Love Does Not Seek Its Own: Augustine, Economic Division, and the Formation of a Common Life

Abstract

This thesis arises out of contemporary concerns regarding the nature and formation of the church amidst economic inequality. What does it mean to be the church amidst an economically divided society? And how does God seek to form such a church? Looking to Augustine of Hippo for guidance, I argue that the movement from private self-interest toward common love of God and neighbour is fundamental to the church’s formation and identity amidst contemporary contexts of economic inequality. In particular, I demonstrate the centrality of this theme in Augustine’s Sermons and his monastic instruction (principally the Rule), illustrating how it shapes his pastoral guidance on matters pertinent to economic division, including use of material resources, and attitudes toward rich and poor. In the Rule, Augustine directs the monastic community toward the love that “does not seek its own (1 Cor 13:5)” (Reg. 3: 5.2). This phrase succinctly expresses the nature of the love that Augustine tries to nurture among those in his care, whether in the monastery or the wider Christian community. Although I focus especially on the Sermons, Augustine’s monastic instruction plays an important role in this thesis, for it clearly expresses Augustine’s vision of a common life, and includes practical instruction on matters of wealth and poverty within the community. By reading the Sermons alongside this monastic instruction, I advance our understanding of how Augustine’s vision of a common life is reflected in his pastoral guidance to the wider congregation, thus making a constructive contribution to existing scholarship. In conclusion, reflecting on Augustine’s teaching, I consider the significance of this formational movement from private self-interest toward common love of God and neighbour for the contemporary church, and identify characteristics of the common life that the church can anticipate and hope for as members come to share in this transforming work.