The Secrets of the City of God

In the city of God, Augustine dismisses cult religions as mummaries and orgies. He writes that pagans show or even mention places consecrated for such gatherings where what happens is not the performance of lewd utterances and gestures on the part of the actors. The book's historical portions are being read at face value due to his singular stature during the Middle Ages. But it would be silly to expect him to offer positive or even neutral appraisals of Rome's real theological history,.