Sarah Miller

BITH 376
Dr. Bacote
10/13/15

In all honesty, I was quite surprised at just how much I enjoyed reading this book. Ive

always found the figure and writings of Augustine to be somewhat daunting, but I thought

Mathewes integrated and applied Augustines language and teachings in a way that helped me

reimagine not only their meaning, but also the intent behind them, without oversimplifying or

over-relevantizing.

Personally, I found myself in a conflicted place after finishing this booknot towards the

books content, since I mostly found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with many of Mathewes

pointsbut rather towards the question of what to do with the newly formed thoughts and ideas

that had suddenly melded with my very Anabaptist way of looking at things, particularly in

relation to issues of public life, political involvement, earthly identity, etc. Its not that

Mathewes writing necessarily clashed with my Mennonite mind; rather, Im still trying to fit

together new ideas with old, holding all at once without settling for complacency or theological

pluralism. In this, I appreciated Mathewes emphasis on the tension of learning to see and live as

a Christian in the world. Embracing this tensionthis Augustinian ambivalence and

ambiguityis where I find some answers for what it means to have distinctively Christian

engagement with the world. One example: to see clearly the brokenness and futility of human

systems while maintaining a hope in public life and a sort of transcendent imagination that helps

us see civic virtues as theological virtues in a strange land.

In conclusion, I would absolutely recommend this book to others. I think it would be of

particular interest to those who already possess a keen interest in the intersections of faith and

public life, but I also think it could be a source of genuine hope for those who may be erring on

the side of despair towards the current state of humanity.