The City of God · Chapter
I explained
Augustine addresses the adversaries of Christ who, though spared by the barbarians out of respect for Christ during the sack of Rome, now reproach the Christian religion.
What happens
Augustine addresses the adversaries of Christ who, though spared by the barbarians out of respect for Christ during the sack of Rome, now reproach the Christian religion. He argues that their preservation is due to divine providence and the mercy shown for Christ's sake, and he calls them to give thanks and flee to God's name for eternal salvation.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This chapter is the dramatic climax because it marks the irreversible psychological and spiritual turning poin…
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Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Divine Providence and History
Augustine interprets the sparing of pagans and Christians alike as an act of divine providence, using temporal afflictions to reform the depraved and test the righteous.
- Sin, Grace, and Redemption
The adversaries' ingratitude and false profession of Christ's name for temporal safety contrast with the need for sincere confession to escape eternal punishment.
Characters to notice
- Augustine
Author and defender of the city of God against its adversaries.
- Jesus Christ
The Redeemer whose name and sanctuaries provided refuge during the sack of Rome.
Key passages
“Are not those very Romans, who were spared by the barbarians through their respect for Christ, become enemies to the name of Christ?”
The Romans who survived because the barbarians honored Christ have now turned against Christ's name.
Augustine highlights the irony of those saved by Christian mercy now opposing Christianity.
“They ought rather, had they any right perceptions, to attribute the severities and hardships inflicted by their enemies, to that divine providence which is wont to reform the depraved manners of men by chastisement, and which exercises with similar afflictions the righteous and praiseworthy.”
If they understood correctly, they would see that their sufferings are from God's providence, which uses punishment to correct the wicked and tests the good.
Augustine reframes the disaster as a divine tool for moral correction and spiritual growth.
