The seven works of Augustine that are contained in this volume all deal with the problem of faith in God. They were written over the course of three decades, beginning with True Religion (390) and extending to the Enchiridion on Faith, Hope, and Charity (c. 421). Hence this selection of writings provides an impressive insight into the intellectual and spiritual development of one of the greatest of all Western minds, as it grappled with a question that has never ceased to preoccupy and stimulate Western thought: Is it reasonable to believe in God, and what form might such belief take? Each of these seven works is a new translation into contemporary English, and each is introduced by the German Augustinian scholar Michael Fiedrowicz, who has also written a valuable general introduction.

Essential Expositions of the Psalms is a collection distilled from the 6-volume set in the Works of Saint Augustine. As the psalms are a microcosm of the Old Testament, so the Expositions of the Psalms can be seen as a microcosm of Augustinian thought. In the Book of Psalms are to be found the history of the people of Israel, the theology and spirituality of the Old Covenant, and a treasury of human experience expressed in prayer and poetry. So too does the work of expounding the psalms recapitulate and focus the experiences of Augustine's personal life, his theological reflections and his pastoral concerns as Bishop of Hippo.