Trim and readable ... [This volume] present[s] several poignant, interesting, and teachable essays. * Augustiniana *
The time is right for this book. The renewed interest in the study of theology and in the thought of the early Church that followed the Second Vatican Council has reached a certain maturity. It is, therefore, a good moment to expand the reach of each discipline by deepening the conversation between them. This Companion to Augustine and Modern Theology claims that it will be useful in the hands of students seeking to bring the wisdom of Augustine to their own theological labors. (p. 17) It is, I think, more than that. It will also challenge theologians to examine their agreements and differences with Augustine and learn to exploit the tensions they find there in productive ways. It will challenge those who study Augustine to show how the pastoral quality of his thought keeps his theology firmly engaged with the times and situations he faced. The collection of articles found in this book are a good beginning. They deal with central themes and significant historical figures in a way that ought to stimulate both further engagement and more publications. -- Allan Fitzgerald, O.S.A., The Augustinian Institute, Villanova University, USA
There are plenty of guides to Augustine's thought; the world doesn't need another. This book is something different: a companion to the reception of that thought, and to its effects on the development of particular Christian doctrines and theologians. There's nothing like it in English, and since the standard of the individual contributions is uniformly high, it is essential reading for anyone interested in what makes the West Augustinian, or in the variety of Augustinianisms there are. -- Paul J. Griffiths, Duke Divinity School, USA
This impressive volume bears the fruits of the Augustine renewal of the past fifteen years. The editors have gathered together major essays of a uniformly high level. With this book, Augustinian theology as a constructive and ecumenical venture moves to the forefront of the theological scene. -- Matthew Levering, University of Dayton, USA
What a wonderful volume! Pecknold and Toom have drawn together a collection that opens multiple windows onto one of the most important and complex theologians of the western tradition. The first half of the book provides concise and powerful treatments of key themes in Augustine's thought; the second half entices us along some of the many roads that lead from Augustine to modern Christian thought. Throughout the compelling and continually generative nature of Augustine's thought shines. -- Lewis Ayres, University of Durham, UK
One of the most interesting recent developments in contemporary theology is a return to Augustine as theological resource. It is not too strong to say that some of the most creative modern theology is Augustinian in some way, predicated on a recovery and re-articulation of fundamental insights, and maybe even more importantly, a fundamental theological style, that characterized Augustine. This new volume provides an indispensable tool for anyone wishing to track this renewal in theology, and also for those wishing, in their own way, to contribute to it. Somewhat unexpectedly but certainly pleasantly, one discovers in reading these essays that in attempting to develop Augustinian thinking in a modern context, one is also learning to see Augustine himself anew. The implication is that, perhaps, the only way to study Augustine in a way that does him justice, is to develop his thinking in dialogue with the big theological questions of one's own time. -- John Cavadini, University of Notre Dame, USA
Out of the many learned reference works on Augustine, this accessible companion stands out among them because it is both historically informed and theologically generative. In fact, by reading Augustine in conversation with important developments in Christian doctrine and in dialogue with prominent theologians, these essays provide a welcome contribution to Augustine studies and contemporary theology. I highly recommend it for students and scholars alike. -- Eric Gregory, Princeton University, USA
