Contra Gentes
Classic translation
4th c. · Apologetics · English translation, 1890
Source edition: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series II (ed. Schaff & Wace, 1890–1900)
Cover art: Contra Gentes — Vasily Polenov (Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
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Contents
- Part 1
- Introduction:—The Purpose of the Book a Vindication of Christian Doctrine, and…
- Evil No Part of the Essential Nature of Things. The Original Creation and…
- The Decline of Man From the Above Condition, Owing to His Absorption in…
- The Gradual Abasement of the Soul From Truth to Falsehood by the Abuse of Her…
- Evil, Then Consists Essentially in the Choice of What is Lower in Preference to…
- False Views of the Nature of Evil: Viz., That Evil is Something in the Nature…
- Refutation of Dualism From Reason. Impossibility of Two Gods. The Truth as to…
- The Origin of Idolatry is Similar. The Soul, Materialised by Forgetting God…
- The Various Developments of Idolatry: Worship of the Heavenly Bodies, the…
- Similar Human Origin of the Greek Gods, by Decree of Theseus. The Process by…
- The Deeds of Heathen Deities, and Particularly of Zeus
- Other Shameful Actions Ascribed to Heathen Deities. All Prove That They Are but…
- The Folly of Image Worship and its Dishonour to Art
- Image Worship Condemned by Scripture
- The Details About the Gods Conveyed in the Representations of Them by Poets and…
- Heathen Arguments in Palliation of the Above: and (1) 'the Poets Are…
- The Truth Probably is, That the Scandalous Tales Are True, While the Divine…
- Heathen Defence Continued. (2) 'The Gods Are Worshipped for Having Invented the…
- The Inconsistency of Image Worship. Arguments in Palliation. (1) The Divine…
- But Where Does This Supposed Virtue of the Image Reside? in the Material, or in…
- The Idea of Communications Through Angels Involves Yet Wilder Inconsistency…
- The Image Cannot Represent the True Form of God, Else God Would Be Corruptible
- The Variety of Idolatrous Cults Proves That They Are False
- The So-called Gods of One Place Are Used as Victims in Another
- Human Sacrifice. Its Absurdity. Its Prevalence. Its Calamitous Results
- The Moral Corruptions of Paganism All Admittedly Originated With the Gods
- The Refutation of Popular Paganism Being Taken as Conclusive, We Come to the…
- But Neither Can the Cosmic Organism Be God. For That Would Make God Consist of…
- The Balance of Powers in Nature Shews That it is Not God, Either Collectively…
- Part 2
- The Soul of Man, Being Intellectual, Can Know God of Itself, if it Be True to…
- Proof of the Existence of the Rational Soul. (1) Difference of Man From the…
- (3) The Body Cannot Originate Such Phenomena; and in Fact the Action of the…
- §33. The Soul Immortal. Proved by (1) its Being Distinct From the Body, (2) its…
- §34. The Soul, Then, if Only it Get Rid of the Stains of Sin is Able to Know…
- Part 3
- Creation a Revelation of God; Especially in the Order and Harmony Pervading the…
- This the More Striking, if We Consider the Opposing Forces Out of Which This…
- The Same Subject Continued
- The Unity of God Shewn by the Harmony of the Order of Nature
- Impossibility of a Plurality of Gods
- The Rationality and Order of the Universe Proves That it is the Work of the…
- The Presence of the Word in Nature Necessary, Not Only for its Original…
- This Function of the Word Described at Length
- Three Similes to Illustrate the Word's Relation to the Universe
- The Similes Applied to the Whole Universe, Seen and Unseen
- Conclusion. Doctrine of Scripture on the Subject of Part 1
- Doctrine of Scripture on the Subject of Part 3
- Necessity of a Return to the Word if Our Corrupt Nature is to Be Restored