SPCM 201 1st Edition Lecture 12 St. Augustine (354—430 C.E.) Born a pagan (non-Christian) from North Africa  Born into the Roman Empire but African by birth place  Studied and taught rhetoric in Carthage  Converted to Christianity at the age of 32 after hearing “a divine voice in a country garden”  Known as the defender of the Christian faith  Dies in attack by the German “hordes” in 430 C.E.  Rhetoric before Augustine is considered “pagan” by early Christians…  i.e. useless and sinful  Augustine finds a use:  EXEGESIS: interpreting and preaching of the Scripture (Bible)  Only clergy may interpret the Bible (not lay people)  Especially true in Augustine’s day when the contents of the Bible is in flux  Who then in Augustine’s audience for this book?  The Clergy  Priests Missionaries  Catholic Scholars (theologians)  NOT everyday parishioners  Exegesis involves Two Things: Knowledge: “discovering what the thought might be.”  This commitment to knowledge is why Augustine finds Plato the closest thing to Christianity! What much of On Christian Doctrine  Expression: “expressing what the thought is [to others]  Where the rhetoric comes in - Even though Augustine doesn’t want to talk about rhetoric  Subject of most of Book IV So what are Augustine’s takes on rhetoric? Eloquence, vocabulary, and diction is important but… It’s not that important  Knowing Scripture deeply is much more important  You need to learn it quickly (shouldn’t be life’s work)  And don’t focus on the rules  More about knowing what works  Learning from observation and imitation are the best bet  Learning by what others do These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute. Go watch others and then ‘copy-cat’ So who should we imitate?  God, Jesus, and the Apostles through Scripture  What do they say in the bible- Great way to learn and also how to describe the bible/religion “Nothing can have more wisdom or even more eloquence”  So who should we imitate? (Cont.)  Hence all the example from the scripture  So we should aspire to sound like the Scripture as rhetors?  NO! That would be presumptuous  Scripture gives us answers, but also confuses and challenges us  The priest must therefore make Scriptural knowledge understand to the “unlettered”  Augustine echoes Cicero’s appeal to speak with the common touch  Common touch: always keeping everyday people in mind when speaking  What does the common touch look like? Understandable to the “slow to wit”  “With clearness of expression” [always]  Even if it lacks eloquence  Extemporaneous, to think on the fly The Holy Spirit will help  Why do we care if we use the “golden” or “wooden” key as long as it opens the box we seek?  But how do I know what the appropriate style is for each speech or occasion?  Augustine borrows an important idea from Cicero and Roman rhetoric  The Threefold Aim  The Threefold Aim In Roman Rhetoric (three levels of style/different ways of addressing your topic) Low Style: to instruct (i.e. talking to kids)  Middle Style: to please (i.e. entertainment, performance, humor, metaphors, subvert audience expectations)  High Style: to inspire (i.e. taking a speech and dressing it up, elaborate, complex, JFK, commemorate someone who died In Christian Rhetoric  Subdued Style: to teach (i.e. teach the faith)  Moderate Style: to praise (i.e. celebrating holidays, welcoming others into the church) Grand Style: to convert/save souls  Example of a Highly Stylized Christian Exegesis Jonathan Edwards “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God”  Augustine’s Legacy  Died for his faith (martyred and became a Saint)  Recovered rhetoric for the Christian age Ensured the survival of rhetoric through the Dark AgesStill regarded as one of the greatest Christian thinkers and rhetorical