Augustine & Political Theory
Dave Tell, "Augustinian Political Theory and Religious Discourse in Public Life." Journal of Communication and Religion 30.2 (November 2007): 213-235.
ABSTRACT: This essay argues that Augustine found in Christianity the resources for a pluralist politics—a politics that refused to read history in divine terms or people according to transcendent categories. Unlike so many contemporary iterations of pluralist politics, Augustine’s pluralism is grounded in the ambiguity of the public rather than the neutrality of the public. I argue that this distinction is central, and marks an important contribution to the current debate over the place of religious discourse in public life. KEYWORDS: Augustine, political theory, The City of God, religious discourse.