Peter Iver Kaufman is professor emeritus, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and, since 2008, professor and the George Matthews and Virginia Brinkley Modlin Chair in Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond.
"""It is no surprise that Peter Kaufman, long a thrilling and dissident voice in the field of Augustine's political thought, has once again challenged us to reconsider our prevailing assumptions about the late antique world. His book's unassuming title disguises a deep engagement with Augustine's difficult balancing act between Christian misericordia and Roman imperium, issuing its own balanced assessment of the bishop's efforts to support the conditions of earthly life as a member of the catholic faithful. This is an impressive achievement."" --Ian Clausen, editor-in-chief, Augustinian Studies ""Peter Kaufman's gripping Safety First transports us to a world of secession and reimagined pagan greatness in fifth-century Roman Africa. Augustine opposed government intervention, but he eventually recognized the need to coerce religious separatists who subverted order--the Donatists. In the midst of polarization and religious violence, Augustine, in this important book, affirms a policy of reason and compassion as best. When it fails, Christians can secure safety using the power of the state."" --Bolek Kabala, co-editor of Augustine in a Time of Crisis: Politics and Religion Contested"