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Works of Saint Aurelius Augustine (CSEL Vol. 41)

Sancti Aureli Augustini Opera (CSEL XLI)

1900·Latin·767 pages PDF (30.3MB) Source

A critical edition of fourteen works of Saint Augustine of Hippo — De fide et symbolo, De fide et operibus, De agone christiano, De continentia, De bono coniugali, De sancta virginitate, De bono viduitatis, De adulterinis coniugiis (2 bks.), De mendacio, Contra mendacium, De opere monachorum, De divinatione daemonum, De cura pro mortuis gerenda, and De patientia — edited by Josephus Zycha. Published as Volume 41 (Section V, Part III) of the Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum series by the Vienna Academy of Sciences.

Author

Augustine of Hippo

Augustine of Hippo

Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis

354–430

Readings

On the Work of Monks

De opere monachorum

Augustine's De opere monachorum (c. 401) was written at the request of Aurelius, bishop of Carthage, in response to a controversy among North African monks who refused manual labor, citing Matthew 6:25–34 ("consider the lilies of the field") as grounds for living solely on alms. Augustine argues systematically from Paul's letters — especially 1 and 2 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians — that the apostolic example obliges monks to work with their hands, and that the gospel precepts concern trust in providence, not exemption from labor.

Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo·401·Latin·De opere monachorum·p. 531–594