THE 285: SAINT AUGUSTINE’S CITY OF GOD

Christians have long struggled with Christ’s injunction to “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” For it is not immediately clear what things legitimately are Caesar’s and what things legitimately are God’s. It is also not clear what Christians are supposed to do when Caesar’s things come into conflict with God’s things. St. Augustine’s The City of God takes these kinds of problems as its point of departure, as it goes on to outline the origins, natures, and ends of what Augustine calls the earthly city and the City of God. This course helps students learn to read Augustine’s rich text, engage critically the enduring questions and tensions it raises, and reflect on the ways that Augustine’s classic work can still speak to us today.