Among the newly found letters of Augustine, letter 2* stands out because it mentions Augustine’s three-day lecture to the educated Carthaginians concerning book 18 of the City of God. Firmus’ response to the lecture as indicated in letter 2* suggests that Ep 2* can serve as a hermeneutical lens to read book 18. Despite scholarly analyses of the letter, however, the connection between book 18 and the letter has been barely investigated. The essay analyzes book 18 in the light of Firmus’ response to the lecture and Augustine’s guide for him (Epp. 1A* and 2*). In this analysis, the essay argues that in book 18 Augustine makes one of the most important arguments against paganism in the City of God, and that the lecture was intended to dissuade the educated Carthaginians from the practice of worshipping pagan gods and ultimately to lead them to faith in the Christian God. Also, the essay investigates the nature of Augustine’s historical argument in book 18: its purpose, strategy, and effect. Augustine’s use of narrative in defense of the Christian faith is examined in connection with De catechizandis rudibus which also uses narrative to instruct inquirers. The essay demonstrates the significance of book 18 in light of the whole project Augustine carries out in the City of God.
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