Christ, the Way: Augustine's Theology of Wisdom

When, amidst great distress, Augustine read Romans 13:14 ‘clothe yourself with Jesus Christ’ and was converted, one of the greatest minds of his day entered the kingdom. Augustine bequeathed to us a vast corpus that has been mined for theological insight ever since. Wisdom is a major theme in his writing but it has not received the attention it deserves. It is to the credit of Benjamin that he has attended to this theme closely and in detail across Augustine’s corpus. The results are rich and important and will contribute in a fresh way to Augustine studies.

–Craig G. Bartholomew, senior research fellow, Trinity College, Bristol

Augustine scholars will welcome with gratitude Benjamin Quinn’s Christ the Way. As Goulven Madec observed many years ago, if there be a single unifying theme running through all of the Bishop of Hippo’s writings, it is surely wisdom. With a keen eye ever on the (often overlooked) fact that the exegesis of Scripture grounds all of Augustine’s theology, Quinn charts his own course as he traces with care the development of Augustine’s views on wisdom throughout long career. Born of a mind itself humbled by his encounter with the great Bishop of Hippo, Quinn is a patient reader of Augustine’s evolving views on Christ, ‘the power and wisdom of God’ (1 Cor 1:24). Quinn’s is a rich, insightful, and well‐researched contribution to Augustinian studies.

–Martin Laird, O.S.A., professor of Early Christian Studies, Villanova University

With Christ, the Way, Benjamin Quinn gives readers a much needed portal into Augustine’s sapential theology. From Cicero to Christ, the journey of wisdom in Augustine is well documented but in need of further reflection and reception. Quinn’s work guides readers through the contours of wisdom according to Augustine, while suggesting avenues for further research. It is valuable not only to researchers of Augustine’s thought, but for those wishing to pursue the task of theology in light of the wisdom of Christ.

–Coleman M. Ford, assistant professor of Christian formation, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary