To Make a Point

Mark Ellingsen. The Richness of Augustine: His Contextual and Pastoral Theology. (2005).
Normally I do not review books until I finish reading them but I will make an exception here. This is an exceptionally good book except for one glaring stylistic point; the author wants to emphasize that Augustine was African, all well and good. I will not debate here the difference between North, Central, and South Africa. The problem lies in the consistent naming of Augustine as "the African Father." The Fathers of the Church are those whose writings expanded the theology of Christianity. I have no problem with classifying Augustine as a Father of the Church, it is long accepted usage. The kicker is the adjective "African." Rarely does a page go by without the term "African Father." It is used as often as "he" or "his." We get the point! If one wants to be technical it should be "An African Father" since Clement of Alexandria would also qualify in this way. The editor should have realized this and changed it. It mars a good book.