The City of God stands as Augustine's masterwork of theological defense and construction, written over thirteen years in response to accusations that Christianity brought ruin upon Rome. This first volume contains the first ten books of sustained refutation—demolishing pagan claims that traditional worship secured either temporal prosperity or eternal happiness—followed by the beginning of his positive vision in Books Eleven through Thirteen, where he traces the origin of two societal orders to the primordial division among the angels. What emerges is not merely an apology for Christianity but a philosophy of history that subordinate the fate of empires to the hidden providence of the one true God, whose sovereignty extends from creation through the fall to the final judgment.
Augustine concludes the book by signaling the transition to the next major division of his work. Having refuted the objections of those who prefer false gods to the Founder of the holy city, he now prepares to discuss the origin, the development, and the appointed ends of the two cities—the City of God and the earthly city—which are intermingled in the present age but will be separated at the final judgment. The argument has established that true worship belongs to the one true God alone, that the holy angels direct us to Him rather than to themselves, that the miracles of Scripture authenticate this worship, and that Christ alone is the universal way of salvation. Upon this foundation the remainder of the work will build, tracing the history of the two cities from their origins to their ultimate destinies.
With the first ten books completed—books devoted to refuting the enemies of the City of God and defending true religion against the false claims of the Roman gods and their philosophical defenders—Augustine now turns to the second and more constructive portion of his work. This new division will treat of the origin, historical progress, and final destinies of the two cities: the earthly and the heavenly. These two societies are presently commingled in the world, a mixture that will only be dissolved at the final judgment. The purpose is theological and pastoral: to instruct the faithful regarding their true citizenship and direct their affections toward the eternal homeland.
The City of God is attested by the supreme authority of Holy Scripture, which excels all human writings by its divine origin. Augustine cites the Psalms: “Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God,” and “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God.” These testimonies have instilled in believers a love for this city and desire for its citizenship. Its Founder is the one true God, “the God of gods”—not of false and proud deities who grasp at divine honors from deluded mortals, but of the holy spirits who submit themselves to His sovereign lordship. The citizens of the earthly city, by contrast, prefer their own gods—demons who are enemies of the true God—and live according to self-love and pride.
The foundations of these two cities, Augustine announces, were laid not first in human sin but in the primordial difference that arose among the angels. This angelic division establishes the two archetypal communities whose characteristics will be mirrored in the two human societies descending from them.
The original text of this work is in the public domain. This page focuses on a guided summary article, reading notes, selected quotes, and visual learning materials for educational purposes.