Augustine's political philosophy is centered around both the presence and the coming of God's kingdom. Augustine defines citizenship in terms of what one loves (City of God 14.28). Part of the community of those who love God (the city of God) lives away from the celestial city, among those who love earthly rewards (the earthly city). According to Augustine, the city of God is ultimately the celestial Jerusalem, but it is also found in the love and charity which is displayed here and now, in the earthly city. “The world pursues its course with these [cities] being in some way mixed until their separation at the last judgment.” The city of God is sometimes called the heavenly city because its perfect state is achieved only in the afterlife. But insofar as men lead virtuous lives, it already exists here on earth. This raises various questions. How can ordinary politics possibly be related to heaven? Does Augustine think that the politics of a city that lacks any concern for heaven still relates to God's eternal order? And does he think that Christians are bound by political obligations imposed on them by a city that does not see itself as oriented towards salvation and heaven? In this chapter I hope to give a sense of how Augustine reconciles his concern for the highest aims with a prosaically sinful reality; how he brings together the full measure of human greatness with the full measure of human misery.