For the last couple of years, I have been reading Saint Augustine’s City of God (Concerning the City of God against the Pagans, translated by Henry Bettenson, Penguin Books, 1972). The reason it is taking me so long to finish his book is that Augustin’s book is 1091 pages of theological writings. I read a couple of pages early each morning before I pray. I hope to complete the book this summer and start an in-depth review by reading several critiques and summaries. There are so many deep concepts in his writings that I need a comprehensive review after my initial reading to fully grasp his theology.
I was greatly surprised by a recent debate between JD Vance, the newly elected US vice-president, and Catholic theologians on Augustine’s ordo amoris, Latin for ‘order of love’ or ‘rightly ordered love.’ Let me start by stating that I was pleased that an elected government official was discussing theological concepts. I support the separation of Church and State, yet far too often, political decisions are made without theological reflections. Typically, theology is used to justify governmental policies rather than theology being used as a basis for creating policy.
Vance, during a Fox News interview, defended the “America First” policy using ordo amoris. “As an … American citizen your compassion belongs first to your fellow citizens.” He then proceeded to explain his understanding of ordo amoris. “That you love your family, and then you love your neighbour, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world.”
Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019 and stated in 2020 that “too many American Catholics have failed to show proper deference to the papacy.” Pope Francis quickly responded to Vance’s interpretations of ordo amaris in a letter to American bishops: “Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups. … The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the’ Good Samaritan’ … that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.” Perhaps Vance should have consulted his parish priest before expounding his definition of ordo amoris.
If we examine ordo amoris in our post-modern culture, then Vance makes a good point. When a family is threatened or has limited means, the family usually concentrates their limited resources on themselves. Sending their scarce resources to unknown people in a far-away country is of lesser (or perhaps, no) concern to families with few resources. Democracies depend on the will of the people and that will, at least currently, prioritizes itself.
Augustine wrote City of God from 413–427CE as the western Roman Empire was beginning to collapse. Roman Christian citizens were stressed about why God was allowing social chaos to happen. City of God was a response that defended Christianity from paganism. His theological concepts were illuminated by juxtaposing two conceptual cities: city of God versus city of earth. “We see then that the two cities were created by two kinds of love: the earthly city was created by self-love reaching the point of contempt for God, the Heavenly City [City of God] by the love of God carried as far as contempt of self. In fact, the earthly city glories in itself, the Heavenly City glories in the Lord. The former looks for glory from men, the latter finds its highest glory in God, the witness of a good conscience.” (Book XIV, Chapter 28, p. 593).
Augustine then explains ordo amoris. Evil is when humans reject the City of God, where pure love is focused on God, and embrace the earthly city, where love is selfishly focused on power, greed, or injustice. “This is true of everything created; though it is good, it can be loved in the right way or in the wrong way — in the right way, that is, when the proper order is kept, in the wrong way when that order is upset. … But if the Creator is truly loved, that is, if he himself is loved, and not something else in his stead, then he cannot be wrongly loved. We must, in fact, observe the right order even in our love for the very love with which we love what is deserving of love, so that there may be in us the virtue which is the condition of the good life. Hence, as it seems to me, a brief and true definition of virtue is ‘rightly ordered love’ [ordo amoris].” (Book XV, Chapter 22, p. 636-7)
Human nature is naturally selfish. Except by the grace of God, we are doomed. By concentrating our love away from ourselves and towards God, we enter the City of God. At that point, our love spreads outwards toward our neighbors, near and far. This is why Pope Francis referenced the Good Samaritan. A lawyer asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied using the parable of the Samaritan who showed love to an injured man he found half dead on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. (Luke 10:29–37) The righteous man saw neighborly need and unselfishly gave his time, talents, and financial resources. The injured man was not a family member, a community neighbor, a citizen of his country, or from a friendly nation (Jews did not associate with Samaritans). The City of God levels the concentric circles of love. Love operates fully and equally. This is how the Kingdom operates within the City of God.
America, and our earth, is not now the City of God. However, Christians are commanded to strive towards the City of God. The Spirit is at work within the US, but not exclusively. The City of God has no divisions or boundaries. Righteousness starts when we first fully love God, then show love and mercy to all of God’s people, both near and far.
