Saint Augustine, this great Father of the West, has posed a significant challenge for study by every Christian, as well as philosophers of any era.

His leading presence in the West of late antiquity marks the significance of his actions. As a philosopher and theologian, "...he is the first to establish the foundations of theology in the West."

At the same time, however, he belongs to those multifaceted personalities of Christianity who consciously did not focus exclusively on one area of action. Until the time of Saint Augustine, the Christian world of the West was more interested in preserving the materials collected during classical times rather than providing its own interpretations or innovating.

Through a radical systematization of his views, Saint Augustine distinguished himself, even without bringing forth something new, and from his vast body of work, the first Philosophy of History stands out, as well as the first Political Theology of the Church, which is captured in his treatise "On the City of God" (De Civitate Dei).