Augustine and the Unity of a Christian Commonwealth

Augustine argues that the ideal unity of a state is unity around a Christian commonwealth, which is a kind of religious unity that comes from God and transcends the political. This concept of religious agreement becomes a defining part of how states are organized and legitimized, particularly in the Middle Ages. However, with the breakdown of religious agreement during the Reformation and early modernity, this unity breaks down as well. Nonetheless, there are still modern political theorists like Karl Schmidt who advocate for a state based on some kind of pre-political unity, even if it is based on criteria that may seem arbitrary or unorthodox.