The opening books of City of God answer those who blamed Christianity for the sack of Rome in 410, dismantling the claim that the old gods had preserved the empire and exposing the moral corruption of Roman religion. Augustine wrote the work in installments between 413 and 426, completing it as bishop of Hippo in his final years. Books 1 to 5 address those who worshipped the gods for earthly prosperity; Books 6 to 10 answer those who sought eternal life through pagan religion.

The final twelve books unfold Augustine’s vision of two cities, one built on love of God to contempt of self, the other on love of self to contempt of God. Moving from the creation of angels and the origin of evil through the long sweep of sacred history, Augustine closes with the last judgment, eternal punishment, and the everlasting blessedness of the redeemed. City of God shaped Christian thought on providence, history, and the relationship between church and state for over a millennium.