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Augustine of HippoOn Christian Doctrine
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Book 2Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Book 2 Summary
Augustine turns his attention to the topic of signs in scripture and reflects again on the power of the written word. He explains that, due to the ambiguity and symbolism in many passages of scripture, it is easy for uninformed or inexperienced readers to be led astray in their interpretations. Augustine claims that these interpretive difficulties were divinely ordained to humble the human intellect and to keep people actively engaged with the sacred texts.
In terms of the scriptural canon—that is to say, the books of scripture accepted by the Catholic Church as forming the true Bible—Augustine urges his readers to accept the authority of the most established churches on such matters. He then explains that it is important for any serious student of the Bible to learn three languages: Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Hebrew is the language of the Old Testament, Greek is the language of the New Testament, and Latin translations of these biblical texts are numerous and (as Augustine acknowledges) can sometimes vary. Augustine tells his readers that knowing all three languages can make interpreting signs and figurative passages easier, since the learned reader can consult multiple versions of the same text.
Augustine denounces the existence and influence of pagan religions by condemning superstitions such as augury (trying to determine the future through animal sacrifices and other signs) and astrology. However, the question of pagan philosophy turns out to be more complicated. Augustine claims that the pagan philosophers—including Plato—must have learned their good moral precepts from the Jews instead of developing their moral philosophy independently. Still, Augustine urges his readers to take what is morally sound and of use from the pagan philosophers and apply such knowledge to Christian uses and ends. Augustine also emphasizes that any man who wishes to be wise must seek to honor and love God. Any man who fails to use his knowledge to this end is vainglorious and not truly wise.
Book 2 Analysis
In Book 2, Augustine takes a closer look at some of the issues surrounding the scriptures and how Christian readers interpret them. He admits that “some of the expressions [in scripture] are so obscure as to shroud the meaning in darkness” (104) but sees the act of interpretation as a form of spiritual exercise that helps a person learn humility while also deepening their faith. Augustine also offers an important definition about the difference between the literal and the figurative: “[Signs] are proper when they are used to point out the objects they were designed to point out […] Signs are figurative when the things themselves which we indicate by the proper names are used to signify something else” (119). The way to avoid mistaking the literal for the figurative, or vice versa, is to steep oneself in knowledge of all three major languages—Greek, Hebrew, and Latin—in order to compare translations and to detect when a translator has made an error in the text.
Augustine mentions that ecclesiastical authority is also important in determining what counts as canonical in scripture, and what counts as an authoritative translation. Augustine’s mention of the Septuagint—a Greek translation of the Old Testament—is instructive. He repeats the legend that the Septuagint was created by seventy translators who all worked alone before coming back together to compare their works. When they came to comparing their translations, they discovered that “though they were seventy in number, [they] are said to have translated with one voice” (135). Augustine regards this story as trustworthy for it is corroborated by “all the more learned churches” (133). By speaking of both biblical texts and church hierarchies in this way, Augustine signals his strong belief in the importance of obeying the verdicts of the proper ecclesiastical authorities in such matters.
Augustine’s discussion about pagan superstitions is also important to understanding On Christian Doctrine and its historical context. Catholicism was now the official state religion of the Roman Empire at the time of Augustine’s writing, but that was still a relatively new development, and the authority of the church was threatened by the ongoing existence of the old pagan faiths. Augustine’s passionate denunciation of pagan superstitions is therefore meant to undermine the enduring influence of paganism, and his claim that Plato and the other philosophers must have “learned whatever they said that was good and true from our literature” (171) reminds the reader of just how important these debates still were in Augustine’s time. Although Augustine concedes that Christians can still find some knowledge of value in pagan writings—and should feel free to use them for their own ends—he also concludes by insisting that “poor is all the useful knowledge which is gathered from the books of the heathen when compared with the knowledge of Holy Scripture” (202).
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By Augustine of Hippo
