Free eBooks The Consolation Of Philosophy (Ignatius Critical Editions) Available To Downloads
Written in the sixth century, The Consolation of Philosophy was one of the most popular and influential works of the Middle Ages. Boethius composed the masterpiece while imprisoned and awaiting the death sentence for treason. The Christian author had served as a high-ranking government official before falling out of favor with Roman Emperor Theodoric, an Arian. In the Consolation, Boethius explores the true end of life-knowledge of God-through a conversation with Lady Philosophy. Part prose, part poetry, the work combines Greek philosophy and Christian faith to formulate answers to some of life's most difficult and enduring questions.
File Size: 848 KB
Print Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Ignatius Press (June 26, 2012)
Publication Date: June 26, 2012
Sold by: Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B008EYBA8A
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray: Not Enabled
Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Not Enabled
Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
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"The Consolation of Philosophy" by Boethius is one of great books of all times. Composed in the 6th century by a statesman and philosopher while in prison before his execution, it brings together the wisdom of Greek, Roman and Christian thinkers. Scott Goins and Barbara Wyman, scholars in classics at McNeese University, provide us with a new translation, which makes the reading of the poetry easier than other translations while being very faithful to the text. They offer the reader very useful footnotes, reminding him of key concepts of Ancient Philosophers and Christian authors. With this volume, a part of the Ignatius Critical Editions series, they have made a noteworthy contribution to the study of Boethius.Fr. Juan Velez, author of "Passion for Truth, the Life of John Henry Newman"
Perhaps as much as anything, Goins and Wyman's new rendering of The Consolation of Philosophy reminds us how unoriginal, even trite, modern man really is. For here is ancient Boethius, writing with grace, beauty, and intelligence about the very things that plague us still. He wrestles with God's relationship to evil in the world, with free will, with the limitations of our knowledge and perception. In this important and valuable book, the thoughtful reader will come to know Boethius, and find in him a remarkably contemporary fellow pilgrim as well as a genuine inspiration.
Not much to say about this seminal bridge between the ancient world of Greece, the classical world of Rome, and the Middle Ages, that has not been said most eloquently before. Let it be noted that if Boethius was good enough for Chaucer and Dante among others, he should at least pique your interest for historical reasons if not for the literary ones. Daunted by the work, a reader might just want to read the poems first before attempting the entire work. Trust, it is fun.About the Ignatius Critical Editions, they too deserve five stars and while I was first introduced to Boethius almost forty years ago by the Penguin Press and it is still valid today, forty years of scholarship have occurred and Ignatius does an admirable job with notes, introduction and bibliography. So all that need to be done is to begin to see what all the fuss was about and why he should be back on the best seller list.
Ignatius Critical Editions selects the best texts and provides context and commentary from knowledgable scholars. This work might lie hidden were it not for Ignatius' efforts to re-present classics that are not on the NYT best-seller list, but endure for our delight. It is providential that they have teamed with Kindle so that we can take this along with our extensive personal library wherever we go.
This sets a high standard for classics aimed at students or average readers--Ignatius has done a splendid job here. I read The Consolation of Philosophy many years ago and got very little from it; this edition (and perhaps a few years of life!) helped me gain some insight into a seminal work of Western Civilization. First, the price is very reasonable; second, the translation is fresh and understandable without being dumbed-down; third, there are numerous footnotes for the reader inclined to read them (I read some, but certainly nowhere near all of them); fourth, the essays by good scholars help the reader gain some context and further understanding, so that reading both text and essays is the equivalent of a mini-course on this book and author. As a former English major, I was shocked to see how pervasive was/is the influence of Boethius on so many irreplaceable authors: Dante, Chaucer, and Shakespeare, to name just three. This book now has me wanting to check out others in the Ignatius Critical Edition series. I recommend this volume for college students, adults who want to broaden their knowledge, and high school students, especially homeschoolers.
Never knew St. Boethius wrote such a great piece and so early. Who knew that as early as the 5th century Christians would already be tackling the problem of evil, divine simplicity, and Natural Theology. Amazing read, and extremely interesting history.
I liked this book. It did have a lot of commentary in the pages and also contemporary criticism, which makes up half the book. Overall was a very nice piece of literature especially if you like the Bible book of Widom
This is a nice edition of Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy. As other reviewers have noted, the notes are very comprehensive and helpful. The translation is easy to read but for my taste a little too colloquial; it loses some beauty and elegance when compared to more traditional translations. The greatest downside is the formatting of the Kindle edition: There are no page numbers, which renders the book difficult to use for research and in the classroom. This is unacceptable on the part of the publisher since Kindle now supports this feature. Also the Kindle Table of Contents is very poor: it doesn't even provide links to the five books of the Consolation, rendering navigating awkward.
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