released 6/4/2025

In this first lecture from an October 2017 series of lectures titled “Religion without Morality?”, Oliver O’Donovan examines St. Augustine’s critique of pagan Roman religion in Book II of his treatise City of God and asks his audience to consider what insights Augustine’s critique has for us today. Augustine argued that since its founding, Roman pagan religion failed to supply public moral instruction, actually nullifying any morality transmitted through Roman law, philosophy, or mystery religions. Reasoning from a historical perspective, Augustine rebutted the story of Rome as founded in glory and virtue before succumbing to an eventual moral decline. Its moral character was consistent throughout its history, he claims, which began in moral ambiguity and injustice. At the center of the lecture is the question of what a religion becomes when it fails to communicate moral guidance to its adherents — and what effects the failure has on that religion’s culture. The title of this lecture is “Augustine and the Religion of Pagan Rome.”

This lecture is provided courtesy of the Hayward Lecture Series at Acadia Divinity College in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is read by Ken Myers. Listen to the second lecture in the series here, and the third lecture here. A video of this lecture, including the question-and answer-session after the talk, is available here.

51 minutes

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