Saturday, January 6, 2007

Augustine the Farmers Boy of Tagaste

by P. De Zeeuw
Available from Inheritance Publications and Amazon
****
This is a short, children's biography; I read the 93 pages in about an hour. The account begins in Augustine's childhood, and depicts his very wayward life. His mother, Monica, follows him throughout his years of wickedness with her love, prayers, and tears. It would be an encouraging story to mothers who see their children walking apart from the Lord. God does hear and answer prayer. The book includes his conversion and later service in the church, concluding with his passing from death into Life eternal.

One chapter near the end of the book tells a legend of an angel, appearing as a young boy teaching a lesson to Augustine. THe bishop had been trying to understand with his mind Who God is, and the lesson was that our minds can not comprehend God in His fullness, and we must believe what we know. This is not presented as fact, but is called a legend in the book.

I think the book is an excellent introduction to Augustine, especially for younger children. It's an easy read for those who want to know about Augustine, but don't have the time to go through "Confessions" or "City of God."

No comments: