Augustine's historiographical method

Abstract

Originally written to defend the church against charges of being responsible for the destruction of the city of Rome in 410 CE, Augustine’s City of God has come to stand as a monument to theological reflection on the history of God’s creation. Although not primarily a historian, Augustine made a significant contribution to the study of Christian history. He raises Scripture to become the source of the meaning of history and defines the only true history as sacred history. This article considers Augustine’s critique of the Catholic Church, the meaning of history, the origins of the City of God, Augustine’s views on philosophy and theology history, and the prophetic nature of biblical history.