City of God - Augustine - VII - Book 4 commenced

Required reading
City of God by Augustine (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Begin reading Book 4 (Chapters 1-16).

My summary
At the beginning of Book Four Augustine summarises Books One, Two and Three and how they relate to his defence that Christ cannot be blamed for Rome's fall.  In Book One Augustine proved from Roman authors that history demonstrates 'that the false gods whom they used to worship openly and still worship secretly, are really unclean spirits.'  In Books Two and Three Augustine showed that there were disasters in Rome before Christianity arrived, particularly moral evils (Book Two) and physical disasters (Book Three).

Then Augustine continues with Book Four making further mockery of Roman gods.  Firstly he asks how the Assyrian empire worshipped non-Roman gods and was more successful than Rome.  Then the rest of today's reading is taken up with looking at how the polytheistic Romans have too many gods and so cannot worship any supreme god and credit the empire's success.  He also critiques pantheism and calling humans gods.

What grabbed me
Augustine is great at showing how illogical it is to worship multiple gods - a polytheist cannot hope to be successful: 'since there are so many [gods] that they cannot all be recognised and worshipped.'  One of the examples he gives is classic: 'Each man appoints one door-keeper for his house and that one, being a man, is enough.  But the Romans appointed three gods; Forculus to guard the doors (fores); Cardea the hinges (cardo); Limentinus the threshold (limen). So Forculus could not guard both hinges and threshold at the same time.'  To keep your doorway safe you have to keep three gods on side, not just one.  And this is just the door, let alone the house, the city or the empire!

How wonderful it is to be a Christian and know that there is only one God who reigns supreme.  When I am worried about the door, I pray to the LORD.  When I am worried about money, I pray to the LORD.  When I am worried about the city, I pray to the LORD.  So much peace for the monotheist!

Next week's reading
Finish Book 4 (Chapters 17-34)

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.