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The political philosopher Robert Kraynak utilizes St. Augustine’s doctrine of the Two Cities (City of God and the Earthly City) to critique Pope Francis to the newer frameworks of Pope Leo XIV—risk conflating the spiritual and temporal realms. Kraynak argues that modern papacies often prioritize the "Earthly City" (political activism, democracy, human rights, and social justice) over the transcendental distinctiveness of the "City of God".A comparative breakdown reveals how these concepts clash over the intersection of faith and politics:The Core Conflict: Kraynak's Augustinianism vs. Modern Papal IdeologyDimensionRobert Kraynak's Augustinian FrameworkModern Papal Ideology (Francis & Leo XIV)Primary FocusThe City of God: A transcendental, eternal realm distinct from any earthly regime.The Earthly City: Perfecting human society through structural justice, environmental care, and charity.View of PoliticsA Politics of Prudence: Coercive power exists strictly to restrain human sin and maintain basic peace.The Highest Form of Charity: Political engagement is an active manifestation of Christian love and moral duty.Human Dignity BasisImago Dei anchored in a transcendent, hierarchical spiritual order.Universal human rights mapped directly onto democratic social policies.Systemic RiskCo-opting the Church into secular parties, resulting in "democratized Christianity".Reducing the Church's eternal mission to mere non-governmental organization (NGO) social activism.1. Robert Kraynak’s Retrieval of St. AugustineIn his seminal work Christian Faith and Modern Democracy, Kraynak warns that modern Christians mistakenly view liberal democracy as the only government system compatible with Christianity. Applying Augustine's lens, Kraynak highlights that the City of God (driven by the love of God to the contempt of self) and the Earthly City (driven by self-love and the lust for domination) coexist as a mixed reality in our fallen world.The Illusion of Convergence: Kraynak rejects the modern premise that the Earthly City can be progressively transformed into the City of God through political evolution.Dual Citizenship: He insists Christians must live with the tension of dual citizenship, recognizing that no secular political order—even a democracy—can embody perfect Christian justice.2. The Critique of Pope Francis's Social ParadigmUnder Pope Francis, Catholic Social Teaching shifted focus heavily toward systemic earthly concerns, such as climate change (Laudato si'), economic inequality, and global migration. From Kraynak’s perspective, this focus risks flipping the Augustinian hierarchy by elevating the political over the eternal.The "NGO" Danger: Francis frequently warns the Church against becoming a mere "compassionate NGO." Yet, critics applying Kraynak's logic argue that his heavy emphasis on secular political goals—like international environmental treaties and wealth redistribution—implicitly validates the Earthly City's structures.Egalitarianism vs. Transcendence: Kraynak argues that Christianity inherently requires a sense of hierarchy and transcendence. Francis's emphasis on horizontal "synodality" and egalitarian social movements can inadvertently strip the Church of its "salty distinctiveness," blending it into modern progressive liberalism.3. Pope Leo XIV’s Concept of "Political Augustinianism"The contemporary papacy of Pope Leo XIV (the successor to Pope Francis) offers a distinct twist. As a former Augustinian friar, Leo XIV explicitly references Augustine’s amor sui (self-love) versus amor Dei (love of God). However, he applies it in a way that Kraynak would still view as a politicization of faith.Politics as Charity: Pope Leo XIV famously echoed the tradition that "politics is the highest form of charity," framing statecraft as an act of Christian love.The Earthly Application: Leo XIV uses Augustine to challenge world leaders to move past myopic nationalism. While Kraynak views the state pessimistically as a tool for basic order in a fallen world, Leo XIV optimizes the state as an active vehicle for building common good and divine truth on earth.Summary of the DeviationKraynak’s critique exposes a profound theological pivot: where St. Augustine looked at the Earthly City with deep skepticism, modern popes have attempted to baptize it. By using the language of Christian revelation to achieve temporal political ends, modern papal ideologies risk turning the Christian faith into a mirror image of secular culture,

The political philosopher Robert Kraynak utilizes St. Augustine’s doctrine of the Two Cities ( City of God and the Earthly City ) to critique how modern Christian political ideologies—ranging from the social programs of Pope Francis to the newer frameworks of Pope Leo XIV —risk conflating the spiritual and temporal realms. Kraynak argues that modern papacies often prioritize the "Earthly City" (political activism, democracy, human rights, and social justice) over the transcendental distinctiveness of the "City of God". [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ] A comparative breakdown reveals how these concepts clash over the intersection of faith and politics: The Core Conflict: Kraynak's Augustinianism vs. Modern Papal Ideology Dimension [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ] Robert Kraynak's Augustinian Framework Modern Papal Ideology (Francis & Leo XIV) Primary Focus The City of God : A transcendental, eternal realm distinct from any earthly regime. The Earthly City : Perfectin...
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Scene 1 San Fernando and his father the scoundrel

Scene 1 Fernando's father King Alfonso: I'm glad I got you away from your mother with all her rules and morality. I want you to become a man like me. Fernando: I admire your kingly warrior ways my father and want to be a warrior like you not for my glory, but for the glory and honor of the of the King of Kings whom I admire more than even the great conqueror El Cid. King Alfonso with wicked smile: When I was your age I had a bread as long as El Cid's while you are clean shaven like St. Michael the Archangel. I do admire your horseback and sword play abilities in the tournaments, but why do you ride off everyday for long rides when you could be in my castle spending times with my nobles getting to know the ladies in the court more intimately. Fernando: I wish to follow El Cid in his warrior way and his honor of his wife and all women, but even more my guide is Jesus, the King of Kings, whom I am with every day at the most holy sacrifice of the Mass. I hope to see you there m...
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Interview: Radical Liberal John Caputo introduced Leo to his "Radical Theology" Augustine - "The new pope, Leo XIV, was one of your students. Could you tell us how his Augustinian identity connects with your theology of the event? John D. Caputo: Yes, he was one of my students in a course I taught for Augustinian seminarians at Villanova University. The seminarians, who were part of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA), had to complete a rigorous philosophy curriculum, and one of the required courses was mine: German Existentialism and Phenomenology"

The new pope, Leo XIV, was one of your students. Could you tell us how his Augustinian identity connects with your theology of the event? John D. Caputo:  Yes, he was one of my students in a course I taught for Augustinian seminarians at Villanova University. The seminarians, who were part of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA), had to complete a rigorous philosophy curriculum, and one of the required courses was mine: German Existentialism and Phenomenology. In that course, I taught Kierkegaard and Nietzsche in the first half, then Husserl and excerpts from Heidegger’s  Being and Time  in the second half. He was part of a sharp group, including Robert Dodaro, who became a leading Augustine scholar. Dodaro and a few others were more vocal, while the future pope was more reserved—he listened more than he spoke. That trait became significant later when the cardinals explained their choice: he’s a good listener. People feel heard in his presence, which enhances his communicat...
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