READING AUGUSTINE presents books that offer personal, nuanced and oftentimes literary readings of Saint Augustine of Hippo. Each time, the idea is to treat Augustine as a spiritual and intellectual icon of the Western tradition, and to read through him to some pressing concern of our current day, or to some enduring issue or theme. In this way, the authors follow the model of Augustine himself, who produced his famous output of words and ideas in active tussle with the world in which he lived. When the series launched, this approach could raise eyebrows. But now that circumstances have brought us into the world and society like never before, and scholarship is expected to live the same way and responsibly, the series is thriving.

Books in the series feature some of the world’s leading names, and new names continue to be brought through. Known for its openness and diversity, the series introduces scholars from disciplines other than Patristics, where their insights can be decisive. It is also becoming a venue for European scholars, some of whom are engaging an English-speaking audience for the first time. The books feature a strong design ethic, and the affordable paperback editions reach a wide readership of scholars, students, and the interested general reader.