Augustine's Theology of Preaching

Summary

Summary We aim to articulate the undergirding theological convictions which shaped and informed Augustine’s preaching. By doing this, we hope to provide a meaningful hermeneutic of Augustine’s preaching, which may be used to interpret his Sermones ad Populum. The thesis involves a close reading of the Sermones ad Populum, which pays careful attention to the role of Scripture, and utilizes the concepts of “interiority” and “temporality” as hermeneutical keys to Augustine’s preaching. Chapter 1 offers a historical survey of the context within which Augustine preached. This is followed by Chapter Two, which analyzes the issues raised by pagan oratory. Chapter 3 explores Augustine’s assumptions about the task of preaching, as expressed in De Doctrina Christiana. All of the above lays the foundation for Chapter 4, which explores our hermeneutical keys: interiority and temporality. These are then used in Chapters 5 to 7 to explicate key themes of Augustine’s preaching. In this way, we seek to show that interiority and temporality are valid terms with which to understand Augustine’s approach to preaching. Our conclusion sums up our findings before highlighting the contemporary value of our study and further avenues of research. Augustine’s preaching has been neglected in current scholarship. This thesis makes a contribution by offering a guide to the Sermones ad Populum and suggesting that our understanding of Augustine is distorted if his preaching is overlooked—as it has too often been. xvii ...