Augustine and the City of God

    The opening words of the Bible (Gen 1:1) reveal the dualistic cosmic reality we live in as human beings: "In the beginning God created the heavens [i.e. the invisible realm] and the earth [i.e. the visible realm, including the planets and stars]." Accordingly, human history can only be truly understood when both cosmic realms are duly considered (cf. Col 1:16).
    Consistent with this worldview, centuries ago Augustine (354-430 AD) diligently searched his Bible for real-life wisdom, eventually writing a classic masterpiece titled, The City of God. A large book, most Christians today are intimidated by it. However, one contemporary scholar, Dr. Nick Needham, has provided us with a one-hour-long lecture (includes a Q&A session) that summarizes this priceless book (link below). Here are two gems from this invaluable lecture:    

 " . . . Augustine says, that we must step back from the immediate historical event to look at the broad sweep of history. What is history all about?  How can we understand any event in history, if we don't understand what history itself is? So what is history? It is, says Augustine, a tale of two cities, two cities in conflict. If we do not grasp that, we won't understand the driving force behind human history. And, if we don't understand what is driving history, we won't be able to have any appreciation for the real significance of anything in history."

"Relate yourself relatively to the relative and absolutely to the absolute. The soul-destroying error of utopian dreamers is they relate themselves absolutely to the relative." 

Link to Dr. Nick Needham's lecture: Augustine and the City of God.