Augustine of hippo. On Baptism, against the donatists. I: I–IV.

At the beginning of the 4th century AD in the African Church a schism was formed that later became known as the Donatists. For almost an entire century, fierce disputes took place between the two parties of Donatists and Catholics, often causing open violence on both sides. At the end of the 4th century AD, St. Augustine became one of the Catholic African bishops and devoted many years of his life to the reconciliation of the parties. In addition to purely theological considerations, his anti-Donatist writings contain many historical facts concerning both the conflict itself and the life of this Roman province in the 4th century AD. The work “On Baptism, Against the Donatists” (De Baptismo contra Donatistas) is of particular interest, as it is one of the most significant writings of St. Augustine before the imperial authorities were once again actively involved in the resolution of the conflict. The work has not yet been translated into the Russian language, and this publication proposes the translation of the first four chapters from the first book of the treatise.