De Civitate Dei. [Of the Citie of God].

SAINT AUGUSTINE,.

Item Number: 103561

Nuremberg: Koberger, 1520.

Rare 16th century Koberger edition of Augustine’s monumental work. Folio, bound in full geometric blind-stamped calf with gilt titles to the spine and front panel, three raised tooled bands to the spine, hand painted geometric decoration to the fore-edge, title page printed in red and black with an elaborate central woodcut vignette of Saint Augustine at his writing desk within an elaborate architectural woodcut border, text in four columns. In very good condition.

One of the great cornerstones in the history of Christian thought, The City of God is vital to an understanding of modern Western society and how it came into being. Begun in A.D. 413, the book's initial purpose was to refute the charge that Christianity was to blame for the fall of Rome (which had occurred just three years earlier). Indeed, Augustine produced a wealth of evidence to prove that paganism bore within itself the seeds of its own destruction. However, over the next thirteen years that it took to complete the work, the brilliant ecclesiastic proceeded to his larger theme: a cosmic interpretation of history in terms of the struggle between good and evil. By means of his contrast of the earthly and heavenly cities--the one pagan, self-centered, and contemptuous of God and the other devout, God-centered, and in search of grace--Augustine explored and interpreted human history in relation to eternity.