By means of his contrast of the earthly and heavenly cities—the one pagan, self- centered and contemptuous of God and the other devout,  God-centered and in search of grace—Saint Augustine explores and interprets human history in relation to eternity. The City of God and the Confessions (Modern Library No. 263) are his masterpieces and for centuries have held their pre-eminent place in the world's great literature.

Complete and unabridged. The City of God, in the Marcus Dods translation, becomes a distinguished addition to the Modern Library Giant series. For this volume Thomas Merton, Trappist monk and author of The Seven Storey Mountain and The Waters of Siloe, contributes a reverent and authoritative introduction which is both an appraisal of St. Augustine's great work and a commentary on its continuing spiritual message.