City of God

'City of God' is an extensive theological book, written in the early fifth century by Augustine of Hippo, the man who would go on to become a Doctor of the Church, offered a persuasive defense of Christianity at a time when it was being blamed for the horrific sack of Rome that had happened only a few years before. It describes a kind of citizenship that transcends the material, political, and egotistical, emphasizing a community of pious, God-centered, and grace-seeking people. In assessing history through a sharply defined lens of good and evil, Augustine was effectively interpreting human behavior in light of eternity. He examines Greek philosophers such as Plato, the Bible, and paganism in addition to drawing striking comparisons between earthly and heavenly cities. This book is regarded as a founding work of Christianity and is still a potent Christian classic today, just as it inspired the people of the author's own time.