City of God - Augustine - XII - Book 7 commenced

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

My summary
In today's reading from Book Seven, Augustine continues to attack 'civil theology' and the 'select' gods of the public. 

Augustine says that Varro outlined twenty gods and the reasons that they were considered 'select' is because of their more important responsibilities in the universe and because they were better known to the people in general.

The main thrust of Augustine's argument against these 'select' deities is that their roles and responsibilities overlap which causes them to conflict with each other.  Even if the Romans take Jupiter as the Supreme god, they then divide him up into other deities in accordance with his many powers: 'they must say that Jupiter himself is as many gods as they have given him names corresponding to his powers, since all those many functions which justify those names are distinct.'

The result is a confusion amongst the gods, even when you narrow it down to a 'select' twenty deities.

What grabbed me
In his discussion on the god of money, Pecunia, Augustine made some good observations about riches: '...riches and money are very different things.  We speak of the "riches" of the wise, the just, the virtuous; they are richer than others because of their virtues, thanks to which they are content with what they have, even when their material resources are straitened.  We speak of the "poverty" of the avaricious who are always yearning for more and always in want; they can have all the money possible, and yet in their abundance they cannot help being in want.  And we call the true God himself "rich", not rich in money, but in his omnipotence.  Moneyed men, of course, are called rich; but they are needy in their hearts, if they are greedy: the moneyless are called poor; but if they are wise, they are rich in their hearts.'

Despite what our society screams at us, you don't need money to be rich.  And those who have money with greed are always poor.


Next week's reading
Finish reading Book Seven.

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