian writers outside the Bible... and this is for better and for worse. Inside this book you will find a godly man who is profoundly impacted by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He sheds much light into early Christian thought on things such as free will vs God’s choice, as well as the humanity and deity of Jesus. Yet he also has some error that I, as a Protestant Christian, would state as i ...more
I feel like it's wrong to give an Augustine book only 3 stars, but nonetheless I really didn't feel this little book was the treasue that its overall rating reflects.
The book isn't really a book, and could more aptly be described as a pamphlet; something the author himself attests. Better received as a free ebook or publication, the book is a simplistic look at certain Christian concepts. Unfortunately, the author may have gone overboard in his attempt at simplicity, as some of the subjects des ...more
The book isn't really a book, and could more aptly be described as a pamphlet; something the author himself attests. Better received as a free ebook or publication, the book is a simplistic look at certain Christian concepts. Unfortunately, the author may have gone overboard in his attempt at simplicity, as some of the subjects des ...more
May 27, 2021
Chris
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
own,
church-history-patristics
This book is part of the 2021 Theology Classics Reading Challenge by the Center for Baptist Renewal.
http://www.centerforbaptistrenewal.co...
CBR is a group of orthodox, evangelical Baptists committed to a retrieval of the Great Tradition of the historic church for the renewal of Baptist faith and practice.
I was surprised by how many aspects of Catholicism Augustine includes in his “handbook” for basic Christianity. He positively affirms penance, purgatory, infant baptism, the apocrypha, and praye ...more
http://www.centerforbaptistrenewal.co...
CBR is a group of orthodox, evangelical Baptists committed to a retrieval of the Great Tradition of the historic church for the renewal of Baptist faith and practice.
I was surprised by how many aspects of Catholicism Augustine includes in his “handbook” for basic Christianity. He positively affirms penance, purgatory, infant baptism, the apocrypha, and praye ...more
Written over 1500 years ago, Augustine wrote this catechism with the intention to summarize the Christian religion to it's core. A great guide to catholic (universal) Christian doctrine that Christians still believe and confess to this day. His chapter on evil has particularly influenced my thinking. His argument for the privation theory of evil (evil has no being, and parasitic on the good) is nothing less than ingenious.
...more
"And now regarding love, which the apostle says is greater than the other two—that
is, faith and hope—for the more richly it dwells in a man, the better the man in whom it
dwells. For when we ask whether someone is a good man, we are not asking what he believes,
or hopes, but what he loves." ...more
is, faith and hope—for the more richly it dwells in a man, the better the man in whom it
dwells. For when we ask whether someone is a good man, we are not asking what he believes,
or hopes, but what he loves." ...more
Short and good, although it contains some things which appear "childish and barren" in the light of subsequent history. The (erroneous) idea that children not only inherit original sin, but the sins of all their ancestors, passes by without being questioned. St. Augustine I have found is sometimes strict, "rigorist," just as some of the eastern fathers are sometimes lax.
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This is a short “hand-book” on the content of the Christian faith, written by Augustine for his friend, Laurentius. It is a wonderful introduction to the thought and theology of Augustine. If you haven’t read Augustine before, this is an accessible work, good for both the casual reader and the precise theologian. It’s a Christian classic that I am happy to recommend to all!
Saint Augustine is the man
It’s a great book. Saint Augustine is the man. It brings to light a lot of different views that I think are often misunderstood yet understood if you read everything he says.
It’s a great book. Saint Augustine is the man. It brings to light a lot of different views that I think are often misunderstood yet understood if you read everything he says.
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Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis, in English Augustine of Hippo, also known as St. Augustine, St. Austin, was bishop of Hippo Regius (present-day Annaba, Algeria). He was a Latin philosopher and theologian from the Africa Province of the Roman Empire and is generally considered as one of the greatest Christian thinkers of all times. His writings were very influential in the development of Western C
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“This, then, is true liberty: the joy that comes in doing what is right. At the same time, it is also devoted service in obedience to righteous precept.”
—
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“Among us, on the other hand, 'the righteous man lives by faith.' Now, if you take away positive affirmation, you take away faith, for without positive affirmation nothing is believed. And there are truths about things unseen, and unless they are believed, we cannot attain to the happy life, which is nothing less than life eternal. It is a question whether we ought to argue with those who profess themselves ignorant not only about the eternity yet to come but also about their present existence, for they [the Academics] even argue that they do not know what they cannot help knowing. For no one can 'not know' that he himself is alive. If he is not alive, he cannot 'not know' about it or anything else at all, because either to know or to 'not know' implies a living subject. But, in such a case, by not positively affirming that they are alive, the skeptics ward off the appearance of error in themselves, yet they do not make errors simply by showing themselves alive; one cannot err who is not alive. That we live is therefore not only true, but it is altogether certain as well. And there are many things that are thus true and certain concerning which, if we withhold positive assent, this ought not to be regarded as a higher wisdom but actually a sort of dementia.”
—
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