Two Cities, Exitus-Reditus, and Faithful Flourishing

On Friday, October 11, 2024, Pascal’s Coffeehouse at the Christian Study Center celebrated its 20th Anniversary. As part of the celebration of this milestone, Dr. Paul C. H. Lim gave this lecture, which we are delighted to share with you on this episode of For Your Consideration.

In our times of political and cultural polarization, the word “Christian” has often been either hijacked or weaponized. So, what does it actually look like to be a Christian and follow the King whose kingdom was not of this world? How do we seek the greater good of humanity while seeking to serve the Lord of grace and glory?

By juxtaposing perspectives from Augustine’s City of God, Aquinas’s exitus-reditus doctrine, and Jesus’ teaching on double-belonging, Professor Lim presents a pathway for faithful flourishing for Christians. This will also highlight the strategic significance of Christian Study Centers by presenting a more authentic and credible fabric of a “Christian plausibility” of love and truth.

Dr. Lim is Professor of Humanities in the Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education and Affiliate Professor of Religious Studies with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He came to UF after nearly twenty years at Vanderbilt University and visiting appointments at the University of Chicago Divinity School, Cambridge University, and Yonsei University in Korea. His Mystery Unveiled: The Crisis of the Trinity in Early Modern England (Oxford University Press, 2012) won the 2013 Roland H. Bainton Prize as the best book in history from the Sixteenth Century Society and Conference. Along with his distinguished academic work, Dr. Lim was for a number of years the lead instructor with the Nashville Institute for Faith and Work.

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