Between Presumption and Despair achieved or maintained"(1998a,19.17).27 "For what- inspire political action and unite diverse citizens at a ever differences there are among various nations,"Au time of deep ideological,political,and religious polar- gustine argues,"these all tend towards the same end ization.Moreover,since some of the strongest religious of earthly peace"(1998a,19.17).It follows that citizens critics of democracy have drawn on Augustine's author- should seek to preserve public laws and institutions ity to indict secular politics and encourage Christians "provided only that they do not impede the religion by to focus more on serving the church than engaging the which we are taught that the one supreme and true God world (Milbank 2006,382-442:Hauerwas 1991,13-44). is to be worshipped"(1998a,19.17).As long as this free- this distinctly Augustinian vision engages Augustinians dom of religion is preserved,Augustine holds that civic on their own terms to challenge ecclesial escapism and peace can-and must-be a common object of hope encourage Christians(and others)to forge civic friend- among diverse citizens.Moreover,if such incompletely ships across difference. theorized agreement on civic peace remains provi- Finally,and relatedly,this more positive vision of sional,fragile,and uncertain,as Augustine recognizes civic peace as a set of ordered relationships rather than (1998a,19.5),an Augustinian account of hope adds the the mere absence of violence offers a more expansive recognition that citizens must not presume that their vision of "the political"(cf.Honig 2017,13-5).Today, agreement is either fully comprehensive or completely many citizens tend to equate "politics"with the laws. stable,nor must they despair about realizing it when institutions,or procedures of "government"and thus it seems impossible.An Augustinian account of com- despair about politics'responsiveness to ordinary citi- mon hopes thus coheres with Sunstein's conception of zens.But rather than seeing the commonwealth simply "incompletely theorized agreement"while also identi- as a "state"or set of formal institutions,processes, fying the affective and motivational posture needed to or procedures,Augustine,like his Greek and Roman seek or sustain it. predecessors,imagines the commonwealth as the In a democratic context,this Augustinian account broader realm in which citizens pursue temporal goods might align with a Tocquevillian ideal of democracy as in common.This is one reason why many Augustinians 4号元 "the art of pursuing in common the objects of com- describe the public realm more inclusively,casting it in mon desires"(Tocqueville 2000,514).Recently,Bon- terms of“political society'”(Brown 1972),“public life'” nie Honig has drawn on this Tocquevillian ideal to (Mathewes 2007.1-2.160-6:Bretherton 2010.3-6.16- reassert the importance of"public things,"objects of 21,71-125),or "a space for multiple publics"(Johnson common concern that"press us into relations with oth- 2007,220-5).This more capacious vision of "poli- ers,”encourage us to“act in concert,”and“provide a tics"means that citizens can direct their action and basis around which to organize,contest,mobilize,de- attention to other objects of political hope when fend,or reimagine various modes of collective being they despair about particular elections,institutions,or together in a democracy"(2017,80,6-7,24).Honig sug- instantiations of power.At a time when hope seems gests that a"common love for shared objects"can even absent from public life,a more expansive Augustinian supply objects of"hope"that enable citizens to resist vision of the commonwealth can thus supply valuable temptations toward“messianism”and“despair”that conceptual and motivational resources that can enable accompany social change and cultural loss (2017.61- diverse citizens to seek common objects of hope while 6).While Honig draws on Jonathan Lear(2006)rather also resisting temptations toward presumption and than Augustine to articulate her account of hope,her despair. conception of hope as a way between "messianism' and"despair"coheres with the structure of Augustine's REFERENCES virtue,and her account of "common love for shared objects,.”including the“res of res publica,.”aligns with Arendt,Hannah.1996.Love and Saint Augustine.Eds.Joanna Vec- Augustine's vision of a commonwealth (Honig 2017, chiarelli Scott and Judith Chelius Stark.Chicago:University of 61-6,13;Augustine 1998a,19.24).Indeed,some of the Chicago Press. public things that Honig seeks to preserve-"air,wa Arendt.Hannah.1998.The Human Condition (2nd ed).Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ter,earth,""climate,the planet,health care"(2017,92. Augustine.1953.Of True Religion.In Augustine:Earlier Writings. 56)-align with temporal goods that Augustine iden- trans.John H.S.Burleigh.Philadelphia,PA:Westminster Press. tifies as constituents and preconditions of temporal 218-83. peace:"breathable air.drinkable water.and whatever Augustine. 1990.Sermons (20-50)on the Old Testament.Trans. Edmund Hill,ed.John E.Rotelle.Hyde Park,NY:New City the body requires to feed,clothe,shelter,heal or adorn Press. it” (1998a,19.13).28 Such common objects can help to Augustine.1991a.Sermons (51-94)on the Old Testament.Trans.Ed- mund Hill,ed.John E.Rotelle.Brooklyn,NY:New City Press. Augustine.1991b.The Trinity.Trans.Edmund Hill,ed.John 27 An extensive analysis of Augustine's view of the saeculum and its E.Rotelle.Brooklyn,NY:New City Press. implications for politics and so-called "pagan virtue"is beyond the scope of this article.I address these issues in a larger book manuscript 28 To develop her defense of“public things”Honig(2017,37-57） litical,non-public character"(1998,53).One upshot of my effort to defuse Arendt's anxieties about Augustine's otherworldly love and draws on Arendt's The Human Condition (1998),which offers an elevate his vision of a commonwealth united around common ob- account of how public“things”can constitute and shape our“com- jects is that it brings Augustine and Arendt closer together while rec- 士 mon world"(see,e.g..Arendt 1998,50-8).Coincidentally,Arendt ognizing their quite different politics of secular immortality and di- sets this account against Augustine's vision of Christian love and vine eternity.For more on Arendt's engagement with Augustine,see community,which she criticizes for its "worldlessness"and "unpo- Gregory(2008,197-240). 1047Between Presumption and Despair achieved or maintained” (1998a, 19.17).27 “For what￾ever differences there are among various nations,” Au￾gustine argues, “these all tend towards the same end of earthly peace” (1998a, 19.17). It follows that citizens should seek to preserve public laws and institutions, “provided only that they do not impede the religion by which we are taught that the one supreme and true God is to be worshipped” (1998a, 19.17).As long as this free￾dom of religion is preserved, Augustine holds that civic peace can—and must—be a common object of hope among diverse citizens. Moreover, if such incompletely theorized agreement on civic peace remains provi￾sional, fragile, and uncertain, as Augustine recognizes (1998a, 19.5), an Augustinian account of hope adds the recognition that citizens must not presume that their agreement is either fully comprehensive or completely stable, nor must they despair about realizing it when it seems impossible. An Augustinian account of com￾mon hopes thus coheres with Sunstein’s conception of “incompletely theorized agreement” while also identi￾fying the affective and motivational posture needed to seek or sustain it. In a democratic context, this Augustinian account might align with a Tocquevillian ideal of democracy as “the art of pursuing in common the objects of com￾mon desires” (Tocqueville 2000, 514). Recently, Bon￾nie Honig has drawn on this Tocquevillian ideal to reassert the importance of “public things,” objects of common concern that “press us into relations with oth￾ers,” encourage us to “act in concert,” and “provide a basis around which to organize, contest, mobilize, de￾fend, or reimagine various modes of collective being together in a democracy” (2017, 80, 6–7, 24). Honig sug￾gests that a “common love for shared objects” can even supply objects of “hope” that enable citizens to resist temptations toward “messianism” and “despair” that accompany social change and cultural loss (2017, 61– 6). While Honig draws on Jonathan Lear (2006) rather than Augustine to articulate her account of hope, her conception of hope as a way between “messianism” and “despair” coheres with the structure of Augustine’s virtue, and her account of “common love for shared objects,” including the “res of res publica,” aligns with Augustine’s vision of a commonwealth (Honig 2017, 61–6, 13; Augustine 1998a, 19.24). Indeed, some of the public things that Honig seeks to preserve—“air, wa￾ter, earth,” “climate, the planet, health care” (2017, 92, 56)—align with temporal goods that Augustine iden￾tifies as constituents and preconditions of temporal peace: “breathable air, drinkable water, and whatever the body requires to feed, clothe, shelter, heal or adorn it” (1998a, 19.13).28 Such common objects can help to 27 An extensive analysis of Augustine’s view of the saeculum and its implications for politics and so-called “pagan virtue” is beyond the scope of this article. I address these issues in a larger book manuscript currently in progress. 28 To develop her defense of “public things,” Honig (2017, 37–57) draws on Arendt’s The Human Condition (1998), which offers an account of how public “things” can constitute and shape our “com￾mon world” (see, e.g., Arendt 1998, 50–8). Coincidentally, Arendt sets this account against Augustine’s vision of Christian love and community, which she criticizes for its “worldlessness” and “unpo￾inspire political action and unite diverse citizens at a time of deep ideological, political, and religious polar￾ization.Moreover, since some of the strongest religious critics of democracy have drawn on Augustine’s author￾ity to indict secular politics and encourage Christians to focus more on serving the church than engaging the world (Milbank 2006, 382–442; Hauerwas 1991, 13–44), this distinctly Augustinian vision engages Augustinians on their own terms to challenge ecclesial escapism and encourage Christians (and others) to forge civic friend￾ships across difference. Finally, and relatedly, this more positive vision of civic peace as a set of ordered relationships rather than the mere absence of violence offers a more expansive vision of “the political” (cf. Honig 2017, 13–5). Today, many citizens tend to equate “politics” with the laws, institutions, or procedures of “government” and thus despair about politics’ responsiveness to ordinary citi￾zens. But rather than seeing the commonwealth simply as a “state” or set of formal institutions, processes, or procedures, Augustine, like his Greek and Roman predecessors, imagines the commonwealth as the broader realm in which citizens pursue temporal goods in common. This is one reason why many Augustinians describe the public realm more inclusively, casting it in terms of “political society” (Brown 1972), “public life” (Mathewes 2007, 1–2, 160–6; Bretherton 2010, 3–6, 16– 21, 71–125), or “a space for multiple publics” (Johnson 2007, 220–5). This more capacious vision of “poli￾tics” means that citizens can direct their action and attention to other objects of political hope when they despair about particular elections, institutions, or instantiations of power. At a time when hope seems absent from public life, a more expansive Augustinian vision of the commonwealth can thus supply valuable conceptual and motivational resources that can enable diverse citizens to seek common objects of hope while also resisting temptations toward presumption and despair. REFERENCES Arendt, Hannah. 1996. Love and Saint Augustine. Eds. Joanna Vec￾chiarelli Scott and Judith Chelius Stark. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Arendt, Hannah. 1998. The Human Condition (2nd ed). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Augustine. 1953. Of True Religion. In Augustine: Earlier Writings, trans. John H. S. Burleigh. Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 218–83. Augustine. 1990. Sermons (20–50) on the Old Testament. Trans. Edmund Hill, ed. John E. Rotelle. Hyde Park, NY: New City Press. Augustine. 1991a. Sermons (51–94) on the Old Testament. Trans. Ed￾mund Hill, ed. John E. Rotelle. Brooklyn, NY: New City Press. Augustine. 1991b. The Trinity. Trans. Edmund Hill, ed. John E. Rotelle. Brooklyn, NY: New City Press. litical, non-public character” (1998, 53). One upshot of my effort to defuse Arendt’s anxieties about Augustine’s otherworldly love and elevate his vision of a commonwealth united around common ob￾jects is that it brings Augustine and Arendt closer together while rec￾ognizing their quite different politics of secular immortality and di￾vine eternity. For more on Arendt’s engagement with Augustine, see Gregory (2008, 197–240). 1047 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. Shanghai JiaoTong University, on 26 Oct 2018 at 03:53:05, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055418000345