Enchiridion of Saint Augustine

The Enchiridion On Faith, Hope, And Love By Saint Augustine A.D. 420 (5th century)

     This post is about one of my favorite books. I have it in Kindle form and in audio from from Librivox.org. You can also read it online via several different websites.

New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia and Catholic Treasury are two other great sources for this book. You can read chapters 11-17 concerning the topic of Good and Evil here on my blog.

I love his explanations so profound and beautifully written!

I like to read it and listen to it on my phone at least once a year. Saint Augustine is my buddy in Christ and I have learned a lot from him. His Enchiridion is a 5th century Catechism/Apologetic handbook. In fact Enchiridion is Greek for handbook although it was first written in Latin the common language in the 5th century and one Augustine spoke most fluently. It outlines the main tenents of the Christian faith as understood by Augustine and the Church in the 5th century. Augustine was Bishop of Hippo. He is also considered an early father and doctor of the Church. In this book Saint Augustine doesn't deviate from unanimously held doctrine in Christian orthodoxy on matters such as the Divinity of Christ, which he explains nicely, God, good and evil, faith and works, angels, and so much more.

"You are anxious, you say, that I should write a sort of handbook for you, which you might always keep beside you, containing answers to the questions you put, viz.: what ought to be man'schief end in life; what he ought, in view of the various heresies, chiefly to avoid; to what extent religion is supported by reason; what there is in reason that lends no support to faith, when faith stands alone; what is the starting-point, what the goal, of religion; what is the sum of the whole body of doctrine; what is the sure and proper foundation of the catholic faith. Now, undoubtedly, you will know the answers to all these questions, if you know thoroughly the proper objects of faith, hope, and love. For these must be the chief, nay, the exclusive objects of pursuit in religion. He who speaks against these is either a total stranger to the name of Christ, or is a heretic. These are to be defended by reason, which must have its starting-point either in the bodily senses or in the intuitions of the mind. And what we have neither had experience of through our bodily senses, nor have been able to reach through the intellect, must undoubtedly bebelieved on the testimony of those witnesses by whom the Scriptures, justly called divine, were written; and who by divine assistance were enabled, either through bodily sense orintellectual perception, to see or to foresee the things in question." (Chapter 4)

Good stuff!

I want to encourage everyone to read and listen to his wonderful words and insights into scripture and Christian teaching. May he be a blessing in your life as he has been in mine.

Sincerely Joanne Utke

Saint Augustine Restless Heart