Episode 180: Michael Lamb - "A Commonwealth of Hope"

Episode 180: Michael Lamb - "A Commonwealth of Hope"

From A History of Christian Theology by Chad Kim

June 25, 2025 · 45 min · Episode 180

About this episode

Chad Kim interviews Dr. Michael Lamb about his book 'A Commonwealth of Hope', which reinterprets Augustine's political thought as rooted in hope.

Today, Chad is joined by Dr. Michael Lamb, political philosopher, ethicist, and author of the new book "A Commonwealth of Hope: Augustine’s Political Thought, published by Princeton University Press." In this episode, they dive into Dr. Lamb’s work, which challenges the prevailing view of Augustine as a purely pessimistic thinker. Instead, A Commonwealth of Hope offers a compelling reinterpretation of Augustine’s political thought as rooted in hope, not despair. Dr. Lamb brings a rich academic background, having studied and taught at Rhodes, Princeton, and Oxford. He now serves as the F.M. Kirby Foundation Chair of Leadership and Character and Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities at Wake Forest University. A special thanks to Dr. Lamb for the insightful conversation! Buy "A Commonwealth of Hope" Subscribe to our Patreon twitter: @theologyxian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ahistoryofchristiantheology

People in this episode

Host: Chad Kim

Guest: Dr. Michael Lamb

Topics covered

  • Augustine's political thought
  • hope vs despair
  • political philosophy
  • ethics
  • Christian theology

Keywords

  • Augustine
  • political thought
  • hope
  • despair
  • Christian theology
  • ethics
  • political philosophy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Princeton University Press, Rhodes, Princeton, Oxford

Books & works: A Commonwealth of Hope

Places: Wake Forest University

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