Abstract

This article explores one aspect of the pervasive presence of Paul in Augustine of Hippo's thought, what might be called his "Pauline voice." From the mid-300s C.E. to the mid-400s, there was a marked turn towards the figure and theology of Paul, indicated by the flurry of commentaries on Pauline letters written during that period. "Who correctly interprets Paul?" emerged as a bitterly contested question, with disparate voices claiming to speak in his name. This article considers how Augustine entered into this debate, analyzing a series of "dialogues" or "conversations" with the Apostle that occur within the course of his preaching. Augustine uses this rhetorical technique to permit Paul's own voice to affirm Augustine's reading of the Apostle. The article concludes with a consideration of the implications of these dialogues, in particular, the authority they conferred upon Augustine's own understanding of Paul.

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