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Augustine's Apocalyptic Political Theology in the Evil Saeculum investigates Augustine's apocalyptic political theology under the premise that he perceived the saeculum, or this age, as evil. Augustine views the saeculum as wicked because of the activity of the devil and demons. For Augustine, the devil perverted our social life and politics by mediating the false collective memory of the created world, social life, and politics through media, such as various religio-cultural liturgies and literary works. In particular, the demons reinforced Roman citizens' amor sui, amor laudis, and libido dominandi by employing pagan rituals and literature that mediated the collective memory of the imperial period, justifying the existence and expansion of the empire. As such, this book explores the socio-political implications of Augustine's demonology.
List of contents
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations of the Works of Augustine
Introduction
Chapter 1: Augustinian Politics as Too Meek in the Evil
SaeculumChapter 2: Hoping in Despair: The
Saeculum in the Jewish and Christian Apocalyptic Imagination
Chapter 3: Demonic Forces and Human Agency in the
Saeculum: Demons and Imperial Collective Memory
Chapter 4: Apocalyptic Christ and the Politics of Will
Chapter 5: The Politics of the Earthly City and Pilgrim Church
Chapter 6: Interrogating Mathewes and Gregory
Conclusion
Bibliography
About the Author
About the author
By Pung Ryong Kim
Summary
Augustine’s Apocalyptic Political Theology in the Evil Saeculum explores Augustine’s political theology, emphasizing his apocalyptic vigilance against the demons of Rome who corrupted the social and political lives of Roman citizens.
