Font of Life

Ambrose, Augustine, and the Mystery of Baptism

Garry Wills

208 pages | 8pp black and white plates | 196x129mm

978-0-19-960579-8 | Hardback | 12 April 2012

Price: £16.99

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The story of one of the most important sites in the history of Christianity - uncovered after centuries buried under the streets of Milan
Reconstructs the baptism of Augustine - one of the most influential Christian writers of all time - by Bishop Ambrose of Milan
Investigates the identity of Augustine's companions and friends at the service - a cluster forming the nucleus of the future Western church
Illuminates the later relationship between Augustine and Ambrose - and the influence of the latter on Augustine's seminal religious and philosophical writings

One of the most important religious sites in the world is largely hidden and rarely visited. It lies under the piazza in front of Milan's cathedral, and was uncovered by archaeologists only after World War II. It is part of the foundations of a fourth century cathedral from the time of Bishop Ambrose, the most powerful figure in the Christian West during Late Antiquity. To reach it, one must go inside the huge later cathedral and find a stairway by its western wall. After descending narrow stairs one reaches an eight-sided pool (piscine) that was used for total-immersion baptisms by Ambrose.

There at dawn on Easter of 387, a cluster of people seeking baptism had gathered after an all-night vigil. Among those seeking baptism was Augustine, an African who had served as the imperial orator at the Milan court of the Emperor. Augustine would go back to his native Africa to become the bishop of Hippo and the most influential writer of the Christian West during the whole later course of the Middle Ages. Alongside him stood his son, his mother, his brother, and two of his pupils and academic colleagues. Nothing less than the future of the Western church was being formed in this cluster of talent and devotion.

Font of Life tells the story of this crucial event in the history of the Church. Beginning with the archaeology of Ambrose's Milan and the discovery of the baptistery, Garry Wills tells the story of the at times prickly relationship between Ambrose and Augustine and its importance for the future history of the Church, illuminating the scene of the baptism itself, along with the sources of its ritual, and introducing us to the company of the relatives and friends who greeted Augustine as he emerged from the pool. Appropriately, the book ends with a reflection on the later relationship between Augustine and Ambrose and the influence of the latter upon Augustine's later thought - which has been so seminal in the development of Christian thought ever since.

Readership: All those interested in the early Church, the life of St Augustine, and the history of Christian thought, ritual, and belief.

The specification in this catalogue, including without limitation price, format, extent, number of illustrations, and month of publication, was as accurate as possible at the time the catalogue was compiled. Occasionally, due to the nature of some contractual restrictions, we are unable to ship a specific product to a particular territory. Jacket images are provisional and liable to change before publication.

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Font of Life

Ambrose, Augustine, and the Mystery of Baptism

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