They know the arrangements of the books and can identify the various genres of literature. For Augustine, the Christian life is ultimately a life of correctly ordered loves–loving the things that ought to be loved in the appropriate measure.3 Therefore, one who truly understands the scriptures will live well and love well. Jarrett married his high school sweetheart, Hannah, in 2005, and they now have four small children. In On Christian Teaching, Augustine outlines his rules for biblical interpretation so that Christians can grow in the double love of God and neighbor. In Augustine's view, the biblical interpreter should understand God's blend of spiritual and human means in communicating truth; cultivate a humble Christ-like character; have a working knowledge of the whole Bible; and respect the 'rule of faith' (the historical teaching of the Church). Biblical history, as well as the laws contained in it, is transformed by Augustine into a history of Christianity and its tenets. Augustine recognizes that becoming an expert interpreter is a “laborious task,” but it begins with the simple task of committing the Bible to memory or, if nothing else, becoming “not totally unfamiliar” with the content of the Bible. It was not necessary for him to do so, and although it was an act of love on his part, we do not know why he chose to express himself in this particular way. 2. They can see how biblical law works, and they understand the purpose and symbolism of biblical ritual and worship. Such a view of biblical interpretation has the potential to be unifying and to ensure that division does not ensue needlessly. As the opening quote illustrates, for Augustine, biblical interpretation is always abundantly practical. – City of … When we love well, the text is written on our hearts. That is why many people, relying on these three things, actually live in solitude without any texts of the scriptures.”11, If the goal of reading the Bible is to grow in love, what happens when one reaches the destination? I, Thou, and the Need for We: An Incarnational Reading of Martin Buber, Goals and Motivations for Presenting Sin in Church History, Happiness, Death, Anxiety, Resurrection – IV: The Apostle Paul, Breath of the Soul: Sustenance for Daily Strength, Why I Didn’t Convert to Eastern Orthodoxy. My reasons for starting this way are simple: you have to crawl before you can walk. Reading and interpreting the Bible is never meant to be a purely academic or intellectual exercise, although it certainly can be read in that fashion. The new ESV-CE Bible translation will make Bible reading more understandable and accessible yet retain the accuracy and reliability necessary for faithful Catholics when reading Sacred Scripture. On Christian Teaching. It is a wonderful and beneficial … As the scriptures themselves prophesy, “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people (. (1) Augustine, On Christian Teaching, 1.86 (2) Augustine. “See now how stupid it is, among so large a mass of entirely correct interpretations which can be elicited from those words, rashly to assert that a particular one has the best claim to be Moses’ view, and by destructive disputes to offend against charity itself, which is the principle of everything he said in the texts we are attempting to expound.” (Augustine, 265). Notable proponents of allegorical interpretation include the Christian theologian Augustine of Hippo, who in the 4th century, on theological grounds, argued that God created everything in the universe in the same instant, and not in six days as a plain reading of Genesis would require; and the even earlier 1st-century Jewish scholar Philo of Alexandria, who wrote that it would be a mistake to think that creation … [Both Suk Arras and Bona ar… The Bible is true and nothing else that is true will contradict scripture. If this is not possible, it is best to either consult literal translations or to compare several translations. . St. Augustine answers the biblical literalists Posted on September 3, 2012 by David Gerald Fincham I recently came across the following quotation from St. Augustine of Hippo (354AD – 430AD) , one of the greatest Christian theologians, from his work De Genisi ad litteram (The Literal Meaning of … As the scriptures themselves prophesy, “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people (Jer 31:33b).”. As a pastor and teacher of the faithful, Augustine wrote On Christian Teaching as a simple guide to biblical interpretation. He gives much room to the typological interpretation of the Old Testament, which, as mentioned, contains and conceals the New Testament. Sometimes readers of the Bible make interpretative mistakes, but it still produces love in their lives. If the purpose of the scriptures is to train a person to live a righteous life and to equip a person to do good works (2 Tim 3:16-17), then I suppose the scriptures cease to have a purpose once a person is living them out. The process of reading and understanding the Bible begins with baby steps–familiarizing one’s self with the content of the Bible–and grows from there. . His rigorous study of the scriptures before embarking upon the journey of ordained ministry proves how central the scriptures were to Augustine’s thought and life. I simply mean that where other interpretations differ from our own but do not contradict what the Bible says elsewhere and which rightly conform to the commandments to love God and others, it is better to recognize them as valid even when we have reason in our own eyes to believe the view we hold is better. Augustine states that the intended meaning is that which “corresponds both to the light of truth and to the reader’s spiritual profit” (270). A person who does not grow in love does not truly understand the scriptures, even if that person knows a lot about the scriptures. I explain how books are divided into chapters and verses, a topic tedious for my more experienced readers, I know. Augustine further taught that God created the world for a purpose. The Relationship Between the Testaments They can see how biblical law works, and they understand the purpose and symbolism of biblical ritual and worship. His understanding of these verses incorporates secular philosophical ideas, shedding light on his view of proper biblical interpretation. Each semester I work with students who have either very little or no exposure to the Bible.5 Before we even begin to read any selections from the Bible, I start with a series of lectures that explain the history of the composition and formation of the Bible. When we love well, the text is written on our hearts. I think it is probable that the authors of scripture may have purposefully invoked double meanings in some cases, and I believe that the Bible always has application for times and scenarios which are not explicitly mentioned within. Those readers should be gently corrected and directed back to the right path. To a certain degree, I find this to be a rather generous attitude toward bad biblical interpretation. “If, as I began by saying, he is misled by an idea of the kind that builds up love, which is the end of the commandment, he is misled in the same way as a walker who leaves his path by mistake but reaches the destination to which the path leads by going through a field. ( Log Out /  Ultimately, if a person grows in their ability to understand the Bible so much so that it becomes a part of the fabric of their being, they have no further need of written texts. In addition to teaching, Jarrett is the assistant pastor of a house church, where he helps with preaching, teaching, worship leading, and discipleship. A person who does not grow in love does not truly understand the scriptures, even if that person knows a lot about the scriptures. By no means am I immune to misunderstanding a word or expression, overlooking the historical context, or projecting my own issues and baggage onto the text. Augustine’s final commentary on Genesis was undoubtedly his most concerted effort as it was written over a fifteen year period. On a basic level, one might argue that the journey toward love is never fully complete; therefore, the scriptures have continual relevance for the life of faith. The story of his student days in Carthage, his discovery of Cicero's Hortensius, the enkindling of his … As the opening quote illustrates, for Augustine, biblical interpretation is … Wit… There is a particular emphasis on practicing charity toward those who hold different views or interpretations, even while holding a high view truth. In book XII, Augustine presents his exegesis on the first two verses of Genesis 1. The purpose of this project is to extract Augustine’s principles for interpreting Scripture from De Doctrina Christiana, and to apply these, as viewed through a postliberal, cultural- linguistic lens, to questions of division within the Church. Every Biblical text is influenced by a web of other scriptural texts that touch on it and expand its meaning, as Psalm 116 does for Genesis 1:2. For the great African Christian intellectual of the early 5th century, Augustine had other concerns. We should absolutely have charity for other views of scripture in the nonessential doctrines category, and even in the distinctive doctrines category which will likely be a lot harder. His mother was a devout Christian; his father Patricius was a Pagan who converted to Christianity on his deathbed. He wanted to equip his congregation to read, interpret, understand, and apply the scriptures on their own. In the same way, Augustine argues that the most advanced students of the scriptures begin by gaining a basic reading knowledge of the Bible. That is, the Bible is the subject and the reader is the object. As a pastor and teacher of the faithful, Augustine wrote On Christian Teaching as a simple guide to biblical interpretation. We should always be slow to divide the church over varying interpretations of non-essential doctrines and slow to call heresy over varying interpretations of distinctives: none of us has everything figured out perfectly, and it would be stupidly arrogant to say that we did. Even so, perhaps it is better to recognize too many interpretations than too few. Like many pastors, Augustine was not simply content to teach the Bible to his congregation. They have a working knowledge of the history of the Israelite people. . I think a good rule of thumb is: in essentials unity; in nonessentials liberty; in all things charity. The new translation includes changes to nearly 60,000 words from the Revised Standard Version (RSV) and is the best combination of a literal translation written in smooth and readable English. It is an extended plea designed to persuadepeople “to enter the city of God or to persist in it”(Letter 2*.3). His commentary against the Manichees and the commentary in his Confessions were based on allegorical interpretations. Augustine is the first ecclesiastical author the whole course of whose development can be clearly traced, as well as the first in whose case we are able to determine the exact period covered by his career, to the very day. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. that their true perceptions were not left out of account” (266). Like many pastors, Augustine was not simply content to teach the Bible to his congregation. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading St. Augustine: The Literal Meaning of Genesis (Ancient Christian Writers Book 41). I agree with him that it is arrogant and foolish to hold that only one interpretation can be true and that all others are false. On the one hand, Augustine values the literal sense and encourages readers to find value in it. Keeping in mind that the goal of the Christian life is to order one’s loves correctly, the person who has interpreted the Bible wrongly, but loves, has taken a side trail to the right destination. True interpretations of varied complexity will ensure that any reader will derive spiritual profit from his or her interaction with scripture. Augustine also discusses how the Bible has many levels of truth for people of varied intelligence and ability. How am I, as a teacher of the Bible, to respond? Of course, Augustine goes on to say that the person should be corrected and shown both the right path and the right destination, but, as far as it goes, the person’s wrong reading of the Bible has produced a good result. On Prestige in Ministry. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. As you rightly point out, however, there are interpretations that we cannot agree to disagree over–but often I think Christians tend to overestimate these. In the first chapter, a survey of the principles that Augustine … Psalm 86:3 quoted,e.g., in De civitate dei 11.1) and its antagonist, theearthly city, is right or wrong love. As a pastor and teacher of the faithful, Augustine wrote. He teaches classes at several local colleges in the areas of religion and humanities. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Augustine, John, and the Donatists: Reflections on the African Context, Biblical Interpretation, and Ecclesiological Polemics Boek - Dissertatie This project examines two major contributing factors to the genesis and development of Augustine's reception of John in … However, I do not know if I can ALWAYS go all the way with you to say that it is “better to recognize too many interpretations than too few.” I have to make a distinction here between interpretations of nonessential and distinctive doctrines on one hand, and essential doctrines on the other. As the opening quote illustrates, for Augustine, biblical interpretation is always abundantly practical. When a reader engages the Bible, the subject (Bible) scrutinizes, examines, and studies the object (reader), which results in … He wanted to equip his congregation to read, interpret, understand, and apply the scriptures on their own. Here again, there is space for various interpretations of varying complexity. Those false interpretations which are most harmful will, at least in theory, be much easier to identify as not being based in the commandments to love God and others. Augustine's method of exegesis is rich and multi-layered. My reasons for starting this way are simple: you have to crawl before you can walk. But Augustine continues, “He is to be corrected, however, and to be shown how much better it is not to quit the straight road, lest, if he get into a habit of going astray, he may sometimes take cross roads, or even go in the wrong direction altogether” (Augustine, On Christian Doctrine, 1.36.41 [NPNF1, 2.533]). A person belongs to the city of God if and only if he directs hislove towards God even at the expense of self-love, and he belongs tothe earthly city … 22:37-9)” (265) are the basis for any and all true interpretations of scripture. Those familiar with the biography of Augustine will know that after being ordained a presbyter in the African town of Hippo, reportedly against his own wishes and desires, he requested time off to study the scriptures intensely.2 However a person views Augustine, it must be acknowledged that Augustine was primarily a pastor and an interpreter of the Bible. “So anyone who thinks he has understood the divine scriptures or any part of them, but cannot by his understanding build up this double love of God and neighbour, has not yet succeeded in understanding them.”1. It seems fairly clear to me that passages of scripture can be interpreted in many different ways and that one interpretation would not necessarily have to conflict with another. For Augustine, the Christian life is ultimately a life of correctly ordered loves–loving the things that ought to be loved in the appropriate measure. Nobody can say why God made the world. However, Augustine makes the provocative statement that a person firmly rooted in faith, hope, and love really has no need for the scriptures. If the purpose of the scriptures is to train a person to live a righteous life and to equip a person to do good works (2 Tim 3:16-17), then I suppose the scriptures cease to have a purpose once a person is living them out. Augustine states that in “God . This creates a challenging classroom dynamic! St. Augustine, whom most consider the greatest of all the Church Fathers, spends the last three “books” of his Confessions interpreting the spare outline of the Creation recorded in Genesis. One should interpret passages that are consistent with the love command literally. 1. At the risk of offending someone, I have to confess that I am routinely disturbed by the amount of bad Bible interpretation floating around. But he must be put right and shown how it is more useful not to leave the path, in case the habit of deviating should force him to go astray or even adrift.”10. Read More on This Topic Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Often times when I hear bad Bible interpretation, I do not know how to respond because I can see that the bad interpretation is bearing a measure of good fruit in the person’s life. Augustine’s a posteriori interpretation presupposes a particular community (the Church), and thus the two-fold act of discovery (modus inveniendi) and delivery (modus proferendi) is properly required for a full-orbed interpretation of Scripture (tractatio scripturarum). There are two things on which all interpretation of Scripture depends: the mode of ascertaining the proper meaning, and the mode of making known the meaning when it is ascertained. However a person views Augustine, it must be acknowledged that Augustine was primarily a pastor and an interpreter of the Bible. These days too many exegetes, or interpreters of the Bible, are rationalists who deny Christ’s miracles; or skeptics who deny his divinity; or modernists who deny the historical truth of his birth, death, and resurrection. Then I make sure that my students have a general sense of the books of the Bible and their arrangement. The person who is living the scriptures has made them a part of their being; at this point there is no longer a need for written texts. If interpretations are true when they measure up to the standard of these two love commands, then a great range of perspectives and interpretations are open to the interpreter. This book contains a group of essays by internationally recognized scholars on Augustine’s hermeneutical theory and practice of biblical exegesis attempting to understand Augustine (1) against his own intellectual background, (2) within his own works, and (3) in relation to traditional and contemporary discussions of biblical hermeneutics and exegesis. While it opens up the possibility for various valid perspectives, my concern is that it might be difficult to discern when certain interpretations fail to match up to this standard. As many Bible teachers recommend, Augustine encourages readers to gain understanding of the original biblical languages.6 If this is not possible, it is best to either consult literal translations or to compare several translations.7 Of course, as a student progresses on this path, other issues become relevant. Augustine and Problems of Scriptural Interpretation Abstract In this paper, I examine Augustine's attempts to standardize Scriptural readings inOn Christian Doctrineand The Trinity,in which he painstakingly defines sign-theory and other technical aspects of literary production. His hobbies include guitar, hiking, bird watching, crossword puzzles, sports, reading, and writing. The person who is living the scriptures has made them a part of their being; at this point there is no longer a need for written texts. Or maybe it would be better to look at it differently. Anyone hearing or reading scripture should be able to understand its truths at a certain level, no matter how blessed they are for intellect. In Roman Catholicism he is formally recognized as a doctor of the church. A correct understanding of the scriptures produces the double love of God and neighbor. , Augustine outlines his rules for biblical interpretation so that Christians can grow in the double love of God and neighbor. I also resonated with Augustine’s discussion of charity in biblical interpretation here. In Confessions 3.4.8 Augustine writes that he had the Gospels in his hands since childhood under his mother’s influence. ( Log Out /  “The most expert investigator of the divine scriptures will be the person who, first, has read them all and has a good knowledge–a reading knowledge, at least, if not yet a complete understanding–of those pronounced canonical.”4. Augustine’s City of God is not a treatise of politicalor social philosophy. The criterion of membership in the city of God(a metaphor Augustine takes from the Psalms, cf. Therefore, one who truly understands the scriptures will live well and love well. However, Augustine makes the provocative statement that a person firmly rooted in faith, hope, and love really has no need for the scriptures. Even so, he believes that the love command (to love God and to love one’s neighbor) provides a central principle that is useful for biblical interpretation. Reading and interpreting the Bible is never meant to be a purely academic or intellectual exercise, although it certainly can be read in that fashion. However, the person ultimately needs to be corrected so that future interpretative mistakes do not lead to the wrong destination. How does one know if a particular interpretation measures up to this standard? They have a working knowledge of the history of the Israelite people. ( Log Out /  Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Or maybe it would be better to look at it differently. Augustine states that the commands “[l]et us love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and our neighbor as ourselves (Matt. On a basic level, one might argue that the journey toward love is never fully complete; therefore, the scriptures have continual relevance for the life of faith. His understanding of these verses incorporates secular philosophical ideas, shedding light on his view of proper biblical interpretation. For example, ideas from secular philosophy such as the notion of prime matter and the “heaven of heaven” (258) (or realm of ideal forms) are fair game according to Augustine for incorporation into a true interpretation of Genesis 1:1-2. St. Augustine: The Literal Meaning of Genesis (Ancient Christian Writers Book 41) - Kindle edition by John Hammond Taylor. The Interpretation of Scripture Depends on the Discovery and Enunciation of the Meaning, and is to Be Undertaken in Dependence on God's Aid. Those familiar with the biography of Augustine will know that after being ordained a presbyter in the African town of Hippo, reportedly against his own wishes and desires, he requested time off to study the scriptures intensely. Each semester I work with students who have either very little or no exposure to the Bible. As Paul says, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:16-17).” Paul and Augustine are making the same point: the truths of the scriptures are meant to be lived out. In the same way, Augustine argues that the most advanced students of the scriptures begin by gaining a basic reading knowledge of the Bible. I do not think that charity of the “better too many than too few” interpretations sort has to extend to essential doctrines like the trinity, the divinity and humanity of Christ, the sovereignty of God, and others though (not that you said this in your post, I’m just expounding). Maybe the person has misunderstood an expression in one of Paul’s letters or has taken the prophets out of their historical context, but their reading of the scriptures has increased their double love of God and neighbor. Before we even begin to read any selections from the Bible, I start with a series of lectures that explain the history of the composition and formation of the Bible. It is rare anymore that St. Augustine’s De doctrina Christiana—”On Christian doctrine”—is mentioned, much less taught, at Catholic colleges and seminaries. . I teach a basic introductory course on the Bible as a great work of literature at my local community college. The New Testament lies concealed in the Old, the Old lies revealed in the New. I was interested in this idea and how scriptural interpretation according to this principle might be accomplished. His rigorous study of the scriptures before embarking upon the journey of ordained ministry proves how central the scriptures were to Augustine’s thought and life. In the second paragraph, since Leo XIII understands the truth of Scripture to be a settled principle, he simply quotes St. Augustine as saying that if something is conclusively proved to be true of the world, then we cannot interpret Scripture to contradict that; and if something is conclusively proved to be the meaning of Scripture, then we cannot understand the world to contradict that. Please avoid sarcasm, rhetorical questions, ad hominem attacks, and general statements that do not contribute to dialogue. I think we should always guard our interpretations of essential doctrine though, and I believe Augustine would agree with that too. as a simple guide to biblical interpretation. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Its emphasis on allegorical interpretation of Scripture, carried out within very loose parameters, was especially significant, and it remains of interest to philosophers for its subtle and influential discussion of Augustine’s theory of “signs” and how language represents reality. The meaning of a particular word may include its literal sense, but it also includes spiritual, metaphorical, and symbolic meanings as well. Translated by R.P.H. An atheistic, “Darwinian evolution” could not be anachronistically inserted into his thought or vocabulary. Of course, as a student progresses on this path, other issues become relevant. Scripture’s truth is such that it contains something for anyone. A correct understanding of the scriptures produces the double love of God and neighbor. As Paul says, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work (. Jarrett holds a bachelor of science degree in biology from Ohio Northern University and a master of divinity degree from Emory University, Candler School of Theology. If we are unable to agree on the author’s meaning, we at least should interpret Scripture according to the wider context of the Bible as a whole. The literal sense for Augustine is the sense the words bear in their original historical-linguistic context. I explain how books are divided into chapters and verses, a topic tedious for my more experienced readers, I know. ).” Paul and Augustine are making the same point: the truths of the scriptures are meant to be lived out. If my students do not grasp the basics of the Bible first, they will have a difficult time reading the oracles of the prophets, the poetry of the Psalms, or the parables of Jesus. Augustine was born in 354 in the city of Thagaste (Algeria) in Roman Africa. Along with John Chrysostom, Augustine was among the most prolific scholars of the early church by quantity. These works had included such ideas as taking the days of Genesis 1 as 7 epochs of redemptive-historical history, and 7 stages of the Christian life.De Genesis contra Manichaeos 1.23.35-1.25.43, in Augustine, On Genesis, 62-68. When Augustine described his later works on Genesis as “literal,” he intended to distinguish them from the allegorical approach of his earlier two-volume work on Genesis against the Manichees. As many Bible teachers recommend, Augustine encourages readers to gain understanding of the original biblical languages. Green (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997), vii-viii (3) Ibid., 1.59 (4) Ibid., 2.24 (5) I also work with adult students who have been reading the Bible for many years. The authors hail from a variety of Christian traditions and use this website to host an intentional community in order to facilitate the true exchange of ideas and to encourage loving action. The Arrangement of Scripture He wanted to equip his congregation to read, interpret, understand, and apply the scriptures on their own. Eventually readers of the Bible have to learn how to differentiate between passages meant to be read literally and passages meant to be read figuratively, something that can challenge even the most advanced readers.8 Augustine recognizes that becoming an expert interpreter is a “laborious task,” but it begins with the simple task of committing the Bible to memory or, if nothing else, becoming “not totally unfamiliar” with the content of the Bible.9. He informs us himself that he was born at Thagaste (Tagaste; now Suk Arras), in proconsular Numidia, Nov. 13, 354; he died at Hippo Regius (just south of the modern Bona) Aug. 28, 430. As a pastor and member of a Christian church, I regularly teach my interpretation of the scriptures and listen to others offer their interpretations of the scriptures. Clergy and laity are both subject to hermeneutical errors, but this is not the main point I want to make about this issue. No man can be a good bishop if he loves his title but not his task. “So anyone who thinks he has understood the divine scriptures or any part of them, but cannot by his understanding build up this double love of God and neighbour, has not yet succeeded in understanding them.”. Subject to hermeneutical errors, but it still produces love in their lives Bible teachers recommend, Augustine.., contains and conceals the New our way through Confessions, a topic tedious for my experienced... 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( 265 ) are the basis for any and all true interpretations of scripture on this path other! Bishop if he loves his title but not his task practicing charity toward who... Can grow in the double love of God and neighbor to Christianity on his view proper... Be a good rule of thumb is: in essentials unity ; all. An icon to Log in: you have to crawl before you can walk or vocabulary, or. And neighbor interaction with scripture our interpretations of essential doctrine though, general.