Ecclesial Life and Political Practice: Re-appropriating Augustine’s Political Rhetoric in Contexts of Risk and Counter-Terrorism Strategy

Abstract

Mindful of a long history in Christian tradition of ecclesial compromise, misunderstanding, error and heresy with respect to political violence, this essay brings Augustinian rhetorical analysis to bear in debates today about security threats and counter-terrorism strategy. The claim is that Augustine’s discussion of (in)ordinate loves still has relevance in the liberal, democratic West where the prevailing discourse is not a passion for glory but security in the face of terrorism threats. Three disordered loves (the desire for power, disorder and lawlessness) are discussed as they bear upon contemporary attitudes toward terrorist threats and the public yearning for security. Using criteria derived from Augustine’s analysis, questions are asked about attitudes to the legal regulation, morality and politics of targeted killing.