On Christian Doctrine

by Augustine of Hippo, D.W. Robertson Jr. (Translator)

Library of Liberal Arts title.

Genres: Theology, Philosophy, Religion, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction, Classics

191 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 397

About the author

Early church father and philosopher Saint Augustine served from 396 as the bishop of Hippo in present-day Algeria and through such writings as the autobiographical Confessions in 397 and the voluminous City of God from 413 to 426 profoundly influenced Christianity, argued against Manichaeism and Donatism, and helped to establish the doctrine of original sin.

An Augustinian follows the principles and doctrines of Saint Augustine.

People also know Aurelius Augustinus in English of Regius (Annaba). From the Africa province of the Roman Empire, people generally consider this Latin theologian of the greatest thinkers of all times. He very developed the west. According to Jerome, a contemporary, Augustine renewed "the ancient Faith."

The Neo-Platonism of Plotinus afterward heavily weighed his years. After conversion and his baptism in 387, Augustine developed his own approach to theology and accommodated a variety of methods and different perspectives. He believed in the indispensable grace to human freedom and framed the concept of just war. When the Western Roman Empire started to disintegrate from the material earth, Augustine developed the concept of the distinct Catholic spirituality in a book of the same name. He thought the medieval worldview. Augustine closely identified with the community that worshiped the Trinity. The Catholics and the Anglican communion revere this preeminent doctor. Many Protestants, especially Calvinists, consider his due teaching on salvation and divine grace of the theology of the Reformation. The Eastern Orthodox also consider him. He carries the additional title of blessed. The Orthodox call him "Blessed Augustine" or "Saint Augustine the Blessed."

Santo Agostinho

Reviews

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books I-III: learning how to interpret the Bible; when is it literary and when is it figurative?; "rule of faith"; semiotics

Book IV: rhetoric (presenting what you've learned)

Good thoughts on hermeneutics, semiotics, and plundering the Egyptians. The last ten pages or so are just great.

[Brian Eshleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The words in his title have gotten an offputting reputation in other contexts, and that's a shame. Doctrine is guidance in love. Augustine himself, probably from somebody's frightening childhood experience with City of God, would tend to offer an intimidating nameplate.

Try anyway. He is a master of the trenchant turn of phrase who would have been right at home on social media. Only after we've liked and shared do we realize the extent to which he is conveying timeless reverence toward Christ and His Word. Plus, it's about 100 pages, so you get all the cachet of reading Augustine in a tiny fraction of the time it takes to lug around City of God to its completion.

Watch out, though. The approachability of his prose in the heat of his love for Christ which is immediately apparent therein might embolden you to the point that you wouldn't mind hanging out with him longer.

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

As teacher of Christian doctrine and a teacher of such teachers, St. Augustine’s classic work by this name seemed like something I ought to read. And yet I didn’t want to approach it as a philosophy student being forced to study some dusty old textbook, but rather as the curious seeker wanting to discover what this ‘Christian doctrine’ was all about. I discovered St. Augustine is an excellent teacher!

He begins with the rules for the interpretation of Scripture, which he considers very serious, even to the mandate of becoming a teacher of such: ‘why does he himself undertake to interpret for others? Why does he not rather send them direct to God that they too may learn by the inward teaching of the Spirit without the help of man? The truth is, he fears to incur the reproach: You wicked and slothful servant, you ought to have put my money to the exchangers. Matthew 25:26-27 Seeing, then, that these men teach others, either through speech or writing, what they understand, surely they cannot blame me if I likewise teach not only what they understand, but also the rules of interpretation they follow. . . He who reads to an audience pronounces aloud the words he sees before him: he who teaches reading, does it that others may be able to read for themselves. Each, however, communicates to others what he has learned himself. Just so, the man who explains to an audience the passages of Scripture he understands is like one who reads aloud the words before him.’ The point being Scripture isn’t self-explanatory for the uninitiated, hence the need for Church and tradition.

Augustine continues with his very basic explanations of terms, leading the reader carefully through examples, illustrations and quotes from Scripture. I was impressed by the relevance of the text, the author’s insights into human character and how much of the text I highlighted. I listened to it, while following along on my Kindle. I stopped frequently to record my favorite quotes, some of which follow:

‘For to enjoy a thing is to rest with satisfaction in it for its own sake. To use, on the other hand, is to employ whatever means are at one's disposal to obtain what one desires.’

‘For it is not by change of place that we can come nearer to Him who is in every place, but by the cultivation of pure desires and virtuous habits.’

‘And in regard to all these laws, we derive more pleasure from them as exhibitions of truth, than assistance in arguing or forming opinions, except perhaps that they put the intellect in better training. We must take care, however that they do not at the same time make it more inclined to mischief or vanity—that is to say, that they do not give those who have learned them an inclination to lead people astray by plausible speech and catching questions, or make them think that they have attained some great thing that gives them an advantage over the good and innocent.’

‘To teach is a necessity, to delight is a beauty, to persuade is a triumph. Now of these three, the one first mentioned, the teaching, which is a matter of necessity, depends on what we say; the other two on the way we say it.’

‘The Christian teacher … when the hour has come that he must speak, he ought, before he opens his mouth, to lift up his thirsty soul to God, to drink in what he is about to pour forth, and to be himself filled with what he is about to distribute. For, as in regard to every matter of faith and love there are many things that may be said, and many ways of saying them, who knows what it is expedient at a given moment for us to say, or to be heard saying, except God who knows the hearts of all? And who can make us say what we ought, and in the way we ought, except Him in whose hand both we and our speeches are?’

‘The man who cannot speak both eloquently and wisely should speak wisely without eloquence, rather than eloquently without wisdom. If, however, he cannot do even this, let his life be such as shall not only secure a reward for himself, but afford an example to others; and let his manner of living be an eloquent sermon in itself.’

I also appreciated Augustine’s quotes from St. Ambrose on women’s’ ‘face painting’ – which were allegedly included to illustrate types of rhetorical arguments – but I suspect more than a little underlying agenda. Even so, from the vantage of more than 1600 years, I found them both humorous and apropos. In my preliminary review I made reference to his example of the ancient custom of practicing theatrical ‘favorites’ (to excess) not unlike our modern custom of Star Search, American Idol and other forms of athletic and film/music industry celebrity worship. I was reminded of the even older saying, “The eye is not satisfied by seeing nor has the ear enough of hearing. What has been, that will be; what has been done, that will be done. Nothing is new under the sun!” Ecclesiastes 1:8-9


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In chapter 29 I love St. Augustine's example of 'the man in the theatre who is fond of a particular actor, and enjoys his art as a great or even as the very greatest good, he is fond of all who join with him in admiration of his favorite, not for their own sakes, but for the sake of him whom they admire in common; and the more fervent he is in his admiration, the more he works in every way he can to secure new admirers for him, and the more anxious he becomes to show him to others; and if he find any one comparatively indifferent, he does all he can to excite his interest by urging his favorite's merits: if, however, he meet with any one who opposes him, he is exceedingly displeased by such a man's contempt of his favorite, and strives in every way he can to remove it. Now, if this be so, what does it become us to do who live in the fellowship of the love of God, the enjoyment of whom is true happiness of life, to whom all who love Him owe both their own existence and the love they bear Him, concerning whom we have no fear that any one who comes to know Him will be disappointed in Him, and who desires our love, not for any gain to Himself, but that those who love Him may obtain an eternal reward, even Himself whom they love?'

Nowadays of course, we have our college (or pro) football teams, movie and music stars. We wear their colors, follow their lives and think their every move worth reporting. Indeed, we live like human celebrities are the greatest good imaginable. Just envision giving to unchangeable, immutable and everlasting Truth the kind of celebrations we give to here-today-gone-tomorrow mortals like ourselves? Well, actually He doesn't want those kinds of spectacles. He's the be-still, small (childlike), and silent type.

[Justin Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating little book for all kinds of people: late antiquity buffs; philosophers; hermeneuts; and of course, Christians. Augie usually manages to find his way to a reasonable middle position: against biblical literalism, also against waiting for a direct experience of God.

Book one describes 'things' rather than signs, and we get some of Augie's less up to date opinions: you shouldn't love people for themselves, but for the sake of God, and the same thing goes for one's self. But these are backed by more liberal-friendly ideas. The neighbor who we are to love, for instance, is pretty much everyone.

We then move on to 'signs, ambiguities and difficulties of,' which is full of fairly sensible advice for anyone who wants to read anything. There are some things you have to know in order to interpret words: languages, for instance, institutions, general facts, logic, rhetoric. But we shouldn't take too much pleasure in these. It sometimes seems, unfortunately, that Augie really thinks you should only know things that are boring and will help you conform to society. I suspect that this claim needs to be put in some kind of historical context--in a solidly Christian culture, presumably, we would be more free to enjoy "human-made institutions," since, he goes on to say, there is much of value to be found even in pagan literature.

Having dealt with the difficulties, we move on to the division between literal and figurative understanding of signs. If sections of scripture are not related to moral behavior or to faith, they should be interpreted figuratively (which, though he doesn't say it, means pretty much all of it should be interpreted figuratively). He goes on to discuss morality at some length, making a nice distinction between the corruption of one's own mind and body (wickedness) and harm to another (wrongdoing). Augie, and almost every religious thinker after him, focuses too much on wickedness, and nowhere near enough on wrongdoing.

Interestingly, book three was started in the 390s, but abandoned, and only finished in the 420s; much of the later work is less interesting, though classicists might appreciate his description of Tyconius, who wrote his own system of interpretation.

Book four, also late, is a defense of the rhetorical beauty of the bible. Not riveting. Not at all.

But on the whole, a fascinating, quickish read.

[Keira Konson · Rating 5 out of 5]

niche little augustine book on christian education and the study of scripture and the anthropology of man as lover above all else.

“what is attended with difficulty in the seeming gives greater pleasure in the finding.”
grateful for augustine’s appreciation of the complexity and simplicity of scripture so that truth is readily available to us and yet a lifetime of seeking remains.

i will be thinking about despoiling the egyptians every time i think about secular culture and art now. what a world of beauty there is to be reclaimed for the church and submitted to the service of Christ.

[J. Aleksandr Wootton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not much for Augustine's Confessions, which I've started and given up twice over the years for being too grovelling and self-pitying. Augustine is a gifted explicator, however, and his prose is a joy to read; On Christian Doctrine deserves its place at the headwaters of post-antiquity western tradition.

Contrary to my assumptions, this book is neither an introduction to nor a systematic explanation of Christian theology. Rather, it's an original and well-developed guide to reading well. Using what Augustine refers to as the "divine books"* for his examples, Augustine presents the essential principles of literacy - including recognition of metaphors and rhetorical styles, figurative and literal language, interpretive layers, accounting for context, the methods, use, and limits of inferring authorial intent, and even comparing translations to develop a more robust understanding of foreign-language texts. Observations and insights on Christian theology, scripture, and philosophy are liberally sprinkled throughout, naturally, but they're there to illustrate how to read complicated literature. Succinct, brilliant, indispensable. I wish I'd read this in grade school.

*Since the canon of Christian scripture was not yet determined as of his lifetime, I'm not totally sure which books of the present-day New Testaments Augustine had access to or considered "divine." The list could be inferred from included references, and I'm sure this has been done and is available online somewhere. I take it as given that he would have included the Jewish Septuagint.

[Davis Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Augustine is very good for your soul. Save for some of the expected Augustine-isms that are more or less an over-correction from his personal experiences and should be taken with a grain of salt, this is a book to consume slowly, annotate copiously, and live with for a lifetime. It's amazing how much that is really central to education, biblical interpretation, and the liberal arts is contained within this short treatise: he provides an excellent overview of basic dogmatics (no one writes about the fundamental doctrines of the faith with as much rock-solid clarity and beauty as Augustine), pedagogical theory, rhetorical techniques, literary criticism, hermeneutics, Christian ethics, the Trivium and the Quadrivium for starters. This is also the one with the famous "plundering the Egyptians" passage, which is even more profound than you might think it is just from hearing about it. But this has tended to overshadow another incredible image: that of eloquence flowing naturally from the love of truth like a loyal servant following its master. I think the central idea that intrigues me most here, and which I want to pursue in further study, is the thought that reading, just like everything we ought to do, is ultimately an act of love. In fact, no interpretation of a text that is not related to love is valid. How can immersion in the imaginative world offered to us by literature—its symbols, metaphors, archetypes, and rhetoric—enrich our hearts for the Civitas Dei? This is a book I would give to all teachers and students in the first year of a classical high school or college program.

[Genni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel presumptuous giving Augustine 3 stars. If you were to compare my intellect with Augustine's, mine would definitely be the one wanting. However, there were some thoughts I found troublesome.

Augustine's book aims to contain a “general view of the subjects treated in the Holy Scripture”. It is secondarily concerned with proper hermeneutics in order to ascertain what those subjects are. Of his secondary aim, there is a lot of sense in what he writes. Is a passage literal? Do not interpret it figuratively. Is it figurative? Do not interpret it literally. And so on. It is the “general view” of the subjects found in scripture that bothered me. Here, I cannot help but think that he breaks with his own advice found in the “Dangers of Mistaken Interpretation” section. Here he says, ”For if he takes up rashly a meaning which the author whom he is reading did not intend, he often falls in with other statements which he cannot harmonize with this meaning, And if he admits that these statements are true and certain then it follows that the meaning he had put upon the former passage cannot be the true one: and so it comes to pass, one can hardly tell how, that, out of love for his own opinion, he begins to feel more angry with Scripture than he is with himself.” Although Augustine does not become angry, I think he does force some ideas in order to fit them in with his original interpretations.

For example, he expounds the idea that things here are either to be enjoyed, to be used, or are to be both used an enjoyed. He defines enjoyment as something we find satisfaction in for it's own sake and urges us to consider that God is the only true source of enjoyment. Things for use are those things that we employ to obtain what we desire (which is hopefully God). But then he tried to to put humans under the category of “things” and maintained that God only uses us (though of course with a different definition of use, with it being for our own good). This is something I agree with to some extent. What bothered me is that he expressly says that God does not enjoy us. He says, ”If He enjoys us, He must be in need of good from us, and no sane man will say that; for all the good we enjoy is either Himself, or what comes from Himself.”. Does it follow that in order to enjoy us it must be because he needs some good from us? Can we not say that He enjoys us since we do fall under the category of those things which come from Himself?

Another bothersome thing he says is this: And thus a man who is resting upon faith, hope and love, and who keeps a firm hold upon these, does not need the Scriptures except for the purpose of instructing others. Accordingly, many live without copies of the Scriptures even in solitude on the strength of these three graces.” If he had said 'on the strength of Scriptures they had memorized” or something then maybe I could get behind his statement. But to put so much trust in the individual to be able to keep a firm hold on these things without the corrective aid of Scripture, well, it kind of blows my mind. And what Scripture does he base this statement on?

So, I concede that I may be misreading this work, and I also think there are practical things, useful things if you will, to be found here, but until I can reconcile other problems I give it 3 stars.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Finally got around to reading the New City version. The translator excels—as well as occasionally ribs Augustine! Book I is the strongest; Book IV is the weakest. But overall, great. There's a reason why this has been an essential resource in reading the Bible for so many centuries!

[Tim Michiemo · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0 Stars - Top Read of 2021

Augustine’s “On Christian Teaching” is a short treatise for students of the Bible on how to interpret and teach the Bible. Augustine’s book is profound, it contains some of the cultural oddities of his time but is full of the wonder of the grace that is found in Jesus. Augustine's book is broken into four parts; the first three parts deal with the interpretation of Scripture, while the last deals with how to teach Scripture eloquently. In part one Augustine argues that one cannot interpret Scripture rightly unless one interprets through the rule of faith, which is to love God and love neighbor. In part two Augustine addresses sign theory and the use of pagan learning and education in interpreting Biblical signs. Here Augustine emphasizes the importance of repeated readings of the entire canon, knowing original languages, and approaching the text in humility. In part three Augustine explains how to deal with ambiguities in the Scriptures. Which is by the rule of faith and discerning between literal and metaphorical signs. In part four Augustine explains how to teach the Scriptures, defending the eloquence of the Scriptures and the use of rhetoric when teaching/preaching the Bible.
 
Now, part of me feels like it’s sacrilegious to review Augustine. Augustine is probably one of the most influential Christian writers of all church history, and it would seem foolish to critique the work of such a spiritual giant. I have profound respect for Augustine so there are just a few things I want to note about this book.
 
(1) Augustine is incredibly relevant and pastoral. Although this book was written 1,600 years ago many of his principles are agreed upon and taught in classrooms today concerning Biblical interpretation. (2) Augustine's insights on the rule of faith in Biblical interpretation are incredibly illuminating. Not because it's nature as esoteric or profound knowledge, but simply because Augustine knows what is central to all of life. There is nothing more central, more life-giving, more beautiful than loving God and loving one's neighbor. And Augustine rightly founds all right Biblical interpretation on this reality. (3) I greatly appreciated Augustine's defense of using rhetoric and elegance in teaching and preaching. Augustine rightly acknowledges that words are useless unless they teach truth, he also recognizes that words are useful in communicating truths more effectively.
 
"On Christian Teaching" is a wonderful book, and a short one at that. Those not familiar with the ancient writings or Augustine himself might have a hard time reading this book. But I can think of no reason to not read Augustine... He serves us with a beauty that is ever ancient and ever knew. He introduces us to the Rock of Ages that not only bestows glorious truth to us today but has throughout all of history. Augustine's writings remind us of the never-changing nature of our God. So, if you want to learn more about Biblical interpretation and teaching, take up and read - you will struggle a bit, but you will be blessed!

[Francesca DiGiacomo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book is great. I found it super instructive and encouraging and I think it would be encouraging for anyone. It focuses mainly on “things” and how they are to be loved (used) not for themselves but ultimately only as far as they point us to the eternal things which we should love, ultimately God.
Book 2 and 3 were long and kind of “sloggy”. I felt like a lot of it was somewhat self evident. There were some good sections here and there but I felt like I was just reading to read it.
Book 4 was pretty good. It’s mainly for teachers/pastors since it’s so heavily rhetoric based. It’s less applicable for every day life of non-teachers but still interesting/informative.

[Vapula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful and important work from Augustine that conveys early elaborations of semiotics and hermeneutics.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not exactly the easiest or most fun thing to read, Augustine's work is important to the history of Christian teaching. He looks at the theology behind teaching and then examines various aspects of study and eloquent speech.

[David Withun · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Sean-Paul Kosina · Rating 4 out of 5]

“But whether a man is going to address the people or to dictate what others will deliver or read to the people, he ought to pray God to put into his mouth a suitable discourse. For if Queen Esther prayed, when she was about to speak to the king touching the temporal welfare of her race, that God would put fit words into her mouth, how much more ought he to pray for the same blessing who labors in word and doctrine for the eternal welfare of men? Those, again, who are to deliver what others compose for them ought, before they receive their discourse, to pray for those who are preparing it; and when they have received it, they ought to pray both that they themselves may deliver it well, and that those to whom they address it may give ear; and when the discourse has a happy issue, they ought to render thanks to Him from whom they know such blessings come, so that all the praise may be His ‘in whose hand are both we and our words.’ -Wisdom 7:16” (Book 4, Ch. 30)

“To speak eloquently, then, and wisely as well, is just to express truths which it is expedient to teach in fit and proper words — words which in the subdued style are adequate, in the temperate, elegant, and in the majestic, forcible. But the man who cannot speak both eloquently and wisely should speak wisely without eloquence, rather than eloquently without wisdom.” (Book 4, Ch. 28)

“For, when the readers and admirers of Plato dared calumniously to assert that our Lord Jesus Christ learned all those sayings of His, which they are compelled to admire and praise, from the books of Plato— because (they urged) it cannot be denied that Plato lived long before the coming of our Lord! — did not the illustrious bishop, when by his investigations into profane history he had discovered that Plato made a journey into Egypt at the time when Jeremiah the prophet was there, show that it is much more likely that Plato was through Jeremiah's means initiated into our literature, so as to be able to teach and write those views of his which are so justly praised? For not even Pythagoras himself, from whose successors these men assert Plato learned theology, lived at a date prior to the books of that Hebrew race, among whom the worship of one God sprang up, and of whom as concerning the flesh our Lord came. And thus, when we reflect upon the dates, it becomes much more probable that those philosophers learned whatever they said that was good and true from our literature, than that the Lord Jesus Christ learned from the writings of Plato — a thing which it is the height of folly to believe.” (Book 2, Ch. 28)

[Maya Joelle]

Read 1/2 of this in middle school (did not understand or enjoy).

Read Book Four for a class on classical rhetoric (understood, mostly, and enjoyed).

To reread in full someday (soon?).

[G.P. Loehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a slow and dense read, but man! St. Augustine is clever and funny. This is something to read academically, or at least to talk about with someone with expertise.

[Mak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Augustine. He sure writes pretty words.

Augustine begins by exploring what it means to truly desire God above all else, and he ends by explaining the traits which must be sought by anyone who seeks to be an equipped teachers/communicators. LOTS to chew on here.

“This book has extended to a greater length than I expected or desired. But the reader or hearer who finds pleasure in it will not think it long.“

^^St. Augustine’s final thoughts at the end of this book. P.S. it’s really not that long haha

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had entirely forgotten that I read this book, but Dr. Edwards insisted it was very good, and I agree.

So, before I get into the meat of the book, a note about this translation by Oxford's World Classics. This is a terrible translation. It tries to be dynamic, but ends up being anachronistic and feeling way too informal (for instance, "junk food" ends up in here). I am no pedant (my favorite translation right now is the NIV), but this was a register too low for me, and often made Augustine sound stretched.

Okay, the basic point of this book is that exegeting and teaching the Bible should make us love God and our neighbor. To make this point, Augustine says that we have signs and things, and we should not get bogged down in signs, but rather be poined to things--with the ultimate "thing" being God. This is something so simple and yet easily forgotten, that I want to be a better Christian because of it. This is the point of book 1.

In book 2, Augustine gives a careful understanding of signs and things signified and offers some very wise and timeless truths on how to read carefully. He says that we should let context determine meaning, both in terms of words and passages. He also has recourse to multiple translations and thinks that the Septuagint is the authoritative text (a point I differ with but that's a controversy for another time). He says Christian teachers should have a good generalized knowledge of the world and of the different fields of knowledge (music, math, etc.) and explains how it's helpful in understanding the Scriptures. You might call it the "historical" of the "historical-grammatical."

In book 3, Augustine explains the importance of not confusing the literal with the spiritual, or the literal with the metaphorical. It's interesting because Augustine is quite sensible: he says that we should not make the Scriptures that are ambiguous mean anything that is not thoroughly agreed upon. He also says that we should not be confused by the different morality in the Old Testament, since customs and societies change, though right and wrong do not change. But then it's clear that he finds a bunch of allegorical meanings that are not in the text at all, and so it's clear we're in another planet. One interesting little tidbit is that Augustine says that in the Old Covenant there were a lot of signs, but that in the New Covenant there are only two--the sacraments. In all of this, we are to look past the physical to the spiritual. It shows how fluid these categories were for Augustine.

I differ with his allegorical interpretations, but as someone who spends a lot of time in Biblical Horizons-like readings of Scripture, it made me realize how easy it is for me to become captive to an idea. So maybe there's cause for humility about meanings in texts which are just "obvious." Augustine may have been too ascetic, but we are definitely too luxurious and libertine.

In book 4, Augustine offers a long discussion of fruitful rhetoric in teaching, which it seems clear to me focuses on pastors. He says that rhetoric is not to be despised and points to the rhetoric in the Bible. Like Socrates, he warns against letting rhetoric distract us from the truth. He says that different styles are fitting for different times, and that simple styles are best for teaching about the Trinity. More fancy, or emotional styles, though sometimes suitable, are not to be maintained for very long. Remember, says Augustine, the point is to make people do things, not to make them look at you.

So, all in all, very good. Augustine was a great church father, and I was encouraged to hear him giving advice that I myself have heard in the modern era before. Augustine says not to worry about what you will say before you preach: the Spirit will give you what you need. As someone who worries a lot about what he says, I found this comforting, pastor or no pastor.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good and useful.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

In contrast to the unwieldy and meandering City of God, Augustine’s four books On Christian Doctrine are notably focused in comparison. Augustine seems to be at his best when he can let his rhetorical skills breathe. His arguments stay rooted in his fundamental belief in biblical truth, but at least here he engages in active interpretation. The entire last book is dedicated to honing skills to distinguish between literal and figurative biblical passages. He seeks for allegory in much of the Old Testament.

Interestingly, Augustine speaks little of morality in his books On Christian Doctrine. There is but one purpose in our being for God- “He does not enjoy us but uses us.” Bk. 1, XXXI. In return, “He has mercy on us that we may enjoy him, and we have mercy on our neighbor so that we may enjoy Him.” Bk. 1, XXX. Unlike the Greek and Roman thinkers of before who sought the ways of righteous living to obtain eudaimon (spiritual happiness), Augustine strives for perfecting obedience and charity. Interpretation and study of biblical teachings lead the studious past the obscurity brought by original sin and into a fuller understanding of God’s wishes. Advancements in thought by philosophers before are used, but selectively.

If those who are called philosophers, especially the Platonists, have said things which are indeed true and are well accommodated to our faith, they should not be feared; rather, what they have said should be taken from them as from unjust possessors and converted to our use. Bk. 2, XL.

Augustine’s life of humility and quest for “faith, love and charity” strikes a chord for all who pursue decency. However, all builds upon that faith in biblical authority. Where the philosophers of prior centuries had faith in the existence of some abstract value, or even just man’s ability to achieve eudaimon through critical thought, Augustine places his faith in a collection of writings serving as an encoded blueprint for human action and thought.

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

And so begins the epistemology of the Western world, Christian or otherwise. It begins as a pocket guide to ethics:

**use: to employ whatever means are at our disposal to obtain what one desires (I.4). In accordance with the ordo amoris, God uses rather than enjoys us (I.31). God uses us in references to his own goodness

**enjoyment: to rest with satisfaction in a thing. The Trinity is the true object of enjoyment. Objects of enjoyment must be eternal and unchangeable (I.22). This leads to the Ordo Amoris

Ordo Amoris (I.27)

God is to be loved for his own sake. Each man ought to love God more than himself. All things are to be loved in reference to God. The body lives through the soul, and it is by the soul that we love God.

How do we love other men? Ideally, we should love them equally, but this is impractical. Therefore, we should pay special regard to those who need it most.

**caritas: “that affection of the mind which aims at the enjoyment of God for His own sake, and the enjoyment of one’s self and one’s neighbor in subordination to God” (III.10.16).
**prudence: charity with an eye to one’s own advantage
**benevolence: charity with an eye towards one’s neighbor


sign: a thing which causes something else to come into the mind as a consequence of itself (II.1) Augustine accuses the Jews of not knowing to what the signs pointed, and as a result they interpreted figurative realities literally (III.6.10). The Jews are liberated by seeing the realities to which the signs pointed.

Augustine says Every sign is also a thing. But not the reverse. I agree, but I would modify it to say,

More things are signs than you would expect, and the play of signs is ubiquitous.

The rest of the book has a fairly interesting section on hermeneutics and rhetoric.

[Matthew McConnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never did except that a 4th century bishop would become one of my greatest theological mentors and spiritual heroes in life. But here we are.

In Psalm 103:2, David commands his soul to do two things: praise the LORD and forget not all his benefits. At the top of the list of God’s benefits in my life is Christ himself and the forgiveness he brings. But honestly, my introduction to Augustine is not that far behind.

I feel as if my soul is somehow tethered to the heart and mind of this great man and theologian. It is not unreasonable to say that reading Augustine has changed my life—how I think, how I read (both Scripture and all else), how I pray, how I preach, how I pastor, and so much more.

In On Christian Teaching, Augustine lays out the what and the how of Christian preaching and teaching. His insights are next level. His rhetoric is sharp. His logic is compelling. Every preacher should read this book. Every reader of Scripture should read this book.

Let me end how Augustine ends: “I thank God that in these four books I have been able to discuss, with such ability as I have, not the sort of person that I am—for I have many failings—but the sort of person that those who apply themselves to sound teaching, in other words Christian teaching, on behalf of others as well as themselves, ought to be.”

I thank God for Augustine.

[Neil Kruger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Augustine's classic on Christian teaching, which serves as a primer on hermeneutics is well worth revisiting. Augustine's work does not merely offer a guide to Bible interpretation. He is concerned for interpretations that reflect Christian virtues, particularly the Pauline triad of faith, hope and love. In true Augustinian fashion, Bible interpretation is placed within the context of finding greatest satisfaction in God alone. Augustine is also not ashamed to "plunder the Egyptians" when it serves the Truth. Finally, the end goal of interpretation is the teaching of the truth. It is the teacher's responsibility to teach with clarity, to beautify the true and the good, and to do so with all legitimate means of persuasion.

[Joshua Pearsall · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a wonderful read. I think Augustine does a great job highlighting a few basics of the faith (though I would have some disagreements with him on a few things, as he would with me). Especially on the Primacy of Scripture over the Church, but the Church having an important and vital role & authority for us. Some truly great tools and tips for reading the Scripture, and some great comments about reading things not only outside the Scripture but outside the Faith.

[Justin Harbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly meaningful and relevant, particular for Christian educators. His famous discourse on joy vs. use remains timelessly crucial in our western context obsessed with 'practical' application or usability.

[Matthew Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hardly an intro to the Christian faith, but instead, a guide for those who teach. Some interesting reflections on learning languages (not sure he follows his own advice on the value of Hebrew), exegesis, literal and spiritual interpretation, and rhetoric (overkill on that front).

[Dylan Kochan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic.

[J. Alfred · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first three books are extremely interesting in how to read and interpret the Bible, and indeed how to think: there's a good amount of discussion on what is a thing, what is a sign, how signs are things and things are signs, but you can get mixed up if you interpret a sign as merely a thing and vice versa-- pretty profound stuff, as you might expect from the saint.
Book four, on how Christians ought to try to sound good while speaking truth, is much less interesting.

[Donnally Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not so much an exposition of Christian Doctrine as a guide to those who would teach doctrine. In 391, Emperor Theodosius issued a law making pagan worship illegal. During the Golden Age of Athens, politics and man-made laws guided human conduct, and the city-state was viewed as a manifestation of the highest human values, giving rise to political philosophy. Christianity effected a change in the course of Western society, requiring a new cultural identity and a new educational curriculum. With this in mind, Augustine attempted to create an approach to the teaching of scripture that matched the sophistication of the classical inheritance. He wrote the first three books in 396, just before he started work on The Confessions, and then added the fourth book in 426 just after completing The City of God. It is not nearly so deep or compelling as those works, but will be of interest to anyone who wants to gain a fuller understanding of Augustine's thought.
In the first book he treats of things, which he divides into three classes,--things to be enjoyed, things to be used, and things we both use and enjoy. The only object which ought to be enjoyed is the triune God, who is our highest good and our true happiness. We are prevented by our sins from enjoying God; and that our sins might be taken away, "the word was made flesh," our lord suffered, and died, and rose again, and ascended into heaven, taking to himself as his bride the church, in which we receive remission of our sins. And if our sins are remitted and our souls renewed by grace, we may await with hope the resurrection of the body to eternal glory; if not, we shall be raised to everlasting punishment. These matters relating to faith having been expounded, the author goes on to show that all objects, except God, are for use; for, though some of them may be loved, yet our love is not to rest in them, but to have reference to god. And we ourselves are not objects of enjoyment to God; he uses us, but for our own advantage. He then goes on to show that love--the love of God for his own sake and the love of our neighbor for God's sake--is the fulfillment and the end of all scripture. After adding a few words about hope, he shows, in conclusion, that faith, hope, and love are graces essentially necessary for him who would understand and explain the holy scriptures.
Having completed his exposition of things, in Book II the author proceeds to discuss the subject of signs. He first defines what a sign is, and shows that there are two classes of signs, the natural and the conventional. Of conventional signs (which are the only class here noticed), words are the most numerous and important, and are those with which the interpreter of scripture is chiefly concerned. The difficulties and obscurities of scripture spring chiefly from two sources, unknown and ambiguous signs. Book II deals only with unknown signs, the ambiguities of language are reserved for treatment in Book III. The difficulty arising from ignorance of signs is to be removed by learning the Greek and Hebrew languages, in which scripture is written, or if this can't be done, by comparing the various translations, and by attending to the context. In the interpretation of figurative expressions, knowledge of things is as necessary as knowledge of words; and the various sciences and arts of the heathen, so far as they are true and useful, may be turned to account in removing our ignorance of signs, whether these be direct or figurative. Whilst exposing the folly and futility of many heathen superstitions and practices, (there is a digression at this point, which I found amusing, expressing disdain at women painting their faces) the author points out how all that is sound and useful in heathen science and philosophy may be turned to a Christian use. And in conclusion, he shows the spirit in which it behooves us to address ourselves to the study and interpretation of the sacred books. This book also includes a chapter, which as a student of early Christianity I found to be of great interest, in which he lists all the books of the Old and New Testaments that are canonical. It is interesting to note that as early as the time this was written the New Testament canon had been fixed as the same books regarded as canonical today.
The author, having discussed in the preceding book the method of dealing with unknown signs, goes on in the third book to treat of ambiguous signs. Such signs may be either direct or figurative. In the case of direct signs ambiguity may arise from the punctuation, the pronunciation, or the doubtful signification of the words, and is to be resolved by attention to the context, a comparison of translations, or a reference to the original tongue. In the case of figurative signs, we need to guard against two mistakes:--i. Interpreting literal expressions figuratively; 2. Interpreting figurative expressions literally. The author lays down rules by which we may decide whether an expression is literal or figurative; the general rule being, that whatever can be shown to be in its literal sense inconsistent either with purity of life or correctness of doctrine must be taken figuratively. He then goes on to lay down rules for the interpretation of expressions that must be taken figuratively; the general principle being, that no interpretation can be true that does not promote the love of God and the love of man. Here is where I might have a quibble with Augustine.
There are passages of scripture that when read literally are far from being expressions of love. By forcing them to be interpreted as figurative expressions of love, at times it seemed to me that virtually anything could be interpreted as anything else in order to force the passage to comply with Augustine's interpretation. The author concludes this book by expounding and illustrating the seven rules of Tichonius the Donatist, which he commends to the attention of the student of holy scripture.
I found Book IV to be the least interesting. It is an explication of the oratorical qualities necessary for a preacher. After detailing with much care and minuteness the various qualities of an orator, he recommends the authors of the holy scriptures as the best models of eloquence, far excelling all others in the combination of eloquence with wisdom. He points out that perspicuity is the most essential quality of style, and ought to be cultivated with special care by the teacher, as it is the main requisite for instruction, although other qualities are required for delighting and persuading the hearer. All these gifts are to be sought in earnest prayer from God, though we are not to forget to be zealous and diligent in study. He describes three species of style, the subdued, the elegant, and the majestic; the first serving for instruction, the second for praise, and the third for exhortation: and of each of these he gives examples, selected both from scripture and from early teachers of the church, Cyprian and Ambrose. He shows that these various styles may be mingled, and when and for what purposes they are mingled; and that they all have the same end in view, to bring home the truth to the hearer, so that he may understand it, hear it with gladness, and practice it in his life. Finally, he exhorts the Christian teacher himself, pointing out the dignity and responsibility of the office he holds to lead a life in harmony with his own teaching, and to show a good example to all.