Augustine and Natural Law: Negotiating the Saeculum with Markus, Milbank, and Mathewes
Contemporary Augustinian political theology has encompassed numerous interpretations of Augustine's understanding of the two cities, but a common feature of many is a denial of the presence of natural law in the bishop's thought. This paper surveys three major interpreters of Augustine - R...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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Published: |
Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group
[2019]
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In: |
Political theology
Year: 2019, Volume: 20, Issue: 7, Pages: 595-612 |
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Augustinus, Aurelius, Saint 354-430
/ Natural law
/ Markus, R. A. 1924-2010
/ Milbank, John 1952-
/ Mathewes, Charles T. 1969-
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RelBib Classification: | CG Christianity and Politics KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history VA Philosophy |
Further subjects: | B
Augustine
B John Milbank B Creation B Natural Law B Charles Mathewes B use-enjoyment B Robert A. Markus |
Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) |
Summary: | Contemporary Augustinian political theology has encompassed numerous interpretations of Augustine's understanding of the two cities, but a common feature of many is a denial of the presence of natural law in the bishop's thought. This paper surveys three major interpreters of Augustine - Robert Markus, John Milbank, and Charles Mathewes - and their conceptions of the secular and its relation to natural law. It argues first that, despite major divergences, they share a common distrust of natural law. Second, drawing on Vincent Lloyd's distinction of natural law as process versus product, I suggest a picture of what a uniquely Augustinian account of natural law might entail, grounded in a semiotic theory of creation, a distinction between orders of nature and wills, and a view of the use-enjoyment paradigm. An Augustinian natural law, then, is not only warranted but also may be a useful means of rapprochement between Augustinians and natural law theologians. |
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ISSN: | 1743-1719 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Political theology
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/1462317X.2019.1631549 |