Fribourg, 1 99 1 ) 88: Agaesse and Solignac, La Genese au sens litie'ral 1-V11, 25-3 1 .
1 64 The Literal Meaning of Genesis
Corresponding to this distinction in the divine creative activity, the structure of Augustine's work is as follows:43
A. First account of creation (Books l-IV)
1 ) Initial state of the world and the creations on the first day (Gn 1:1-5) 2) Creations on the second, third, and fourth days (Gn 1:6-19) 3) Creations on the fifth and sixth days (Gn 1 :20-3 1 ) 4) God's rest on the seventh day (Gn 2: 1-3) B. Transition (Book V)
5) Meaning and differentiation of the two accounts ofcreation. Theory of the rationes causales (Gn 2:4-7) C. Second account of creation (Books Vl-XII)
6) Creation of the human body (Gn 2:7a) 7) Creation of the human soul (Gn 2:7b) 8) Man in Paradise Excursus on God's government of the world (Gn 2:8-17) 9) Naming of the animals and creation of woman (Gn 2:18-24) 10) Treatise on the origin of human souls
1 1) The first sin and its punishment (Gn 2:25—3:24) 12) Treatise on the various kinds of visions
Date
To hardly any other of his works did Augustine devote such perseverance, such care and circumspection... As we know from his letters,44 despite the urging and impatience of his friends, he kept the work to himself for a disproportion ately long time in order that he might keep on shaping and improving it. Thus the composition of this great commentary on Genesis occupied more than about fifteen years. There is disagreement as to whether he began the work in 399 or 401 or 404.45 It was published in 416. Various indications point to composition in several stages. Books 1 -9 were probably revised beginning in 4 10 or even shortly before. Augustine then ceased work on the commentary for a fairly long period, since not only was he in poor health, but the Donatist controversy, and especially the preparation for and sub sequent assessment of the Conference of Carthage (411), made great demands upon him, the Pelagian controversy began, and the fall of Rome (410) called for a response from this theologian. He returned to the commentary in 412, but he
43. See Agaesse and Solignac, La Genese au sens littiral 1-V11, 22f. 44. Letter 159, 2 (CSEL 44, 499f.) 45. See A.-M. Vannier, "Creatio," "conversio," "formatio" chez S. Augustin (Paradosis 31; Fribourg, 1 99 1 ) 88: Agaesse and Solignac, La Genese au sens litie'ral 1-V11, 25-3 1 .