City & Soul

Course Description

What is the relationship between the health of our politics and the health of our souls? How should Christians live as citizens of earthly communities, as well as pilgrims and citizens of heaven (cf. Phil. 3:20)? This course explores the relationship between spiritual life and public life as two distinct aspects of our common, shared life in God. 

We will begin by exploring the city-soul analogy of Plato’s Republic and the two cities/two loves analogy of Augustine’s City of God before considering modern proposals on the relationship between character, community, and politics. Throughout this course, we will analyze how different philosophical and theological accounts address questions about justice, disagreement, power, and character. In doing so, we will examine 1) how the character of citizens and the character of our public life are inextricably connected, and 2) how our conceptions of character relate to our conceptions of community. Finally, in reflecting upon the church’s identity and calling with regard to human flourishing amidst moral, religious, cultural, and political diversity, we will consider how Christians might seek “the good of the city” as creatures, citizens, and pilgrims.