“Augustine of Hippo, the future saint, would later become a Manichean and remain one for most of his young manhood.”
“These Greek-speaking city folk were no country bumpkins, like those they called pagans—pagani—a term meaning “rustics” or “hicks.”18 They inhabited one of the liveliest, most urbane, and culturally diverse regions on earth. Many could read and write; the early Christians, like the Jews, considered themselves People of the Book and prized the ability to read Scripture.”
“A number of bishops and deacons therefore handed over Bibles and chalices to the authorities as ordered. Later, many of them would be called “traitors” after the Latin word for handers-over, traditores, and the Church would split bitterly over the question of their authority to perform their priestly functions.”
“In a static society, personal violence will be registered, whereas structural violence may be seen as about as natural as the air around us. Conversely, in a highly dynamic society, personal violence may be seen as wrong and harmful, but still somehow congruent with”
“the order of things, whereas structural violence becomes apparent because it stands out like an enormous rock in a creek, impeding the free flow, creating all kinds of eddies and turbulences.5”
“But, [here his voice became impassioned] you must keep in mind that, although human needs are universal, humanity remains divided into two great classes: the herren [masters] and knechte [servants]. The ‘top dogs’ still lord it over the ‘bottom dogs,’ and this vast inequality generates misery and violence. Let us, by all means, develop the theory of basic needs. But if we do not incorporate that theory into a theory of society that reflects the relationship of top dogs to bottom dogs, we will not be able to explain or resolve violent conflicts.”
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