Shannon Costello

Last week in the dining room we were forced to destroy some invading ants. CJ’s initial stomping technique was not as effective as that of squashing with the bare thumb. The latter approach more nearly describes Augustine’s tactics against Roman theology (or Greek- I won’t differentiate here between the two.) Augustine systematically and thoroughly dissects and critiques the roles and power structure of the gods as well as the rites (plenty of unsavory detail in this book) used in their worship. He concludes that the gods are either myths based on men who lived long ago or else demons.

I continue to wonder about the appropriateness of attacking another religion. I tend to see Augustine as having written an entire book merely to attack an obsolete religion.

1) I have not read far enough to take Augustine’s main point. Books X- XII are devoted to an exposition of Christian doctrine.

2) There existed at one time Roman/Greek fundamentalists. In Acts a crowd tries to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabus, believing them to be Zeus and Hermes in human form. The situation turns ugly after Paul speaks in support of the one true God and Paul’s enemies arrive. There is a riot in Ephesus where the crowd spends a couple of hours shouting “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

3) Finally (for the post, not for the issue; I’ll have to reserve judgement there), there is not as clear a distinction between attack and defense as I would like to believe. For Augustine to be right, it is necessary for the detractors of Christianity he addressed to be wrong.