The Thomistic Institute

True Justice, the Just Society, and Political Order | Dr. Chad Pecknold

Aug 21, 2019

Dr. Chad Pecknold discusses Augustine's views on political order, justice, and the two cities. They explore the role of martyrdom in societal change, the church's influence across nations, and the importance of true justice in creating harmony. The conversation also touches on the concept of a commonwealth, objects of love, and interpreting Augustine in a secular state.

01:20:28

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Episode guests

Chad Pecknold

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Quick takeaways

Augustine supports persecution as a test of faith and punishment for the wicked.

State neutrality can enable true religious freedom and societal harmony.

Maintaining a balance between religious freedom and state neutrality is crucial for societal harmony.

Deep dives

The Structure of Lectures and Discussions in Understanding the Text

The podcast episode delves into the structure of the lectures, focusing on the dual approach of examining passages followed by introducing two different ways of interpreting the text. It explores the implications of how to read Augustine, pondering whether his ideology aligns better with modern liberalism or more traditional medieval Christendom.

Intro

2min

Historical Development and Teleological Ends of Two Cities

12min

Augustine's Concept of the Heavenly City and the Church's Role

7min

Justice, Order, and Obedience

5min

Exploring Augustine's Views on Two Cities and Political Reality

2min

Exploring the Concept of a Commonwealth and Objects of Love

16min

Interpreting Augustine in a Secular State

20min

Achieving Medieval Harmony Between Church and Society

16min

Held each summer, The Civitas Dei Summer Fellowship Program supports rising scholars seeking to better understand the Catholic intellectual tradition. Sponsored by the Thomistic Institute and the Institute for Human Ecology, Civitas Dei Fellows spend a week together in Washington DC, examining the search for happiness as a fundamental end of the person and the polis.

The week-long seminar introduced students to foundational themes in philosophy, political theory, and theology, dealing with law, personhood, political life, and the search for happiness. The focus was on an introduction to foundations of political and moral theory of Augustine, Aquinas, and modern constitutional jurisprudence.

Speakers included Dr. Adrian Vermeule (Harvard Law School), Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, O.P. (Dominican House of Studies) and Dr. Chad C. Pecknold (Catholic University of America)

You can access the hand out for this lecture here: tinyurl.com/y9bjw3mt

For more information about upcoming TI events, visit: www.thomisticinstitute.org/events

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The Thomistic Institute

True Justice, the Just Society, and Political Order | Dr. Chad Pecknold

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Structure of Lectures and Discussions in Understanding the Text

Augustine's View on Persecution and Martyrdom

The Idea of Church and State Neutrality in Modern Societies

Critique of Liberal Theological Development and Augustine's Views

Augustine's Distinction Between Sacred and Secular Orders

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts