As Eugene Rumer, a senior fellow at National Defense University’s Institute for National Strategic Studies wrote in the Washington Post, “Russia is back: Its gross domestic product has increased from $200 billion in 1999 to $1.2 trillion in 2007.  Moscow has more money from oil and gas exports than it knows what to do with.”  Putin has cash on hand to renew Russia’s military and Russian oil gives him economic leverage over much of Europe.  He seems to believe that he can do as he pleases.  And he may be right.

This is a new instance of a very old problem.

In his magisterial work The City of God, St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430) contrasts the City of God with the City of Man.  The Church is the City of God on pilgrimage through this age to the Eternal City.  It is the divine commonwealth ruled by God and governed by the law of love. 

By contrast, the City of Man is the secular order.  It is the earthly city ruled by humans for their own gain using their own rules.  Above all, says Augustine, it “is itself ruled by the lust of rule.”  “The lust of rule” is a translation of the Latin libido dominandi.  As Richard John Neuhaus puts it, libido dominandi is “the lust for power, advantage, and glory.”  It shouts, “My way because I said so!”

Jim Tonkowich is the President of the Institute on Religion & Democracy and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America.

The Institute on Religion & Democracy is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform our churches' social witness, in accord with biblical and historic teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad.  IRD depends on support from people like you.  Click here to learn how you can help support IRD's mission.

Click here to have the weekly IRD e-mail sent to you directly.