Bolek Kabala

Safety First

History & Biography

“Peter Kaufman’s gripping Safety First transports us to a world of secession and reimagined pagan greatness in fifth-century Roman Africa. Augustine opposed government intervention, but he eventually recognized the need to coerce religious separatists who subverted order—the Donatists. In the midst of polarization and religious violence, Augustine, in this important book, affirms a policy of reason and compassion as best. When it fails, Christians can secure safety using the power of the state.”