City of God and Pagans by Saint Augustine - Book Report/Review Example

Augustine’s interpretation of the history of Greece/Rome as that of the of man’ Augustine denounces the historical narratives for misleading the people into thinking that Rome was being punished for deviating from their pagan Gods and that this was the cause of the fall of Rome in 410. Augustine says that it was not the Christians fault that Rome was sacked and on the contrary, the church offered refuge to many of the people who fled the invaders. Augustine also shows the importance of the church in that those who went to hide in the pagan temples were all killed while those who hid in the church had their lives spared. Augustine also says that on the sacking of the city, it was not uncommon for all invaders including Romans and Greeks to do the same this included the likes of Ulysses, Phoenix and Diomede. For this reason, the sacking of Rome was not something that could be blamed on Christians but was instead a common activity that was part of war (I, 2). The Visigoths and other European barbarian tribes had grown in strength over the years and they raided Rome in 410 under King Alaric. Feelings of resentment had also developed among the poorer population of Rome due to high inflation rates and lack of political representation since the position of councilor was hereditary. These factors had therefore weakened the empire of Rome internally and when the time came that the Visigoths invaded it was not the strong empire it had been in previous years. Prior to the invasion, Christians were already being viewed with suspicion and had been barred from working in high ranking offices, the view that they were to blame for the fall of Rome therefore came as a natural expectation as a scapegoat was necessary. Lucretia was a woman who was believed to have been raped and out of guilt she committed suicide. Augustine uses the rape of Lucretia as an example to cite to teach Christianity about Chastity. Augustine says that and anyone who is forced to have sexual relations and does not consent to them has not committed a sin. A woman should however not commit suicide for such an act being committed on them, as it will bar them from entering the kingdom of God. The story of Lucretia has never been confirmed as an event that actually happened but remains a significant story that relates to the establishment of the Roman Empire. Lucretia’s suicide is what led people to revolt and remove the old establishment and thus symbolized what the Roman Empire stood for; respect for all irrespective of gender or social class. The story did however also show that the Roman Empire was established as a patriarchy as the men rebel in vengeance of a woman who overwhelmed by shame could not muster the courage to continue living her life and relied on the strength of men to avenge for her. The relationship of Augustine and Christians to the ‘city of man’ Augustine in the city of God believes that in actuality there are two cities; there is Rome the city that has been developed by men as an economic bloc and there is the religious Rome that is a city built by God and whose foundation is Christian religion. Augustine therefore shows that there is always going to be a conflict between the way men want to live their lives and the way they should live their lives according to the Lords commandments. Augustine wrote the book after the sacking of Rome by the Visigoths and therefore uses the book to explain that under the laws of God no one dies at a time not planned by him. In addition, that they could not live their lives in fear of death more so if they did live according to the laws of God and not just the laws of man (II, 15). As men, one should not be afraid to show that they are living under the laws of the city of God even if living in a nation that does not recognizes these laws. Therefore, it is better to be courageous and ready to sacrifice oneself for your convictions for God will restore you in heaven than to live constantly afraid of persecution. On the view of the life or Rome, Augustine points out that men should not worry about the deaths occurred and that if they were Christians then they should be in the City of God now and living with the heavenly father even if the bodies are left unburied on the battlefield. However, this would not mean that Christians should leave the dead unattended instead, “For if the dress of a father, or his ring, or anything he wore, be precious to his father in proportion to the love they bore him, how much more ought we to care for the bodies of those we love..” (I, 13). As far as the duties of a citizen’s duties to the Roman Empire are concerned Saint Augustine argues that it is important for Christians to obey the rules of the empire and live as law abiding citizens. It is even possible for citizens to serve in the army and be followers of Christ. Although a Christian should be a pacifist it is not wrong to resort to violence if in cases such as to prevent a further outbreak of violence or as a defensive measure. The Church and its followers should strive to live in peace and even though other pagan religions existed that did not agree with Christian teachings it would be against the principle of God’s love for neighbors to persecute them. Augustine’s understanding of the family (and the city) in historical context One of the things emphasized in the book is the need to remain chaste. Augustine believes as the bible says that the body is the Lord’s temple and therefore should be maintained pure and that those who engage in immoral activities commit a sin against God and against themselves. Augustine also condemns those men who resort to violence whether for the state or in cases of civil war and that as a city of God they should redirect themselves from such violence. Men of wealth will always live in fear for their wealth and so do not have the fulfillment compared to men of modest means who are valued deeply by their family. Augustine is of the view that it is better for people to value their neighbors and family than live chasing material wealth, which will not do much for them more so once they die and go to the kingdom in heaven (IV, 3). Augustine said, for a man to live according to the rules of men and not according to the rules of the kingdom would mean that the man is living a life that is near to that of a beast. It is for this reason that he believed that one city of man without the other city of God would be a lie as without God it would not be a city built with love (I, 6). As of the role of the family, Augustine acknowledged that there were different ties that individuals had with each other and that while the first couples (Adam and Eve). Their children and their children’s children would marry one another and thus have one couple maintaining more than one bond such as of father, husband, brother, uncle and cousin, it would be an abomination for one to maintain all those ties in one family. The fact that we are born into families containing mothers and fathers as well as brothers and sisters is proof that we are inherently made for relationships as part of God’s plan (III, 23). It is better for the family to grow and these binds to be spread out among others than to have a situation where all of the relationships have been focused on one or two people. The Catholic Church had disapproved the marrying of sisters, cousins and uncles but many of the pagan religions that existed had approved the marrying of cousins and it was not until the influence of Christianity grew that the issue was raised. With the conversion of some of the roman emperors into Christians, the practice began to be condemned and in the year 385 Emperor Theodosius I made it illegal. Work Cited Augustine, Saint. City of God and pagans. London: Penguin publishers, 1972. Read More