Augustine and Politics: (Augustine in Conversation: Tradition and Innovation)

The study of Augustine's political teachings has suffered from a history of misreadings, both ancient and modern. It is only in recent years that the traditional lines of "Augustinian pessimism" have been opened to question. Scholars have begun to explore the broader lines of Augustine's political thought in his letters and sermons, and thus have been able to place his classic text, The City of God, in its proper context. The essays in this volume take stock of these recent developments and revisit old assumptions about the significance of Augustine of Hippo for political thought. They do so from many different perspectives, examining the anthropological and theological underpinnings of Augustine's thought, his critique of politics, his development of his own political thought, and some of the later manifestations or uses of his thought in the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and today. This new vision is at once more bracing, more hopeful, and more diverse than earlier readings could have allowed.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Dedicatory Preface Chapter 2 Introduction Part 3 Human Nature and Virtue in Relation to Politics Chapter 4 United Inwardly by Love: Augustine's Social Ontology Chapter 5 Truthfulness as the Bond of Society Chapter 6 Friendship as Personal, Social, and Theological Virtue in Augustine Chapter 7 Freedom Beyond Our Choosing: Augustine on the Will and Its Objects Part 8 Augustine's Theory and Critique of Politics Chapter 9 Between the Two Cities: Political Action in Augustine of Hippo Chapter 10 Democracy and Its Demons Chapter 11 Local Politics: The Political Place of the Household in Augustine's City of God Chapter 12 Augustine and the Politics of Monasticism Chapter 13 The Glory and Tragedy of Politics Part 14 Augustinian Influence and Perspectives Chapter 15 Toward a Contemporary Augustinian Understanding of Politics Chapter 16 Sexual Purity, "the Faithful," and Religious Reform in Eleventh-Century Italy: Donatism Revisited Chapter 17 The Enchanted City of Man: The State and the Market in Augustinian Perspective Chapter 18 Machiavelli's City of God: Civic Humanism and Augustinian Terror

About the Author :
John Doody is Professor of Philosophy and Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences at Villanova University. Kevin L. Hughes is Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University. Kim Paffenroth is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Iona College.

Review :
For Augustine, theology was a kind of critical theory undertaken in the shadow of empire. In this probing collection from an outstanding team of scholars, the critical force of Augustine's politics is brought to bear upon contemporary civic theologies and the empire of capital. Out of these studies emerges a compelling picture of Augustine as an important resource for contemporary social theory. This rich collection provides a needed accessible guide to the current renaissance of Augustine studies and its implications for the diverse revival of interest in political Augustinianism. More importantly, however, by upsetting conventional assumptions about both Augustine and politics, it offers a welcome interdisciplinary conversation that a figure like Augustine allows and deserves. Far from another volume on 'religion and politics,' it draws on careful historical research and energetic theological developments in order to help us critically think with Augustine about liberalism, democracy, capitalism, civil society, and humanism. If your image of Augustine relies on categories like pessimism and otherworldliness, be prepared for surprises. Take up and read! Highly recommended. The past several decades have seen a revolution in scholarship on Augustine. A historically contextualized and theologically dynamic Augustine has replaced previous, more procrustean and static depictions. But only fairly recently have theologians, philosophers, and political thinkers discovered and begun to harvest that work. This volume collects some of the first fruits of this harvest. Not only are the received Augustinian political categories discussed, but a new set of lenses are applied as well. Monasticism, terror, family, friendship, consumerism-these and other topics are invigoratingly engaged. Theologically astute, politically savvy, this collection offers enormous rewards for thinking about Augustine, about politics, and about 'life in the world' in general. A great blessing.