Twin Towers
Twin Towers
It is my humble opinion, that the two greatest and most important books ever written, since the end of the closing of the canon of Holy Scripture, are Augustine's City of God, and John Calvin's Institutes of The Christian Religion. Both of these tomes (and they are pretty long), took their brilliant authors some time to finish (Augustine), or perfect (Calvin).
Augustine started on De Civitate Dei in about 413 AD, and he finally finished it in 426 AD--some four years before his death. Calvin began his work on Institutio Christianae Religionis in 1534 AD; and his final version of it was published in 1559 AD--some five years before his death. So, we can perceive that these men thought of these, their magnum opuses, as long-term and very worthwhile studies. (All together, their labors on these books would encompass some 38 years [of their two remarkable lives].)
If it is wondered why these two books would be esteemed above all others (excluding the Holy Scriptures, of course), the reasons would go along these lines. . . . One, the Subject Matter: essentially they are consumed with the Three Persons of The Holy Trinity. Two, the authors themselves: two of the church's (and world's) greatest thinkers/pastors/theologians of all time. And three, the scope, complexity, and eternal relevance of the works. Though both authors felt compelled to write because of current events during their own lifetimes--Augustine addressing the Goths' sacking of Rome in 410 AD; and Calvin's sense that the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century needed a cohesive systematic theology--the contents of their books carry perennial application and germaneness.
And though we might be tempted to quibble a little bit with Augustine's treatment of marriage, virginity, and monasticism; and perhaps even a slight bit with Calvin's handling of the "papists" of his time--these issues are of no significant account (or weight) in countering the greatness of these works. (These things are basically nit-picks, with regard to these books.)
Augustine pretty much covers divine, human, and church history in his work; and Calvin quite thoroughly scours all the key and important points of doctrine and theology (in his). It is my sense that Calvin "fills in" and "perfects" anything possibly "lacking" in Augustine's theology; and that Calvin greatly benefitted from Augustine's grasp of history (through the early part of the fifth century AD).
So, if the question is, "Why are these books SO great--so as to be esteemed above all others?"--the answer, in my opinion, would be, "Because they are totally committed to the service of the One, True, and Only God, who has revealed Himself in His Son our Lord Jesus Christ."
Both authors do everything they can to confirm and defend the gospel of grace in our Blessed Redeemer; and they both seek to diligently shield and fortify the beloved church of God, which has been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Enjoy your reading; but be prepared to take quite a bit of time poring over the pages. There are a lot of them; but they will pay great spiritual dividends. (Sidenote: the abridged editions of City of God may look tempting, but they do omit a lot of interesting historical illustrations [if my memory is serving me correctly].)
Rev. Mark J. Henninger
Treatise #37
12 November 2025
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