The Mestizo Augustine - by Justo L González (Paperback)

About the Book

Few thinkers have been as influential as Augustine of Hippo, yet we easily forget he was a man of two cultures: African and Greco-Roman. Cuban American historian and theologian Justo González presents Augustine as a "mestizo" (mixed) theologian, using the perspective of his own Latino heritage to find in the bishop of Hippo a remarkable resource for the church today.

Book Synopsis

Few thinkers have been as influential as Augustine of Hippo, yet we easily forget he was a man of two cultures: African and Greco-Roman. Cuban American historian and theologian Justo González presents Augustine as a "mestizo" (mixed) theologian, using the perspective of his own Latino heritage to find in the bishop of Hippo a remarkable resource for the church today.

Review Quotes

"All who read it will be grateful to González for bringing Augustine and his works alive for contemporary readers so as to sustain the hope that his enduring influence on Christians will continue to enlighten men and women for many generations to come."

"Justo González provides us with a unique and compelling retelling of the life of Augustine. He focuses on the mestizajes of Augustine's life to show us that his rich theology was born at the crossroads of peoples, languages, cultures, ethnicities, and social change. It is here that we encounter the deepest tensions of human existence but also where we can reflect most deeply on our understanding of God and our relationships with each other. We can thank González for reminding us through the life of Augustine that the mestizajes that we try to forestall or even deny 'may well be a sign of the future from which God is calling us.'"

"Justo L. González ranks among the most important and influential interpreters of Christian history in our era. The Mestizo Augustine is yet one more outstanding achievement. This groundbreaking study of Augustine offers compelling new insights into the life and thought of the great North African theologian and pastor from the perspective of mestizaje while advancing the overall project of mestizaje theology itself to a significant degree."

About the Author

Justo L. González is an ordained United Methodist minister, a retired professor of historical theology and author of the highly praised three-volume History of Christian Thought and the two-volume The Story of Christianity. He previously taught at the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico and the Candler School of Theology of Emory University. Besides his continued research and publication, he spends most of his energy promoting the theological education of Latino and Latina leaders.