THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF TREATISE "THE CITY OF GOD" BY AURELIUS AUGUSTINE

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to rediscover the heritage of Augustine. The study of the heritage of Aurelius Augustine today is relevant for such disciplines as theology, political science, sociology, philosophy, etc. The main plots of his works is a model of discourse about the main subjects of Western civilization. Despite the fact that Augustine is a Christian writer, the meanings that he expresses seem to be universal for understanding the various processes taking place in society.

 A methodology is the set of methods that made it possible to conduct this study. First of all, the historical-genetic method was used, which allowed to carry out a historical analysis of events that were synchronous with the writing of the work "The City of God" and influenced Augustine as a citizen and thinker. The comparative method made it possible to draw parallels with certain events and to conduct a comparative analysis of the main topics and subjects of study.

 Augustine connected historical events to theological and socio-political themes that, based on contemporary issues, made Augustine one of the leading authors of late antiquity in the transition to the Middle Ages. The concept of the City of God made it possible to find the main signs of building a state on those principles that could do without pagan appeals and idolatry. We can say that Augustine was one of the first to understand that the state is based on understandable principles that go back not only to antiquity, but also to modern times.

 This study can be used in the research of such subjects as state and law, philosophy, political science, sociology, etc. The study provides a consistent interpretation of the basic concepts of building a state, which can become a methodological basis for further work on this topic. The preparation of special courses and some questions of the basic courses can also be a positive result of this research.

 For the first time, this work analyzes the foundations of the concept of the kingdom of God as a city that finds itself on earth in real historical conditions. Its main elements are interpreted as "building blocks" for creating a program of social cohesion and mutual understanding based on certain principles. The ancient philosophical opposition of soul and body took the form of two cities in the discourse of Augustine – the city of God and the city of the earth. This is the first generalization of this kind, which applies to the whole world and its understanding occurs not only in the context of theology, but also in the context of other disciplines. Since the social world develops in the logic of forecasting and its implementation, Augustine's treatise will remain relevant for a long time. His treatise is universal.