Thinking today about Augustine's "City of God."

Augustine’s City of God stands as one of the most profound and enduring works in Christian thought, written over fifteen years from 413 to 426 AD. Augustine took up this project in the wake of a staggering crisis: the sack of Rome by the Visigoths in 410. This devastating event sent shockwaves throughout the Roman world, leading many to question the resilience of the empire—and even the Christian faith that had come to define it. As accusations flew that Rome’s abandonment of traditional gods had brought divine punishment upon the empire, City of God became Augustine’s response, a work defending Christianity and probing deeply into the nature of human purpose, history, and society.


At the heart of Augustine’s work lies a vision of two “cities”: the City of God and the City of Man. These two cities, he tells us, are defined by their loves. The City of God is oriented toward the love of God, seeking the ultimate good in communion with the divine and moving toward eternal peace. In contrast, the City of Man is driven by self-love, pride, and the pursuit of power, leading ultimately to conflict and decay. Importantly, Augustine does not equate the City of God with any earthly kingdom, even one that claims a Christian identity. For him, the City of God is a spiritual reality that transcends earthly boundaries, present wherever people live in devotion to God’s will.


Augustine structures City of God in two main parts. The first part addresses the criticism against Christianity, examining why suffering exists even among the innocent and faithful. He reflects on how earthly hardships do not contradict the goodness of God but rather point us toward a hope beyond this life. The second part shifts to a grand vision of salvation history. Augustine traces humanity’s journey from creation, through the fall and redemption, toward the ultimate fulfillment of God’s purpose in history. Through philosophical reasoning and scriptural exploration, he presents history as a narrative moving steadily toward the realization of God’s promises.


City of God does more than offer a theological account of history; it wrestles with questions of political philosophy, ethics, and eschatology. For centuries, Augustine’s insights into the nature of the church’s relationship with the state, the meaning of true citizenship, and the pursuit of justice profoundly shaped Christian thought. His vision of the City of God continues to echo through Western intellectual history, inviting each generation to reflect on the nature of our shared life and the ultimate purpose toward which we are all called.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Despair is, at its core, an act of presumption

  At a time of deep despair, when John Claypool felt the darkness closing in, an elderly rabbi offered him a piece of wisdom that reframed his struggle: “Despair is the only unforgivable sin for a Jew.” The rabbi explained that despair is, at its core, an act of presumption. It declares with certainty that no hope is left and that the future holds nothing but the weight of our present sorrow. And yet, the rabbi pointed out, this is a future we have not seen and cannot predict. In presuming to know the outcome, despair claims authority over time and God’s possibilities, which none of us possess. This wisdom is a reminder of humility. None of us can see beyond the present moment, yet our faith invites us to trust what we cannot see—that God’s grace may break through in ways we cannot imagine. Even in the darkest moments, this stance of humility keeps the door to hope open. Claypool’s encounter with the rabbi challenges us to resist despair, not by pretending we do not hurt, but by h...
Read more

The Bible in One Hand and the Newspaper in the Other

I'm thinking about my sermon for this coming Sunday.  The texts are: Jeremiah 17:5-10, Psalm 1, 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, Luke 6:17-26 **** You’ve built your life on what seemed like an unshakable foundation—your career, your family, your plans for the future. Everything feels solid, reliable—until suddenly, it begins to crack. You get the phone call you weren’t expecting. The doctor gives you the news you feared. The job you thought would last forever disappears overnight. You find yourself standing in the rubble of what used to be solid ground. This isn’t just a personal experience; we see it reflected in the world around us. Consider the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria, where thousands of lives were lost, and entire communities were reduced to rubble in a matter of moments. Homes, schools, and businesses—all the things people relied on for security—gone in an instant. News reports speak of survivors clinging to hope, waiting for rescue beneath the debris, their lives hanging...
Read more

What have you given up for Lent?

Has anyone asked you this year:  “What have you given up for Lent?” As a sign of sacrifice and self-discipline, Christians often will “fast” (abstain) from something during the season of Lent.  We do so partly to imitate Jesus when he went into the desert to pray and fast for 40 days.  We read the story of Jesus going into the desert and being tempted by Satan on the first Sunday of Lent.  Inspired by the example of Jesus, some Christians therefore, fast for the 40 days of Lent. As you know, season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (better known to some as the day after Mardi Gras), and lasts 40 days (not counting Sundays, which are always feast days).   Fasting during Lent is not required of Episcopalians, though many do observe the season by fasting (giving something up for Lent).  Strictly speaking there are only two “fasts” on the Episcopal church calendar:  Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday. But, for our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ, a...
Read more