Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-89b8bd64d-dvtzq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-06T04:39:00.931Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 January 2026

Christopher R. Mooney
Affiliation:
Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology, Missouri
Get access

Summary

Despite the colossal importance of Augustine in the history of justification, no comprehensive study on this topic has yet been written. Moreover, the prevailing view is that Augustine understood justification to be caused by charity, not faith. This book aims to re-center Augustine’s theology of justification onto faith, and its thesis is that Augustine developed multiple accounts of how faith justifies based on whether faith is motivated by fear (which fails to justify), hope (which will justify), or love (which already justifies). The introduction then establishes the fundamentals of justification for Augustine: Augustine understands justification to consist in forgiveness and interior renewal, interprets iustificare (to justify) as making righteous by grace alone, and understands human iustitia (righteousness) as a created gift distinct from God’s righteousness. Lastly, the introduction shows how justification was central to Augustine, both to counter Pelagianism and to explain the work of God operative in the actions of the Church.

Information

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • Introduction
  • Christopher R. Mooney, Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology, Missouri
  • Book: Augustine's Theology of Justification by Faith
  • Online publication: 28 January 2026
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009525541.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Introduction
  • Christopher R. Mooney, Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology, Missouri
  • Book: Augustine's Theology of Justification by Faith
  • Online publication: 28 January 2026
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009525541.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
  • Christopher R. Mooney, Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology, Missouri
  • Book: Augustine's Theology of Justification by Faith
  • Online publication: 28 January 2026
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009525541.002
Available formats
×