Expectations of Justice in the Age of Augustine

Nonfiction, History, Ancient History, Rome
Cover of the book Expectations of Justice in the Age of Augustine by Kevin Uhalde, University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Kevin Uhalde ISBN: 9780812203035
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc. Publication: March 26, 2013
Imprint: University of Pennsylvania Press Language: English
Author: Kevin Uhalde
ISBN: 9780812203035
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.
Publication: March 26, 2013
Imprint: University of Pennsylvania Press
Language: English

Augustine, bishop of Hippo between 395 and 430, and his fellow bishops lived and worked through massive shifts in politics, society, and religion. Christian bishops were frequently asked to serve as intellectuals, legislators, judges, and pastors—roles and responsibilities that often conflicted with one another and made it difficult for bishops to be effective leaders. Expectations of Justice in the Age of Augustine examines these roles and the ways bishops struggled to fulfill (or failed to fulfill) them, as well as the philosophical conclusions they drew from their experience in everyday affairs, such as oath-swearing, and in the administration of penance.

Augustine and his near contemporaries were no more or less successful at handling the administration of justice than other late antique or early medieval officials. When bishops served in judicial capacities, they experienced firsthand the complex inner workings of legal procedures and social conflicts, as well as the fallibility of human communities. Bishops represented divine justice while simultaneously engaging in and even presiding over the sorts of activities that animated society—business deals, litigations, gossip, and violence—but also made justice hard to come by.

Kevin Uhalde argues that serving as judges, even informally, compelled bishops to question whether anyone could be guaranteed justice on earth, even from the leaders of the Christian church. As a result, their ideals of divine justice fundamentally changed in order to accommodate the unpleasant reality of worldly justice and its failings. This philosophical shift resonated in Christian thought and life for centuries afterward and directly affected religious life, from the performance of penance to the way people conceived of the Final Judgment.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Augustine, bishop of Hippo between 395 and 430, and his fellow bishops lived and worked through massive shifts in politics, society, and religion. Christian bishops were frequently asked to serve as intellectuals, legislators, judges, and pastors—roles and responsibilities that often conflicted with one another and made it difficult for bishops to be effective leaders. Expectations of Justice in the Age of Augustine examines these roles and the ways bishops struggled to fulfill (or failed to fulfill) them, as well as the philosophical conclusions they drew from their experience in everyday affairs, such as oath-swearing, and in the administration of penance.

Augustine and his near contemporaries were no more or less successful at handling the administration of justice than other late antique or early medieval officials. When bishops served in judicial capacities, they experienced firsthand the complex inner workings of legal procedures and social conflicts, as well as the fallibility of human communities. Bishops represented divine justice while simultaneously engaging in and even presiding over the sorts of activities that animated society—business deals, litigations, gossip, and violence—but also made justice hard to come by.

Kevin Uhalde argues that serving as judges, even informally, compelled bishops to question whether anyone could be guaranteed justice on earth, even from the leaders of the Christian church. As a result, their ideals of divine justice fundamentally changed in order to accommodate the unpleasant reality of worldly justice and its failings. This philosophical shift resonated in Christian thought and life for centuries afterward and directly affected religious life, from the performance of penance to the way people conceived of the Final Judgment.

More books from University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.

Cover of the book A Patient's Guide to Surgery by Kevin Uhalde
Cover of the book Human Rights and Labor Solidarity by Kevin Uhalde
Cover of the book Strange Bedfellows by Kevin Uhalde
Cover of the book Banished by Kevin Uhalde
Cover of the book Mayor by Kevin Uhalde
Cover of the book Parrot Culture by Kevin Uhalde
Cover of the book Parrots and Nightingales by Kevin Uhalde
Cover of the book Unsettling the West by Kevin Uhalde
Cover of the book What Is Populism? by Kevin Uhalde
Cover of the book Misunderstanding Terrorism by Kevin Uhalde
Cover of the book African Constitutionalism and the Role of Islam by Kevin Uhalde
Cover of the book Gray Panthers by Kevin Uhalde
Cover of the book After the Black Death by Kevin Uhalde
Cover of the book Pivotal Tuesdays by Kevin Uhalde
Cover of the book Human Rights Transformation in Practice by Kevin Uhalde
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy