Fr.

Leandro Fernandez 21, January

Saint Augustine’s On Christian Doctrine, Books I and II

Saint Augustine begins Book I by dividing his work into two essential parts: the

discovery and the expression of the true sense of Scripture. This division reflects his

conviction that understanding Scripture requires both a grasp of its inherent meaning and the

ability to communicate that meaning effectively, ensuring it serves the ultimate purpose of

guiding others toward God. In this initial section, he focuses on the discovery of meaning by

attending to both things (res) and signs (signa). Augustine categorizes things into three

classes: things to be enjoyed, things to be used, and things that both use and enjoy. For

example, the Triune God is to be enjoyed as the ultimate source of happiness, material

possessions are to be used as tools to aid our journey toward God, and humans, who both use

and enjoy, are meant to love one another for God’s sake. Of these, only the Triune God—

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is to be enjoyed for His own sake, as He is the highest good

and the source of ultimate happiness.1 Augustine explains, “a thing is to rest with satisfaction

in it for its own sake” 2, emphasizing that all other things, including ourselves and our

neighbors, must be used as means to the ultimate goal of union with God.

Augustine observes that human sinfulness obstructs our ability to enjoy God,

necessitating redemption through Christ. He situates this within his broader theological

framework, emphasizing the indispensability of divine grace in overcoming the disordered

will caused by sin. For Augustine, it is only through Christ’s redemptive work and the

1
On Christian Doctrine, Book I, Chapter 5, p. 5.
2
Book I, Chapter 4, p. 4.
1
transformative power of grace that human beings can rightly orient their desires toward God

and achieve true enjoyment of Him.

A central theme of Book I is love, which Augustine identifies as the fulfillment of all

Scripture. For Augustine, love for God serves as the ultimate measure of all actions and

desires, orienting the soul toward its highest good. This emphasis on love profoundly

influences his exegesis, as he interprets Scripture through the lens of charity, ensuring that

every interpretation fosters love for God and neighbor. By anchoring scriptural understanding

in the virtue of love, Augustine integrates moral transformation with intellectual

comprehension, presenting a unified vision of theology and spirituality where misaligned

affections lead to disordered attachments that prevent us from properly using creation as a

means to glorify God3, and interfere in our capacity for true comprehension of His word.

Love for God, who alone is to be enjoyed, and love for our neighbor for God’s sake,

form the foundation of Christian ethics. Augustine emphasizes that the end of all scriptural

interpretation is charity, rooted in faith and hope. He explains that love must stem from a pure

heart (1 Tim 1:5) to ensure only what is worthy of love is loved, while a good conscience

preserves hope by preventing despair. Faith, when sincere and unfeigned, ensures that love

and hope remain rightly ordered, enabling the interpreter to align their understanding with

God’s will and the ultimate purpose of Scripture4, charity.

By the conclusion of Book I, Augustine underscores the necessity of spiritual renewal

and virtuous living for anyone undertaking the task of scriptural interpretation. For

Augustine, spiritual renewal involves the reorientation of the soul through divine grace,

aligning the interpreter’s desires with God’s will. This renewal ensures that the interpreter

approaches Scripture not merely as an intellectual exercise but as a transformative encounter

3
Book I, Chapter 22, p. 21.
4
Book I, Chapter 40, p.44.
2
that fosters deeper communion with God. Through virtuous living, the interpreter embodies

the love and faith necessary to rightly discern and communicate the truths of Scripture. The

interpreter must approach Scripture with a purified heart, oriented by faith, hope, and love, to

rightly discern and apply its teachings.

In Book II, Augustine shifts from things to signs, focusing on how meaning is

conveyed through language. He defines signs as things used to signify something else and

distinguishes between natural signs, which convey meaning by nature, and conventional

signs, which depend on human agreement. 5 This distinction is crucial for Augustine because

natural signs, like smoke indicating fire, are understood universally, whereas conventional

signs, particularly words, require shared understanding within a linguistic or cultural context.

This insight helps interpreters recognize the complexities of scriptural language and

underscores the need for knowledge of context and tradition in uncovering meaning.

Words, as the most prominent example of conventional signs, are central to scriptural

interpretation. Augustine identifies two main sources of difficulty in understanding Scripture:

unknown signs and ambiguous signs.6 An example of an unknown sign might be an

unfamiliar Hebrew term that requires linguistic expertise to decipher, while an ambiguous

sign could involve figurative language, such as metaphors or parables, whose meanings

depend on context and interpretation. He emphasizes the need to overcome ignorance of signs

by learning the original languages of Scripture, Hebrew and Greek, and by consulting various

translations.

To interpret Scripture effectively, Augustine insists on the necessity of secular

knowledge. For instance, historical knowledge can clarify the cultural and political contexts

of biblical events, while natural science aids in understanding references to the physical

5
Book II, Chapter 1, p. 2.
6
Book II, Chapter 10, p. 15.
3
world, such as the seasons or natural phenomena. Philosophy, on the other hand, provides

tools for grappling with abstract theological concepts, enriching the interpreter’s ability to

uncover deeper meanings in Scripture. He acknowledges the value of fields such as history,

natural science, and philosophy, arguing that these disciplines can illuminate the meaning of

scriptural signs. Augustine likens this appropriation of pagan knowledge to the Israelites

taking gold from the Egyptians to use for God’s purposes. 7 However, he warns against

adopting superstitious practices or false beliefs from these sources, urging discernment in

their use. He also highlights the importance of context in resolving ambiguities in Scripture

and encourages interpreters to consider the broader narrative and doctrinal unity of the Bible,

ensuring their interpretations align with the faith and promote love for God and neighbor.

Finally, Augustine stresses the need for humility and reliance on divine grace in the

interpretive process, reminding readers that knowledge without love is ultimately fruitless. 8

For Augustine, humility enables the interpreter to acknowledge their dependence on God,

while love ensures that the purpose of interpretation aligns with God’s will. Together,

humility and love form the bedrock of Augustine’s theological vision, uniting intellectual

pursuit with the transformative power of grace.

Questions:

1 - Augustine frequently addresses the orientation of human desire. Could the

interpreter's personal longing for God influence the outcome of theological exegesis, tending

toward a spiritual rather than a literal sense?

2 - How does Augustine’s emphasis on the role of love in exegesis compare with

Origen’s allegorical method and his focus on the spiritual sense of Scripture?
7
Book II, Chapter 40.
8
Book II, Chapter 41, p. 62.
4
 3 - Augustine argues that the ultimate purpose of exegesis is charity. How does this

principle challenge modern methods of scriptural interpretation that prioritize historical-

critical analysis or linguistic precision over theological application?

4 - Augustine links proper interpretation to moral renewal. Should an interpreter’s

spiritual state be considered as important as their intellectual preparation? Why or why not?

5 - If love of God is the ultimate goal of interpretation, can theological exegesis itself

be seen as an act of worship? How might this perspective change the way Scripture is

studied?