1. What is the ‘City of God’? What does it have to do with cities like Rome or Athens?
Augustine writes about the “City of God” with a reverence that suggests it is an ideal community of Christians who are united by their beliefs. This entity seems to be metaphysical rather than physical, as it seems that the City of God is not a city-state like Rome or Athens, but rather the broader Christian community. Through historical analysis, especially that concerning the sack of Rome, Augustine emphasizes that, while earthly cities like Rome and Athens are ephemeral, the City of God “stands in the security of its everlasting seat” (1.P). The cities of this world “aim...at dominion…[and are themselves] dominated by that very lust of domination” (1.P). These cities, as Augustine argues Rome did, fall prey to greed, the desire to conquer other nations, and sins including the worship of pagan gods. “The true God,” however, holds “power…[over] all kingdoms” (I.36). While cities like Rome may seem great, their power will always wane; the City of God, however, will “shine...brightly” (I.36) forever.
I agree with what you are saying about the City of God representing the Christian community. I would like to add on some thoughts I had. Augustine seems to state two different forms in which the city exists: "as it exists in this world of time, a stranger among the ungodly" and "as it stands in the security of its everlasting seat" (I.P). By the former, I think he means the real Christian community, who alone are exhibiting proper behavior and beliefs among "ungodly" others. I was less certain about what he means by the latter. He seems to mean that the city exists permanently in some non-physical sense, perhaps in the will of God. But he also says "this security it now awaits in steadfast patience", as if the city has not yet attained security (I.P). Furthermore, "it is to attain it hereafter in virtue of its ascendancy over its enemies" (I.P). Perhaps Augustine means that the Christian community on earth will one day match up with the ideal of God's will. Thus it has everlasting security, for it is willed by God and therefore inevitable, but that security has not yet manifested in the physical world.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with what both of you have written. However, what does that characterize Rome as? From a secular perspective Augustine voices Cicero in describing Rome as (not) a commonwealth in Book XIX Chapter 21. He explains how a commonwealth is defined as the "property of the people" and people as "United in fellowship by a common agreement..." of truth and what is right (i.e justice). If Rome is divided by the beliefs of the Pagans and the Christians, there is a dichotomy in truth and an inexistence of "people" and thus a lack of property to be owned. As a result, Rome can be deemed a battleground of sorts where the tumult of beliefs has finally overflowed into the destruction of the Roman Empire. So as stated by Allison and Nina, I think Augustine is saying that Rome has the ability and the instructions (Christian doctrine) to become exemplify God's will but characterization of Rome as a commonwealth will never stand because of the lack of justice.
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