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EcumenyandLaw,vol.4(2016)
pp.7—17
JANSŁOMKA
UniversityofSilesiainKatowice,Poland
Augustine’sArgumentation
againstReligiousFreedom
Keywords:Augustine,religiousfreedom,originalsin,stateauthorities,Donatism
Freedomandreligion
Wewillbeginwithafewcommentsontheverynotionofreligious
freedom,asitisanentirelymodernconcept.IntheteachingoftheCath-
olicChurch,itwasfirstrecognisedasapositivevalueintheDeclaration
onReligiousFreedomDignitatisHumanae.1Commonperceptionregards
itasanessentialelementofcivilfreedoms.
However,weneedtoraiseaquestionwhethertheconceptappliesto
thedescriptionoftherealityandtherulesofsociallifeinancientRome.
Forthesakeofdiligence,thetwoelementsofthephrasehavetobecon-
sideredseparately
.
Freedom.Romancultureand,consequently
,legislation,cherishedthe
notionoffreedom;inthelegislation,however,itwasnotexpressedas
anequalityofcitizensvis-à-visthestate,butonthecontrary
,asthedif-
ferentiationoftheirrightsandresponsibilitiesdependingonthesocial
classtheybelongedto.TheveryideaofRomanlawwasbasedonthe
recognitionthatthepowerofthestatewasnotabsolute—theRomans,
atleastthosewhowerefree,werecitizens,notsubjectsofanabsolute
ruler.Ofgreatsignificanceisawell-knownruleofRomanlaw:Cogita-
1DignitatisHumanae,2.
