The City of God
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What is 'The City of God'?
"The City of God," written by Saint Augustine between 413 and 426 CE, is a philosophical treatise that defends Christianity. It was written in response to pagan claims that the sack of Rome in 410 CE was due to the abandonment of pagan worship. Augustine argued that Christianity actually protected Rome from complete destruction and that the city's fall stemmed from internal moral decay.
The work presents Augustine's vision of two symbolic societies: the "City of God" (the elect) and the "City of Man" (the damned). These cities represent the eternal struggle between faith and unbelief. Augustine also outlines his theological interpretation of history as linear and predestined, beginning with Creation and culminating in the Second Coming of Christ. The treatise is divided into 22 books, with the first ten refuting pagan claims and the last twelve recounting human history from Genesis to the Last Judgment. "The City of God" was highly influential throughout the Middle Ages and continues to be studied today.
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Who wrote 'The City of God' and when was it written?
Saint Augustine wrote The City of God (De civitate Dei contra paganos) between approximately 413 and 426 CE. This philosophical treatise was written in response to pagan claims that the sack of Rome in 410 CE was a consequence of the decline of pagan worship. Augustine argued that Christianity had actually saved the city from complete destruction and that Rome's fall was due to internal moral decay. He presented his vision of two societies: the "City of God" (the elect) and the "City of Man" (the damned). This work is considered a masterpiece of Western culture and was highly influential throughout the Middle Ages.
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Why did Saint Augustine write 'The City of God'?
Saint Augustine wrote The City of God in response to pagan claims that the sack of Rome in 410 CE was a consequence of Christianity's rise. Augustine argued that Rome's fall was due to internal moral decay, not Christianity. He presented his vision of two symbolic societies: the "City of God" (the elect) and the "City of Man" (the damned). These cities represent faith and unbelief, intertwined on Earth until the end of time. Augustine also offered a theological interpretation of history as linear and predestined, starting with Creation and ending with the Second Coming of Christ. This influential work countered paganism and provided a framework for understanding human society and destiny.
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What are the main ideas or messages in 'The City of God'?
In Saint Augustine's philosophical treatise, The City of God, the main message is a vindication of Christianity. Augustine argues that Rome's fall was due to internal moral decay, not the abandonment of pagan gods. He presents a vision of two symbolic societies: the "City of God" representing faith and the elect, and the "City of Man" representing unbelief and the damned. These two cities are intertwined on Earth until the end of time. Augustine also interprets human history as linear and predestined, beginning with Creation and culminating in the Second Coming of Christ. The work offers a perspective that acknowledges life's hardships while providing hope for a future existence, guiding life in the present world.
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How does Augustine describe the difference between the 'City of God' and the 'Earthly City'?
Augustine contrasts the "City of God" with the "Earthly City" by presenting them as two opposing societies with fundamentally different values. The City of God is characterized by love of God and is symbolized by the heavenly Jerusalem, representing spiritual perfection and union with God. In contrast, the Earthly City is driven by self-love and the pursuit of worldly glory, exemplified by Rome, and is ultimately doomed to disarray. These two cities are not strictly equivalent to the church and state, respectively, but rather represent two intertwined orders of value that exist within both institutions. Augustine's work, The City of God, was written in response to the sack of Rome in 410 CE, refuting pagan claims that the fall of the city was due to the abandonment of pagan gods.
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How did 'The City of God' influence religion and philosophy in later history?
Saint Augustine's The City of God profoundly influenced later religion and philosophy by presenting a dualistic view of two symbolic societies: the "City of God" (the elect) and the "City of Man" (the damned). This treatise, written as a vindication of Christianity, offered a theological interpretation of history as linear and predestined, beginning with Creation and ending with the Second Coming of Christ.
Augustine's ideas shaped medieval thought, influencing church-state relations with his theory that government is necessary due to human sinfulness. His work served as a foundational text for thinkers like St. Thomas Aquinas and John Calvin, impacting theological discourse for centuries. The work also engaged with Platonism, offering a Christian perspective that was highly persuasive for over a thousand years.
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The City of God, philosophical treatise vindicating Christianity, written by the medieval philosopher St. Augustine as De civitate Dei contra paganos (Concerning the City of God Against the Pagans) about 413–426 ce. A masterpiece of Western culture, The City of God was written in response to pagan claims that the sack of Rome by barbarians in 410 was one of the consequences of the abolition of pagan worship by Christian emperors. Augustine responded by asserting, to the contrary, that Christianity saved the city from complete destruction and that Rome’s fall was the result of internal moral decay. He further outlined his vision of two societies, that of the elect (“The City of God”) and that of the damned (“The City of Man”). These “cities” are symbolic embodiments of the two spiritual powers—faith and unbelief—that have contended with each other since the fall of the angels. They are inextricably intermingled on this earth and will remain so until time’s end. Augustine also developed his theological interpretation of human history, which he perceives as linear and predestined, beginning with the Creation and ending with the Second Coming of Christ. At this work’s heart is a powerful contrarian vision of human life, one which accepts the place of disaster, death, and disappointment while holding out hope of a better life to come, a hope that in turn eases and gives direction to life in this world.
The City of God is divided into 22 books. The first 10 refute the claims to divine power of various pagan communities. The last 12 retell the biblical story of humankind from Genesis to the Last Judgment, offering what Augustine presents as the true history of the City of God, against which, and only against which, the history of the City of Man, including the history of Rome, can be properly understood. The work is too long and at times, particularly in the last books, too discursive to make entirely satisfactory reading today, but it remains impressive as a whole and fascinating in its parts. The stinging attack on paganism in the first books is memorable and effective; the encounter with Platonism in Books VIII–X is of great philosophical significance; and the last books (especially Book XIX, with a vision of true peace) offer a view of human destiny that would be widely persuasive for at least a thousand years. In a way, Augustine’s The City of God is (even consciously) the Christian rejoinder to Plato’s Republic and Cicero’s imitation of Plato, his own De republica.
The City of God was one of the most influential works of the Middle Ages. It would be read in various ways, at some points virtually as a founding document for a political order of kings and popes that Augustine could hardly have imagined. Indeed, his famous theory that people need government because they are sinful served as a model for church-state relations in medieval times. He also influenced the work of St. Thomas Aquinas and John Calvin and many other theologians throughout the centuries.
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