La cité de Dieu 1

In The City of God, Augustine distinguishes two cities: the terrestrial and celestial. The terrestrial city is the world with its joys and tribulations. It is built on the love of self, and is therefore a state of mind, of consciousness. The celestial city is concerned with wisdom, peace and divine providence. It exists on earth, but exiled. The fates of the two should not be confused: the peace of God and that of man do not overlap. The city of God is admittedly present within the Church and therefore the world, but it is not "realized" here and never will be. In this book, Augustine is perhaps referring to the internal war waged within every being "for the primacy of the love of God or the love of self".