La synthèse théologique du bien commun chez Augustin
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Date
2022
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Wydawnictwo KUL
Abstract
L’article cherche à comprendre comment Augustin a radicalement reformulé, depuis une perspective théologique, la notion politique de bien commun de l’antiquité classique. L’argument principal est que cette réinterprétation découle naturellement de la théologie néotestamentaire de la koinonia qui unit l’Eglise, comme le montre la lettre a Volusianus et les homélies sur l’Epitre aux Parthes. A partir de cette lecture, il devient alors plus aisé de comprendre la fameuse reformulation de la définition de société aux livres II et XIX de la Cité de Dieu. Nous concluons en identifiant les trois thèmes qui, à partir d’Augustin, seront étroitement associé à la notion de bien commun en occident : 1) Le bien commun n’est plus un concept, mais une Personne et un Espace. Christ, en son humanité, est le seul et unique Bien Commun du genre humain. 2) Le Bien Commun universel est d’ordre eschatologique ; dans l’histoire on ne peut parler au mieux que de biens communs partiel et imparfait. 3) La charité est le moteur de la dynamique d’accomplissement du Bien Commun universel dans l’histoire.
The article seeks to understand how Augustine radically reformulated the political notion of the common good of classical antiquity, from a theological perspective. The main argument is that this reinterpretation follows naturally from the New Testament theology of the koinonia uniting the Church, as shown in the letter to Volusianus and Augustine's homilies on the Epistle to the Parthians. From this reading, it then becomes easier to understand the famous reformulation of the definition of society in books II and XIX of the City of God. We conclude by identifying the three themes that, from Augustine onwards, will be closely associated with the notion of the common good in the western political theology: 1) The common good is no longer a concept, but a Person and a Space: Christ in his humanity is the one and only Common Good of the human race. 2) The universal Common Good is eschatological; in history we can only speak of partial and imperfect common goods. 3) Charity is the driving force behind the dynamic fulfilling the universal Common Good in history.
The article seeks to understand how Augustine radically reformulated the political notion of the common good of classical antiquity, from a theological perspective. The main argument is that this reinterpretation follows naturally from the New Testament theology of the koinonia uniting the Church, as shown in the letter to Volusianus and Augustine's homilies on the Epistle to the Parthians. From this reading, it then becomes easier to understand the famous reformulation of the definition of society in books II and XIX of the City of God. We conclude by identifying the three themes that, from Augustine onwards, will be closely associated with the notion of the common good in the western political theology: 1) The common good is no longer a concept, but a Person and a Space: Christ in his humanity is the one and only Common Good of the human race. 2) The universal Common Good is eschatological; in history we can only speak of partial and imperfect common goods. 3) Charity is the driving force behind the dynamic fulfilling the universal Common Good in history.
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Keywords
Bien commun, Saint Augustin, La Cité de Dieu, le Christ comme Bien Commun, la Charité comme dynamique kénotique du bien commun, Common good, Saint Augustine, The City of God, Christ as the Common Good, Charity as the kenotic dynamic of the common good
Citation
"Vox Patrum", 2022, T. 83, s. 247-270