By Vernon J. Bourke

Augustine’s Quest of Wisdom, originally published in 1945, is an encyclopedia of Augustinian thought. Meticulously tracing the saint’s intellectual and spiritual conversions toward God, Vernon J. Bourke develops a rich study of Augustine as the original Christian philosopher—a man wholly devoted to the love of wisdom. This study has two parts: first, the scholarly career of one of the brightest intellects the Western world has ever known; second, the ecclesial and pastoral ministry of a priest and bishop of Jesus Christ, dedicated to the salvation of souls. With assurance and equilibrium, Bourke delivers to his readers the totality of Augustine’s understanding of Creator, creature, and creation. 

On the occasion of its original publication, eminent scholar and editor Joseph Husslein, S.J., called Augustine’s Quest of Wisdom “a new milestone in the progress of Augustinian studies.” To this day, Bourke’s work remains a priceless introduction to the wisdom of the Bishop of Hippo.

Perhaps the greatest lesson that Augustine has to teach is that wisdom and true happiness are not to be bought, or handed over by other creatures like a chattel, but is solely the result of divinely aided, personal effort. (Vernon J. Bourke)

Vernon J. Bourke (1907–1998) was an author and professor of philosophy. A student of Etienne Gilson’s at the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, he specialized in moral philosophy and was critical in the development of the Augustinian and Thomistic traditions in the twentieth century. 

Paperback: 344pp.

ISBN: 978-1950970001