No other part of the Hebrew Scriptures, aside from the Psalter and sections of the prophet Isaiah, captured the interest and aroused the attention of the early Church as did the opening chapters of the Book of Genesis. Augustine of Hippo devoted three treatises to these chapters. The first two On Genesis: A Refutation of the Manichees and his Unfinished Literal Commentary on Genesis are early works. The third and longest The Literal Meaning of Genesis was produced at the height of Augustine's maturity and has been ranked with his Confessions, The Trinity, and The City of God. This volume brings these three works together for the first time in English and provides a valuable and comprehensive introduction to each one. Augustine of Hippo is one of the greatest thinkers and writers in the Western world. After he became a Christian, he was made bishop of Hippo in Africa where he was very influential in civil and church affairs.
