On Christian Doctrine
By Stacy Cacciatore
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- De Doctrina Christiana was written by the great philosopher, theologian and Bishop of Milan, Augustine of Hippo, around the beginning of the fifth century A.D.
- He wrote it for a variety of reasons, but three predominate: (i) he wanted to convince those who thought they could simply divine the meaning of Scripture to study and pay heed to interpretation, (ii) he wanted to teach principles of Scriptural interpretation and encourage the study of subjects that aid Scriptural interpretation, and (iii) he wanted to teach Christian speakers about the skills and practices of a good Christian orator.
- De Doctrina Christian contains a preface and four books.
- In the preface, Augustine responds to what he anticipates will be three types of critics of his work; the most important is the third type of critic— one who believes he does not need to study Scriptural interpretation to understand Scripture.
- In Book One, Augustine sets out the nature of his aims. He divides entities in reality into things and signs and says that Scripture contains both.
- Distinguishing between these two ideas is crucial. Further, he argues that signs come in a variety of ways – some literal, some figurative, some ambiguous, some unrecognized.
- In Book Two, Augustine focuses on the meaning of signs as signs and develops a conceptual framework for analyzing signs in detail.
- Essentially, On Christian Doctrine is an intro to the interpretation and explanation of the Bible
- Pythagoras and Plato to Cicero and Varro – ancient philosophy
- “groped” and “staggered” in pursuit of an ideal concerning an obscure “prescience” (foreknowledge of events) (p x)
- Intellectual acumen, pattern in West for 1,000 years – The Middle Ages (unjustly called) (p x)
- Sapientia et eloquentia “wisdom and eloquence”
- Charity – the principle of 1stimportance is charity
- Charity is seen as gift of the holy spirit sent by Christ
- Augustine’s ‘exegetial’ principles (critical interpretation of a text)
- Augustine’s method based on faith, hope, charity – trust in God not science
- Interpretations – a lot – may not have been ‘intended’ by the author (p xi)
- On Christian Doctrine – enormous influence in Middle Ages – served as basis for ‘De institutione divinarum et secularium litterarum’ of Cassiodorus
- Much of the symbolism of art also appears in literary texts
- Augustines’ statement, “every good and true Christian should understand that wherever he may find truth it is his Lord’s” has frequently been cited as the watchword of Christian humanism (p xiii)
- Watchword-all truth discovered by man is alrady the lord’s, “watchword” of Christian humanism
- Orator concerned with five separate tasks
- Invention – a collection of materials
- Disposition – arrangement of materials (conventional parts of oration: exordium, narration, confutation, refutation, peroratio)
- Elocution – a verbal expression of materials
- Memoria – memorization of speech
- Action – the technique of delivery
- Two kinds of language – 1) an unadorned language suited to factual statement 2) ornamental language – emotion
- Augustine refuses to supply his readers with a set of rhetorical rules
- Membrum: contains a complete meaning and complete rhythm
- Augustine emphasizes special qualities of Christian opposed to pagan eloquence
Prologue
- There are three people who will – explain those rules to those able and willing to learn. Some will condemn our work b/c they don’t understand the precepts it contains, others,. When they understand the rules, unable to clarify and explain what they wish, will judge that I have labored in vain. Third type – treat the sacred scriptures well or think they do they think they see that they are equipped, but haven’t read any of the observations he set out.
- Answering all the objections, he says, “I am not to blame b/c they do not understand”
- Signs
- Sign for everything, everything is a sign (9)
- Words are signs
- Some things are to be enjoyed, others to be used. Others enjoyed and used
- To enjoy something is to cling to it with love for its own sake. To use something, however, is to employ it in obtaining that which you love, provide that it is worthy of love.
- Allegorical – journey homewards (physical)\, the journey to heaven (spiritual)
- The things that should be enjoyed are the father, the son and the holy spirit