POLI 107 1st Edition Lecture 6Christian Political Theory IBroad Contributions by Christian Political Theory:- Key questionso What is the purpose of the man?o What is the role of the state in achieving this purpose?- The CPT responses:o Our human purpose is otherworldly o It is also absolute and universalo Political activity is necessary only to ensure peace in this world, b/c peace is the optimal condition for the pursuit of salvation- CPT also refined our understanding of reason as a tool to achieve our purpose in life- CPT ties reason to the Bible, our primary source of understanding of the divine mind- Reason was undergirded by faith- w/o faith, reason would yield nothing of the TruthCPT: The Early Years:- CPT wasn’t really political theory. Rather, it was a doctrine of salvation- Christianity sought coexistence with the state: render unto Caesar what is Caesar’so “Two-fold duty”: obey the state and obey Godo The state was an extension of God, and a ruler should be obeyed even if unjusto Authority on earth was divided in two between the Church and StateSt. Ambrose of Milan:- 4th century Father of the Church who asserted Church authority over all Christians, even the emperor- Christians were still obligated to obey secular authoritiesThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- Ruler’s should adhere to the Church’s instructions over spiritual questionsSt. Augustine of Hippo:- Pupil of St. Ambrose, absorbed Roman-modified Greek philosophy into early Christian Thought- Also borrowed from Neoplatonism, which held that men are a nexus of perfect and imperfect, capable of knowing the divine and falling away from it- First stage of Augustine’s political theory holds that the order of all things is determined by God, including the temporal stateo Also, God’s intention or Truth is knowable. The key to achieving the Good is to know the Truth and live accordinglyo Truth helps us live virtuous lives and create an earthly city in the image of God’s heavenly cityo The just earthly state is a manifestation of the divine order and a Christian state represents the highest point of human development on earth- Augustine’s second stage revises his views about human choice and our ability to know the Trutho We have no real choice other than to follow Godo The dominant state of being for humanity is sino Primary earthly concern is to follow God- Humans are inherently flawed and cannot fully understand the divine order- The highest, first principles are not of reason but of revelation in Scripture- Reason only helps to enlarge our understanding of revealed Truth from Scripture- Two societies: the City of God and the earthly cityo The earthly city is guided by self-love and flesho The City of God pursues Truth and follows the will of Godo Whereas Augustine previously imagined the state as an earthly extension of God’s heavenly city, human frailty effectively eliminates this possibility o Meanwhile, the earthly city has no moral or spiritual value to a citizen of the City of God as long as the ends of the earthly city remain base, muddied by human perversity and imperfectiono Earthly things, including the state, may enable the faithful to experience joy here on eartho The earthly city can provide peace – peace from intrusion and injustice wrought by the wretchedand sinfulo The earthly city is purely instrumental – a community of interest- The city creates order amidst the chaos of human sin so that God’s institution may minister to the flock- Augustine effectively strips the city of its inherent moral value found in classical Greek thought, while echoing the Cynic view- The state is at best a temporary remedy: it cannot fix human nature or ensure that people resist temptation. It can provide peace- Peace amounts to a favorable condition; it is not an assurance of salvation. The individual remains responsible- Augustine believes the state does not play an essential role in achieving our ultimate end. Its benefit to the Christian is purely a reflection of the quality of the peace it secures- We must not confuse beneficial with essential. Some states may be more beneficial than others; none are essential- Augustine is skeptical of our propensity to fashion states of such a beneficial character b/c the authors of earthly political institutions are frail and inclined toward sin- This should not matter: Christians are expected to follow the will of God under the best and the worst conditions- Unfortunately, many will fold under the weight of misery and succumb to temptation- Augustine’s political theory responds to his fear of anarchy and chaos rooted in our sinful and wicked natures- Nevertheless, Augustine’s chief legacy is a logic of the Christian stateCity of God:- What event shaped human nature for the worse?o “For by [Adam and Eve] so great a sin was committed, that by it the human nature was altered…”- Augustine on the quality of life on earth…o “That the whole human race has been condemned in its first origin, this life itself, if life it is to becalled, bears witness by the host of cruel ills with which it is filled” (133)o Our earthly existence is one where sorrow prevails over joyo The earthly city may help us experience joy despite harsh conditionso This joy cannot be considered “everlasting”o Earthly cities cannot achieve permanent victory over sin and wickedness o Earthly joy is limited in the same way that earthly peace is limitedPope Gregory 1st:- Wrote during the late 5th and early 6th century- Promoted unconditional obedience to the secular state- The ruled must remain silent and passive- Only God may judge a ruler. The only check against injustice is the ruler’s conscience Pope Gelasius 1st:- Doctrine of two swords: spiritual authority rests with the Church, while temporal authority rests with the state- The doctrine of two swords also established the independence of the Church- Two justifications:o The secular state owes its authority to Godo The Church’s burden of preparing the soul for salvation is more significant than the state’s burden of maintaining peace- As we know from history, the model of Church-state relations crafted on the doctrine of two swords remained fraught with ambiguities, and the efforts of ecclesiastical and secular authorities to assert their influence over the other became a sustained