St. Augustine in 90 Minutes

Publisher: Blackstone Audio Inc
Author: Paul Strathern
Narrator: Robert Whitfield
Length: 1 hour 30 minutes (Unabridged)
Physical Price: $19.95
Download Price: $8.99
Format: Encoded Windows Media
Only Available in the US and Canada
© 2006 Blackstone Audio Inc
 
"Well-written, clear, and informed, they have a breezy wit about them. I find them hard to stop reading." --New York Times

"Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise." --Wall Street Journal

"I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one's friends to Western civilization." --Boston Globe

St. Augustine's struggles with sex and a domineering mother, followed by his spiritual crisis and conversion to Christianity detailed in his confessions ultimately led him to his major contribution to philosophy: the fusion of the two doctrines of Christianity and Neoplatonism. This not only provided Christianity with a strong intellectual backing but tied it to the Greek tradition of philosophy. In this way Christianity managed to keep the flame of philosophy burning, however dimly, through the Dark Ages. St. Augustine also produced important philosophic ideas of his own, including theories of time and subjective knowledge that anticipated by many centuries the work of Kant and Descartes.

In St. Augustine in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern offers a concise, expert account of St. Augustine's life and ideas and explains their influence on man's struggle to understand his existence in the world. The book also includes selections from St. Augustine's work, a brief list of suggested readings for those who wish to delve deeper, and chronologies that place St. Augustine within his own age and in the broader scheme of philosophy.

Paul Strathern earned a degree in philosophy at Trinity College, Dublin, and has lectured in philosophy and mathematics. A Somerset Maugham prize winner, he has written books on history, philosophy, and travel as well as five novels. His articles have appeared in numerous publications, including the Observer (London) and the Irish Times. He lives and writes in London.

Earphones Awards recipient Robert Whitfield was born in England and worked for the BBC for ten years as a radio news announcer and also worked as a narrator for the Royal National Institute for the Blind in London. In addition to narrating for Blackstone Audiobooks, he involves himself in numerous stage-acting projects in the United States and Europe.