Mark J. Boone is assistant professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Hong Kong Baptist University.

Desire occupies a central place in Augustine’s philosophical theology and is the lynchpin for almost every topic that he treats. In Reason, Authority, and the Healing of Desire in the Writings of Augustine, Dr. Mark J. Boone provides a fresh look at this sometimes neglected and often misunderstood aspect of Augustine’s thought. Through a careful examination of eight works, Boone persuasively shows how Augustine has a Platonically informed yet distinctively Christian theology of desire, a theology that is evident in his writings that rely mainly on reason and in his writings that rely mainly on authority.This book makes a valuable contribution to our historical understanding of Augustine’s pioneering work in the field of desire as well as to our contemporary conversations about human eros.

• AbbreviationsIntroduction: Two Ways of Discovering a Good Theology of DesirePart One: ReasonChapter 1: Defense of the Faith According to Reason: De Vera ReligioneChapter 2: Ethics According to Reason: De Natura BoniChapter 3: Metaphysics and the Problem of Evil According to Reason: De Libero Arbitrio VoluntatisChapter 4: God and the Soul According to Reason: De MagistroPart Two: AuthorityChapter 5: Defense of the Faith According to Authority: De Utilitate CredendiChapter 6: Ethics According to Authority: De Cono ConiugaliChapter 7: Metaphysics and the Problem of Evil According to Reason: EnchiridionChapter 8: God and the Soul According to Authority: ConfessionesBibliography

Mark J. Boone is assistant professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Hong Kong Baptist University.

Desire occupies a central place in Augustine’s philosophical theology and is the lynchpin for almost every topic that he treats. In Reason, Authority, and the Healing of Desire in the Writings of Augustine, Dr. Mark J. Boone provides a fresh look at this sometimes neglected and often misunderstood aspect of Augustine’s thought. Through a careful examination of eight works, Boone persuasively shows how Augustine has a Platonically informed yet distinctively Christian theology of desire, a theology that is evident in his writings that rely mainly on reason and in his writings that rely mainly on authority.This book makes a valuable contribution to our historical understanding of Augustine’s pioneering work in the field of desire as well as to our contemporary conversations about human eros.

• AbbreviationsIntroduction: Two Ways of Discovering a Good Theology of DesirePart One: ReasonChapter 1: Defense of the Faith According to Reason: De Vera ReligioneChapter 2: Ethics According to Reason: De Natura BoniChapter 3: Metaphysics and the Problem of Evil According to Reason: De Libero Arbitrio VoluntatisChapter 4: God and the Soul According to Reason: De MagistroPart Two: AuthorityChapter 5: Defense of the Faith According to Authority: De Utilitate CredendiChapter 6: Ethics According to Authority: De Cono ConiugaliChapter 7: Metaphysics and the Problem of Evil According to Reason: EnchiridionChapter 8: God and the Soul According to Authority: ConfessionesBibliography

Mark J. Boone is assistant professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Hong Kong Baptist University.

Desire occupies a central place in Augustine’s philosophical theology and is the lynchpin for almost every topic that he treats. In Reason, Authority, and the Healing of Desire in the Writings of Augustine, Dr. Mark J. Boone provides a fresh look at this sometimes neglected and often misunderstood aspect of Augustine’s thought. Through a careful examination of eight works, Boone persuasively shows how Augustine has a Platonically informed yet distinctively Christian theology of desire, a theology that is evident in his writings that rely mainly on reason and in his writings that rely mainly on authority.This book makes a valuable contribution to our historical understanding of Augustine’s pioneering work in the field of desire as well as to our contemporary conversations about human eros.

• AbbreviationsIntroduction: Two Ways of Discovering a Good Theology of DesirePart One: ReasonChapter 1: Defense of the Faith According to Reason: De Vera ReligioneChapter 2: Ethics According to Reason: De Natura BoniChapter 3: Metaphysics and the Problem of Evil According to Reason: De Libero Arbitrio VoluntatisChapter 4: God and the Soul According to Reason: De MagistroPart Two: AuthorityChapter 5: Defense of the Faith According to Authority: De Utilitate CredendiChapter 6: Ethics According to Authority: De Cono ConiugaliChapter 7: Metaphysics and the Problem of Evil According to Reason: EnchiridionChapter 8: God and the Soul According to Authority: ConfessionesBibliography