Augustine "On Christian Teaching"

Book Review

Saint Augustine, On Christian Teaching, trans. by R.P.H.Green (NY: Oxford Press, 1997).

Augustine began writing commentary on Scripture not long after his conversion. His first such work was De Genesi Contra Manichaeos (388-390), which in many ways sets the tone for much of his later work. Augustine admits an allegorical sense but warns against over-enthusiasm for allegory and denigration of the literal sense. We can also see from the outset Augustine’s interest in Scripture as a controversialist and polecimist. One of such works is this book in review, De Doctrina Christiana, “On Christian Teaching”, which begun in 396 but not completed until 427. It is written to enable Christian students to be their own interpreters of the Scripture, with detailed discussion of ethical problems and a fascinating understanding to signs.

Augustine opens his discourse on teaching with the following comment.

“There are two things on which all interpretation of Scripture depends: the process of discovering what we need to learn, and the process of presenting what we have learnt.”

This is, to Augustine, an accurate description of diligent Christian teachers and students alike. We must first discover what must be learned, that is what is the value and importance within biblical teaching and through this discovery, and we then present that value in a compelling way. Before we move to the art of preaching or teaching, one needs to possess an accurate, clear and biblically based pursuit of truth.

Thus, the principal topics covered in its four books are the theory and practice both of scriptural interpretation and of Christian rhetoric. The basis for the link between exegesis (Book 1 through Book 3) and rhetoric (Book 4) is Augustine understanding of the purpose and the core meaning of the Scripture: to increase in its readers the love of God and of their neighbours. For the reason of this conviction, Augustine affirmed that all interpretation must build up that ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’ love (two-fold love) with ever-increasing charity and purity in life. In a desire to avoid division over which interpretation of a text was the right one, Augustine declared that any exposition, which do not harm true and essential faith and was substantiated by another passage in the Scripture could be freely taught.

For charity is the ultimate aim of all worthy exegesis. Charity is the unifying and animating theme of this treatise. Its message that rings loud and clear throughout Book 1 is this: Be always mindful of the end, and be on your guard against the destructive tendency of means to impinge upon the ends. The end of all things, Augustine insists, is God who alone is eternal and unchangeable. He alone is to be enjoyed or loved for his own sake. It is the fulfilment of human nature, the desire of happiness, in God. Knowledge then only is valuable insofar as it pertains to this pursuit of God and can never serve as its own end.

Whatever else is to be loved should be ‘used’, that is, loved for the sake of God. Used here even applies to human beings, including ourselves. However, it does not denote ‘exploited’ but rather ‘served as to build up’ the aim of all endeavour of life- towards enjoying God for his own sake and oneself and one’s neighbour for God’s sake. For this reason, the interest in biblical interpretation for its own sake is one such form of selfishness. Exegesis is to be used for the sake of charity or love, and not to be enjoyed for its own sake.

Having thus affirmed that biblical interpretation should encourage charity and discourage concupiscence, Augustine needed a tool for finding such a spiritual meaning even in passages that might have nothing to do with either quality. To Augustine, allegory was that tool and thus became a practical means to expose the Scripture’s true meaning. However, for Augustine, a proper understanding of letter and history, the denotative meaning and context of the passages is the foundation to the spiritual sense.

Books 2 and 3 discuss signs, and in particular, the conventional signs or words found in the Biblical writings (bear that in mind that to Augustine, signs exist for the sake of things, and not the other way around, so he must explain the nature of things before he can sensibly discuss the signs that point us towards those things) . Augustine’s aim is to provide practical ways for interpreters to aid them in understanding both the unknown signs (Book 2) and ambiguous sign (Book 3). Both these kind of signs may be either literal or metaphorical (figurative) and it is utmost important that the interpreters master the proper ‘techniques’ in analysing the text.

The most important tool for understanding unknown literal signs is a thorough knowledge of Hebrew and Greek, so that interpreter can resolve any doubts that arise from conflicting translations. To understand unknown figurative signs, the interpreter needs a wide knowledge of the various things referred to in Scripture. One must therefore, be grounded in the nature of animals, stones or plants, and other things that Scripture uses in its figures.

Interpreters must also understand the figurative significance of numbers and should know something of secular history. They should also be acquainted with music, arts, professions, and sports. In acquiring the knowledge that would assist in reading the Scripture correctly, the interpreter is even encouraged to draw upon pagan wisdom, even pagan philosophy. However, we should guard ourselves from insidious superstitions, and avoid from superfluous and self-indulgent studies.

Augustine proceeds to consider ambiguous signs in Book 3. Ambiguities of punctuation and construction of sentences are to be corrected according to the ‘rule of faith’: by the surrounding context and the authority of the church. All good interpretation must preserve the internal consistency. The more difficult ones are the ambiguities of figurative words. Here, Augustine recurs to the same theme, charity in determining whether a passage is literal or figurative. Augustine in discussing this, explained and commented the ‘seven rules’ which was developed by Tyconius, to assist the interpreters in opening up the secrets of the Scriptures.

The other component in Christian teaching is the means for conveying the proper meaning of the text, that is, rhetoric. This is being dealt with by Augustine in Book 4. Augustine relied heavily on his own experience as a rhetorician and preacher. He established three ways of speaking which should be used accordingly, depending on the speaker’s intention. There is the restrained style, which is to instruct; the mixed style, which is used t please or delight the audience; and the grand style in order to ‘move’ or sway an audience. All these styles are advocated by Augustine to produce the necessary effect in the audience. Once a speaker master these styles and appropriate them accordingly, those who hear the restrained style will gain understanding; the moderate style makes them well-disposed to what they are hearing; and obey what is spoken in the grand style.

Evaluation

On Christian Teaching served as a preaching handbook for centuries with its theological undergirding and practical applications. It is recognized as one of the most important works on the classical tradition. It is a systematic attempt to determine what elements of classical education are permissible for a Christian and some helpful rhetorical principles for genuine Christian to share their faith.

It is important to note that Augustine makes no apologies about the primacy of biblical study, yet also marks the value in studying other disciplines such as philosophies, pagan religions and world systems, as all truth belongs to the Lord. As I would add in, science is one of the most neglected fields of study. It is reasonable and important to discuss why a Christian worldview makes for a better scientist and a wiser philosopher, and a scientific or a philosophical approach to the Scripture makes a wiser Christian.

Augustine handed down a comprehensive model for Christian preaching which has a strong effect on sound and future exegesis. This model explains preaching is to be firmly rooted in as accurate an understanding as the Scripture. Its allegorical component was to be closely linked to, and consistent with, the actual context. With this approach and the proper guidelines set forth, we would be careful not to read ‘into a text’ and derive meaning that might not even be intended by the original authors of the Scripture. Augustine’s purpose was to persuade men and women of God to love and delight in God (the end of our pursuit), and with the same token, to love our neighbours and live in holiness. Augustine’s model might not be universally agreed upon (even by Augustine himself!), but it is a helpful guideline nonetheless.

Based on the Synoptics form of the two-fold love commandments, Augustine rightly insisted that the love of God and the love of neighbours is the criterion of proper interpretation. This study retrieved and develops his hermeneutical insights in terms of the contemporary Christian hermeneutic of love: it serves as the general hermeneutical dialectic between declaration and critical interpretation and also a dialectic between love as subject and love as object of interpretation. Love must be Christian character of a faithful interpreter, love as the overarching meaning of Scripture, love as the deeper meaning of each biblical text, and love of God and neighbour as the outcome of the interpretation.

However, I find the art of developing eloquence in our speech a bit too methodical. Anyone who has preached before would agree that it is not always easy to combine all the preferred words, styles and tones to convey an adequate meaning to all recipients. The same grand style that is advocated to ‘move’ our audience to actions could well be used to comfort someone in grief, which not necessarily provokes an action. In reality, it is hard to remember which style suits what words, and doubly hard to maintain eloquence throughout to a mixed audience. Augustine lacks in this area of perceiving a mixed audience who might need more creativity in presentation than just tone of words or styles in speaking.

However, he was right to say the life of a speaker speaks more than a thousand adequate words verbally. The reminder of presenting a message to arouse delight (in the Law and the Lord), and to compel obedience from the audience is apt, lest we defeat the very purpose of Scripture ‘…useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work’ (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV).

Finally, I found this book a bit dated even though it has some helpful advice. The topic on biblical interpretation has been said much better and more understandably in other books. Much of what was expounded by Augustine is a guide to read the bible. For that reason, I find his writings too metaphorical and cryptic. That style is fine and should be preserved for other kind of writings, but not to be used to explain something as practical as how to read the bible. For a better book of the same subject, I would suggest Fee and Stuart’s “How to read the Bible for all its worth”.

Overall, it is a good and fascinating read!