The City of God · Chapter
Book VII explained
Augustine argues that eternal life cannot be attained through the worship of the select gods of the civil theology, such as Janus, Jupiter, and Saturn.
What happens
Augustine argues that eternal life cannot be attained through the worship of the select gods of the civil theology, such as Janus, Jupiter, and Saturn. He critiques Varro's attempts to interpret pagan myths as natural allegories, showing that these interpretations reduce the gods to mutable, corporeal things and fail to lead to the true, unchangeable God. Augustine emphasizes that worship of any creature—whether soul, body, or element—with rites due only to the Creator is impious, and that the civil theology's obscene rites serve only to attract wicked spirits.
Themes in this chapter
True Worship and the One God
Augustine contrasts the worship of the true God—incorporeal, unchangeable, and the source of eternal life—with the worship of mutable creatures and elements, which is impious even if performed with good intentions.
Critique of Pagan Religion
The chapter systematically dismantles Varro's civil theology, showing that its select gods are either men deified or natural forces, and that their rites are obscene and serve only to attract wicked spirits.
Sin, Grace, and Redemption
Augustine implies that pagan worship is a form of sin—worshipping the creature rather than the Creator—and that only through the grace of the true God can one attain eternal life.
Characters to notice
- Augustine
Author and narrator; argues against the civil theology and its select gods, seeking to tear up ancient errors and commend true worship of the one God.
- Marcus Varro
Roman scholar whose sixteen books on civil theology and selection of twenty select gods are the main subject of critique; his interpretations of myths are shown to be inconsistent and reductive.
- Jupiter
Select god; discussed in relation to Saturn and as a figure in Varro's natural interpretations, but shown to be a mutable creature, not the true God.
- Saturn
Select god; his myth (devouring children, pruning-knife) is interpreted by Varro in agricultural terms, but Augustine argues these interpretations lead only to temporal, mortal things.
- Janus
Select god; mentioned as one of the twenty select gods and as a figure some identify with heaven or earth, but not the true God.
- Tellus
Goddess; mentioned as the starting point for Varro's discussion of female deities, representing the earth, but again not the true God.
Key passages
“If gods are selected like onions, certainly the rest are rejected as bad.”
Tertullian's witty remark suggests that selecting some gods implies the others are worthless, like picking out good onions from bad ones.
Augustine cites this saying but does not fully endorse it, noting that selection can be for special roles without rejecting the rest.
“A far more credible account of these gods is given, when it is said that they were men, and that to each one of them sacred rites and solemnities were instituted, according to his particular genius, manners, actions, circumstances.”
It is more believable that the pagan gods were originally human beings, and that their worship arose from their individual traits and deeds, later embellished by poets and demons.
Augustine prefers the euhemerist explanation over Varro's natural allegories, as it accounts for the historical and moral flaws in the myths.
“He who worships with such things—that is, foul and obscene things—and that not the true God, namely, the maker of soul and body, but a creature, even though not a wicked creature, whether it be soul or body, or soul and body together, twice sins against God.”
A person who uses shameful rites to worship any creature instead of the Creator commits a double sin: worshipping a false god and using improper means.
Augustine emphasizes that even if the creature worshipped is not evil, the act of misdirected worship is still sinful.
