Advice St. Augustine Might Give Americans Today
Ancient wisdom on seeking peace amid intense divisions
By Michael Lamb, Executive Director of the Program for Leadership and Character, Wake Forest University
Americans are deeply divided, and the results of the 2024 presidential election are unlikely to heal these divisions. If the 2020 election is any indication, they might even become worse.
As a scholar of character and politics, I think a lot about how to bridge differences. In this heated election season, I keep returning to a surprising source: a thinker who lived in a time of deep division, 1,600 years ago.
Augustine’s culture wars
Augustine of Hippo is one of the most influential thinkers in Western history, holding sway across religious and political divides.
A celebrated Catholic saint, the theologian and bishop was also foundational to Protestant reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin. Public intellectuals from New York Times columnist David Brooks to Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham cite his influence. President Joe Biden quoted Augustine in his inaugural address, while Sen. JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, chose Augustine as his patron saint when joining the Catholic Church.
