While the idea of referring to our civilization as “western” is certainly modern in terms of phraseology, it is not that new a concept when it comes to actual unfolding of western history.

One example would be St. Augustine and his famous 5th century work, The City of God. In his book, St. Augustine incorporates ideas borrowed from his philosophical predecessor, Plato, namely borrowing the idea that heaven is a perfect realm, and that the world is a fallen realm, a mere shadow cast by the light of aspiring perfection. The City of God being the hallmark objective in the quest for salvation, while the city of man languishes in it’s own corruption. It was written as a condemnation of the old pagan religions, and as a promotion of the Christian religion.

Religious differences aside, The City of God is important because it directly links an ancient Greek philosopher to the growing Roman Catholic church, and into the theological practices of modern Protestant faiths. I distinctly remember being an active member in the Southern Baptist church, and hearing the pastor echo themes that were Augustinian in nature, themes that could then be traced to Plato himself. A perfect lineage could thus be drawn from a church in the 21st century to the 4th century BCE Athens.

Aside from St. Augustine, the concepts of democracy and republic can easily be traced to the ancients of Greece and Rome. And just as easily, can the concepts of monarchy and absolute rule be traced, traditions that further flavored the continent of Europe, traditions that were rejected by the Founding Fathers, who reached for the previously mentioned democratic and republican traditions.

And with politics and national identity, come some darker aspects of western civilization… aspects  that include imperialism and self-idealized notions of ethnic superiority. White nationalism of the 21st century would have found easy friends in the Roman Empire. Likewise would the oppressed and formerly oppressed peoples of today have found solidarity with the conquered and subjugated peoples of times past. It is a tragic truth, but the dark forces wracking modern western civilization today have been active since the first Romans and Greeks declared themselves as such.

Western civilization, surely modern in wording, but it is not a new concept in practice. It is a mixed bag of wonderful advancements, and a harbinger of suffering and sorrow. It depend entirely on one’s perspective, but for certain has it’s bloodline remained intact throughout the ages.

And it’s legacy… it remains to be seen.