# Common Objects of Love



## RamistThomist (Jun 13, 2008)

These chapters are O'Donovan's talks from his Stobb lecture at Calvin College. They set forth what some would call a transformational communal ethic eschatologically anticipating the Kingdom of God. In other words, Augustine's City of God, Book 19.4.

O'Donovan defines community in Augustinian terms: a rational group of people united in agreement by a common object of their love. While O'Donovan is one of the top Augustinian scholars, and while he is also one of my favorite writers, I do not think he has fully said all he needs to say integrating Augustine's definition with a fully Christian communal ethic. He makes a heroic effort (and one well worth reading)in *Bonds of Imperfection.*

How does this play out? One should avoid the immediate temptation to regard this definition as immediately normative for the State. Maybe it should be, but not yet. It is best to see the Church as a counter-polis, rivaling the State. The Church has its own language, symbols, and liturgy. Other applications, perhaps even pro-political action applications, can be made, but not now and not by me.

But on another level this definition does reflect the State. A State, most certainly a non-Christian one, can never be a true society. It has fragmented ends and disordered goals. It can never be unified. It can never meet Augustine's definition of a true society because a true society is *truly* united by proper Love, love to God. Only a Christian society (be it church or commonweal) can be a true society.


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