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We have with us today Michael Foley. He is Professor of Petristics at Baylor University, author and editor of many works, including

Drinking with the Saints, The Sinners Guide to a Holy Happy Hour.

His new work is a handsome four-volume translation of works by St. Augustine.

Welcome, Professor Foley.

Thank you so much. Tell us first, what are the works these dialogues?

These aren't the most famous works of Augustine.

What are they?

They are definitely not the most famous, but they really are among the most interesting.

After St. Augustine had his conversion experience in the Garden in Milan,

he went on retreat and wrote four dialogues.

They're in the style actually of a Ciceronian dialogue,

and he wrote them so early in his, you know, Christian

discipleship that he wasn't even baptized yet. So he wrote these as a catechumen.

Volume one is against the academics. Now, was this written last year?

The, so I translated the first four dialogues.

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