Why Secularism Is No Option for a Christian Citizen

Abstract

Saint Augustine’s City of God can make a substantial contribution to discussions about the relationship between love and law in the Christian tradition. Augustine distinguishes between citizenship in the City of God and in the City of Man, according to two very different orders of love. Citizens of the former city love God first, and so love everyone else (including themselves) properly. Those in the City of Man are selfish and driven by a lust for power; they can love no one well. This major distinction has led to many interpretations, one of the most influential of which is that of R.A. Markus, who proposes that the only way for the state to exist within Augustine’s vision is as a neutral city: the realm of the secular, where citizens of both cities can hold a perpetual truce. This chapter argues that such secularity is not Augustinian. This chapter first elucidates Augustine’s understanding of the interrelationship between the City of God and the City of Man and critiques the notion that he promotes secularism. It then proposes the virtue of latreia as a specific challenge for Christians in a non-Christian political state.