- Part I (Books I–X): a polemical critique of Roman religion and philosophy, corresponding to the Earthly City
- Book I–V: A critique of pagan religion
- Book I: a criticism of the pagans who attribute the sack of Rome to Christianity despite being saved by taking refuge in Christian churches. The book also explains good and bad things happen to righteous and wicked people alike, and it consoles the women violated in the recent calamity.
- Book II: a proof that because of the worship of the pagan gods, Rome suffered the greatest calamity of all, that is, moral corruption.
- Book III: a proof that the pagan gods failed to save Rome numerous times in the past from worldly disasters, such as the sack of Rome by the Gauls.
- Book IV: a proof that the power and long duration of the Roman empire was due not to the pagan gods but to the Christian God.
- Book V: a refutation of the doctrine of fate and an explanation of the Christian doctrine of free will and its consistency with God's omniscience. The book proves that Rome's dominion was due to the virtue of the Romans and explains the true happiness of the Christian emperors.
- Book VI–X: A critique of pagan philosophy
- Book VI: a refutation of the assertion that the pagan gods are to be worshipped for eternal life (rather than temporal benefits). Augustine claimed that even the esteemed pagan theologist Varro held the gods in contempt.
- Book VII: a demonstration that eternal life is not granted by Janus, Jupiter, Saturn, and other select gods.
- Book VIII: an argument against the Platonists and their natural theology, which Augustine views as the closest approximation of Christian truth, and a refutation of Apuleius' insistence of the worship of demons as mediators between God and man. The book also contains a refutation against Hermeticism.
- Book IX: a proof that all demons are evil and that only Christ can provide man with eternal happiness.
- Book X: a teaching that the good angels wish that God alone is worshipped and a proof that no sacrifice can lead to purification except that of Christ.
- Book I–V: A critique of pagan religion
- Part II (Books XI–XXII): discussion on the City of God and its relationship to the Earthly City
- Books XI–XIV: the origins of the two cities
- Book XI: the origins of the two cities from the separation of the good and bad angels, and a detailed analysis of Genesis 1.
- Book XII: answers to why some angels are good and others bad, and a close examination of the creation of man.
- Book XIII: teaching that death originated as a penalty for Adam's sin, the fall of man.
- Book XIV: teachings on the original sin as the cause for future lust and shame as a just punishment for lust.
- Books XV–XVIII: the history or progress of the two cities, including foundational theological principles about Jews.
- Book XV: an analysis of the events in Genesis between the time of Cain and Abel to the time of the flood.
- Book XVI: the progress of the two cities from Noah to Abraham, and the progress of the heavenly city from Abraham to the kings of Israel.
- Book XVII: the history of the city of God from Samuel to David and to Christ, and Christological interpretations of the prophecies in Kings and Psalms.
- Book XVIII: the parallel history of the earthly and heavenly cities from Abraham to the end. Doctrine of Witness, that Jews received prophecy predicting Jesus, and that Jews are dispersed among the nations to provide independent testimony of the Hebrew Scriptures.
- Books XIX–XXII: the deserved destinies of the two cities.
- Book XIX: the end of the two cities, and the happiness of the people of Christ.
- Book XX: the prophecies of the Last Judgment in the Old and New Testaments.
- Book XXI: the eternal punishment for the city of the devil.
- Book XXII: the eternal happiness for the saints and explanations of the resurrection of the body.
- Books XI–XIV: the origins of the two cities
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