The tension between the two cities: Saint Augustine’s analysis and its current validity

Abstract:

This paper points to the perennial value of
Saint Augustine’s reflection on the Two Cities
and their struggle. First, the article underlines
some conflicts in that historical moment
–both in Rome and in the Church-.
Some notes of the Ancient World mentality
and its crash with the new ideals of the
Christian faith are suggested as causes of
those conflicts. In a second step, the article
focuses on some key points of Augustine’s
theology and political theory, such as the influence
his own experience had in his worldview,
the finding out of the ordoamoris as a
metaphysics of existence and the needful consequence
of setting the love of God as the very
basis of civilization. Finally, as a projection
of Saint Augustine’s thought to our time, the
article reflects on the need of generating creative
minority groups, of joining together the
vision of faith and the vision of reality, and
of working in charity

Key words:

Saint Augustine, City of God, two cities, Theology of History, Political Theology, Ancient World crisis, order of love, creative minority groups, Christian worldview