The City of God · Chapter
Chapter IV explained
Augustine argues that the world was created by God in time, not from eternity, and that this does not imply a change in God's eternal will.
What happens
Augustine argues that the world was created by God in time, not from eternity, and that this does not imply a change in God's eternal will. He refutes those who claim the world has a creational but not temporal beginning, showing the absurdities that follow, especially regarding the soul's happiness and misery.
Themes in this chapter
Divine Providence and History
Augustine emphasizes that God's creation of the world in time does not alter His eternal, immutable will, underscoring divine providence.
Sin, Grace, and Redemption
Discussion of the soul's misery and blessedness touches on the fall and redemption, as Augustine argues against cyclical alternation of happiness and misery.
Characters to notice
- Augustine
Author and primary voice, defending the creation of the world in time against philosophical objections.
- Holy Scripture
Cited as the source of the prophetic witness 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.'
Key passages
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
God made the heavens and the earth at the start of time.
Augustine uses this scriptural quote to affirm the temporal creation of the world.
“Of all visible things, the world is the greatest; of all invisible, the greatest is God.”
The world is the greatest thing we can see, and God is the greatest thing we cannot see.
Augustine contrasts the visible world with the invisible God to establish the basis for belief in creation.