1. Lecture 3: Theological Method
Dr. Ann T. Orlando

2. Outline Augustine’s Approach to Theology: Biblical Exegesis
The Teacher
De Doctrina Christiana: On Christian Teaching (On Christian Doctrine)

3. Define Theological Method
Theology: study of God
Method: tools and approach to pursue that study
Systematic theology: organization and pursuit of theology as one connected, coherent system

4. Augustine’s ‘Systematic’ Theological Method
Entirely based on Scripture illuminated by God’s grace
Illumination both personal and ecclesial (Tradition)
Biblical exegesis was the primary method for doing theology
But exegetical approach could use a variety of ‘secular’ tools
Augustine wrote almost all of his works as a response to someone or some issue

5. De magistro: The Teacher
Written shortly after Augustine and Adeodatus return to Africa
Very shortly before Adeodatus’ death (389)
We need to use signs to teach, to communicate; but this leads to a paradox:
Language is a type of sign
But you don’t know what language (signs) mean unless you know the reality behind them
Resolved by looking to the inner teacher, Christ, the Word
Christ is the true basis of all knowledge
And we come to know Christ through the words (signs) found in Scripture

6. Reception of De magristro
Using On the Teacher, Gregory the Great in his homilies on the Gospels discusses language and signs, and the interior importance of true knowledge
Bonaventure defends Augustine’s theory of knowledge and signs in his On the Knowledge of Christ
Aquinas in ST Ia Q117 discusses learning through signs, although with more concern for Aristotle than Augustine

7. De doctrina christiana: On Christian Teaching (AKA On Christian Doctrine)
Written ; audience is primarily preachers, especially bishops
Augustine tells us he divided the material into two parts:
Rules for Interpreting Scripture (Part I: Books I-III) and
Preaching Scripture (Part 2: Book IV)
How to interpret and preach ambiguous and difficult Scripture passages

8. Likely Occasion for Writing DDC
Given Augustine’s fame as an orator, other bishops in the region asked him for ‘pointers’ to improve their homilies
Recall that in the Confessions, Augustine does not have much good to say about his chose profession
Practitioners are filled with ambition
Concerned to win debates in law courts, not find the truth
Thus Augustine refuses to suggest rhetorical tricks for use in homilies
Should be based on preaching the truth of Scripture (Books I-III)
Only have the truth of Scripture is mastered, should the homilist consider the style of his sermon, and the style should always be in service of preaching the truth (Book IV)

9. DDC: Prolog Augustine addresses three possible critics:
1. Those who fail to understand the rules for interpreting Scripture
2. Those who understand the rules, but do not have the skill to use them
3. Those who think no rules or skills are needed, only direct illumination from God
This is the group he is most concerned about

10. DDC Book I: Things and Properly Ordered Loves
Begins with the distinction between things and signs
Consider things (res) first
Some are meant to be used, others enjoyed, still others both used and enjoyed
Things which we enjoy makes us happy; things which we use are tools we use to reach what the things that make us happy
Enjoyment consists to clinging to a thing lovingly for its own sake
If we enjoy (love) things that are meant to be used, we deceive ourselves
The things to be enjoyed are the Trinity
But there is no way to speak adequately about the Trinity
Our minds must be purified to enjoy the truth of the unchanging, living God
But we can only do this because Wisdom (the Word) herself became mortal
Christ the physician to purify us
Since we are made in God’s image, are we to be used or enjoyed
We are to love ourselves, not for our own sake, but as something to be used toward the love (enjoyment) of God
To live a holy life, we must be able to evaluate things correctly, and so understand the right ordering of things to be loved
We are to love everyone equally
But we can not help (be used by) or be helped (use) all equally
God uses us for our benefit
When we enjoy a human being in God, we are really loving God
“Anyone who thinks they have understood Scripture but cannot by his understanding build up this double love of God and neighbor, has not yet succeeded in understanding it” (I.xxxvi)

11. DDC Book II Theory of signs
To properly read Scripture, must make spiritual ascent; seven stages of ascent based on gifts of Holy Spirit
Importance of knowing history, geography, astronomy, mathematics and logic in studying Scripture (scientia) 3rd stage of perfection
List of OT and NT canon of Scripture
Use Scripture to interpret Scripture
Problems of translating into Latin; preachers should know Greek and Hebrew
“The authority of the Septuagint is supreme” (II.xv)

12. Augustine’s Theory of Signs
A thing (res) is an external reality
Sign (signum) is something sensed which shows the mind something else
Natural signs, e.g. smoke indicating fire
Conventional or given (data) signs
Words (verbum) are a type (but not the only type) of conventional or given signs

13. Augustine’s Theory of Language
Human communication of reality (res) is by the given signs of words
Inherent ambiguity of how to use words
Denotation vs connotation
Because it is a conventional sign (not a thing), language is not unique
Multiple languages not only have different words but different structures
Same sounding word can mean different things in different languages
Or even in the same language

14. Relation Between Language and Thought
What is to be said is in the heart, the inner man
Only when it is to be communicated is the choice of specific language made
“Matching the differences in your audience you employ different languages in order to produce the word you have conceived; but what you have conceived in your heart was confined to no language.” (Tractates on John )
We learn language as a child by learning to associate words with thoughts, feelings and things
But even before we can express ourselves, infants have thoughts and feelings (Conf. I)

15. Augustine on Signs (signa)
In DDC he applies his theory of signs to Scripture (Book II)
All language is a sign of some reality (res)
Two types of given signs in language
Signa propria: proper signs as ‘ox’
Signa translata: metaphorical signs, as ‘ox’ to mean a minister yoked to Gospel

16. The Unambiguous Word: Jesus Christ
The Word is the perfect eternal Truth (no ambiguity)
Word became flesh to cure our corrupt souls
Perfect Word becomes perfect man
Mediator of grace to us
This Word in a thing, the creator of all things; not a sign of something else

17. Back to Use and Enjoy
Fundamentally, we either use (uti) or enjoy (frui) things
We use things in order to move toward enjoyment
Ultimately, all created things and people are to be used in order to move toward the only real enjoyment: God
There is a relation between sign/thing and use/enjoy:
All creation is a sign of God, created by the Word
All rational creatures find their ultimate enjoyment (fulfillment) in union with God

18. Assignment The Teacher, found in Augustine’s Earlier Writings
DDC Prolog, Books I and II
Prepare paper #3

19. Some Works Consulted
Levering, Matthew. Theology of Augustine. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2013.
Anderson, Robert. “Teaching Augustine’s On the Teacher,” Religions 2015, 6(2),
Toom, Tarmo. “Augustine’s Case for the Multiplicity of Meanings,” Augustinian Studies 45:2 (2014)
Williams, Rowan. “Language, Reality and Desire in Augustine’s De Doctrina” Literature and Theology Vol. 3, No. 2 July 1989.