Religion and Theology

Religion and Theology

Introduction

The purpose of this study is to expand the boundaries of the author's knowledge by exploring some relevant facts related to New Testament Christian's view (Augustine) on politics. Blessed Augustine was a major early church theologian and in addition to that a philosopher who contributed vastly to the consolidation and development of early Christianity. Furthermore, he put a special emphasis on human free will and divine grace and the importance of the single individual with respect to God which in turn paved the way to early modern thought in the theology of Luther and Calvin.Yet ultimately his pessimism about the capacity of human reason to bring about progress due to the sinfulness of man after the fall, clearly distinguishes him from the main optimistic tenor of later Enlightenment thinkers.

Discussion & Analysis

Augustine's view on politics

The greatest part of St. Augustine's political thought is found in The City of God. It is impossible to make a summary of such a vast in scope and content book such as this one. This particular work as many others of the author is designed as an apology (or defense) of Christianity against its various ancient critics. Indeed the full name of the work is De Civitate Dei contra Paganos (On the City of God against the Pagans). Written not long after the sacking of Rome by the Visigoths led by Alaric the book starts with attacking one pagan belief that all the misfortunes of Rome come from the fact that the once glorious imperial capital Rome turned away from the old gods and adopted new religion. St Augustine makes a long historical account of other wars in which great cities were conquered by pagans and points out that their misfortunes were greater than that of Rome. Furthermore Rome was relatively spared ...