Two Cities, Two Loves

I am releasing a podcast next week citing The City of God written by St. Augustine after the fall of Rome to barbarians. He had a tough job: defend the faith, critique Rome, and convince Christians that the fall of Rome was not the end of the world.

The Romans were blaming Christians for the fall of Rome. They believed if Constantine had not made Christianity the primary religion of Rome, the barbarians would not have conquered. Augustine defended Christianity by critiquing Roman Culture.

He also had to convince Christians that the City of God or The Church would not fall just because Rome fell. He also had to show the city Rome was contrary to the city of God. This might have been his toughest job. Below is a quote from the City of God detailing the differences between the two.

Accordingly, two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self. The former, in a word, glori…