Safety First

Peter Iver Kaufman

$51.95 $47.02

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Cascade Books
08 August 2024

Religious ethics; History of religion; Christianity; Christian Churches & denominations

"Late Roman Africa gives us plenty to ponder. Christianity there had been divided between two factions since the early fourth century. By the fifth, militants among the Donatists (or sectarians) struck at their rivals, whose leading spokesman, Augustine, is our principal source. But did he exaggerate the difficulties catholic Christianity faced or wholly fabricate to attract government attention and intervention? For the same purposes, did he invent a resurgence of paganism? Or were there dangers to the safety of his congregations from sectarians and complications caused by polytheists purveying fake news about the history and fate of the empire? Did their seductive fictions threaten the ascendancy of Christianity, which its most prolific prelate would have been irresponsible to overlook? The scholarly consensus now tilts toward the claim that Augustine deployed the rhetoric of security to """"wipe out"""" Donatists and pagan dissent. Some suggest the latter was then extinct. Safety First contends that Augustine's concerns were well-founded and that his attempts to redirect civic philanthropy, reconcile with sectarian Christians, end idolatry, and draw support for those efforts from the politically influential expressed his interests in security and adapted what his faith considered sound perspectives on sin, the sacraments, sacrilege, and superstition."

By: Peter Iver Kaufman
Imprint: Cascade Books
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 9mm
Weight: 236g
ISBN: 9781666738650
ISBN 10: 1666738654
Pages: 152
Publication Date: 08 August 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

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.

Reviews for Safety First

"""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"