contra Manichaeos" Studio Patristica 33 (1996) 274-279.
Introduction 3 1 in order to present this history as the continuous, purposeful saving activity of God on behalf of humanity. The "rest" of the creator on the seventh day is a symbol of the fact that after the ages of the world have run their course salvation history will end in a state of unalterable fulfillment.34 Only then will God's activity as creator have reached its definitive conclusion. When thus interpreted, the biblical story of creation shows the world and history to be the two areas in which God's creative action embodies and manifests its power to create and determine history. The thoughts that Augustine will develop on a large scale later on in his City of God are thus already set forth, in a nutshell, in On Genesis against the Manichees.
Structure
The work does not have a homogeneous structure. It is true that it took modern biblical scholarship to recognize that the story ofcreation in Genesis 1 -3 is made up oftwo different earlier narratives. But the early Christian interpreters were already aware that the account had two parts. In his first book, Augustine comments verse by verse on the first Genesis story (known today as the Priestly Document) and systematically discusses the objections of the Manichees. In the second book, however, he sets down the text of Genesis 2:4b—3:24 (known today as the Yahwist Document), and then explains some passages of it.
The result is the following structure.35 After a Prologue (1, 1 , 1-2) Book l first gives an historical commentary (secundum historiam) of the first story of creation (1, 2, 3—22, 34). The same text is then given a prophetic interpretation (secundum prophetiam). At a first level of understanding, the seven days of creation point ahead to the seven ages of human history (l, 23, 35-41). In a second interpretive perspective they symbolize the seven stages in the lives of the faithful: from the first awakening of faith to rest in God after death (I, 23, 42—25, 43). ln Book II, before beginning his exegesis, Augustine explains the way his treatment will be structured: "So then, this whole text must first be discussed in terms of history, and then in terms of prophecy. ln terms of history deeds and events are being related, in terms ofprophecy future events are being foretold."36 An historical commentary (lI, 3, 4—23, 36) is followed by an interpretation on prophetic lines (II, 24, 37—27, 4 1 ), which again contains two parts. The biblical text is first related to the situation of a human group, insofar as the creation of Adam and Eve point ahead to Christ and the Church (Il, 24, 37); then the text is
34. See ibid., 1, 22, 34; 1, 23, 41. 35. See D. Weber, "Communis loquendi consuetudo. Zur Strukiur von Augustinus, De Genesi contra Manichaeos" Studio Patristica 33 (1996) 274-279. 36. On Genesis: A Refutation of the Manichees 11, 2, 3.