Synopses & Reviews
An exploration of three of Augustine's central texts, the
De Trinitate, the
De Doctrina Christiana, and the
Confessions elucidate the principles of Augustine's theology of language. This is done in a systematic manner, which previous scholarship on Augustine has lacked. Augustine's principles are revealed through a close reading of these three core texts. Beginning with the De Trinitate, the book demonstrates that Augustine's inquiry into the character of the human person is incomplete. For Augustine, there is a void without reference to the category of human speech, the very thing that enables him to communicate his theological inquiry into God and the human person in the
De Trinitate. From here, the book examines a central work of Augustine that deals with the significance of divine and human speech, the
De Doctrina Christiana. It expounds this text carefully, showing three chief facets of Augustinian thought about divine and human communication: human social relations; human self-interpretation using scripture; and preaching, the public communication of God's word. It accepts the
De Doctrina Christiana as laying theoretical foundations for Augustine's understanding of the task of theology and language's meaning and centrality within it. The book then moves to Augustine's
Confessions to see the principles of Augustine's theology of language enacted within its first nine books.
Augustine's conversion narrative is analysed as a literary demonstration of Augustine's description of human identity before God, showing how speech and human social relations centrally mediate God's relationship to humanity. For Augustine, human identity properly speaking is ‘confessional'. The book returns to the
De Trinitate to complete its analysis of that text using the principles of the theology of language uncovered in the
De Doctrina Christiana and the
Confessions. It shows that the first seven books of that text, and its core structure, move around the principles of the theology of language that the investigation has uncovered. To this extent, theological inquiry for Augustine - the human task of looking for God - is bound up primarily within the act of human speech and the social relations it helps to compose. The book closes with reflection on the significance of these findings for Augustinian scholarship and theological research more generally.
Synopsis
An exploration of three of Augustines central texts, the De Trinitate, the De Doctrina Christiana, and the Confessions.
Synopsis
An exploration of three of Augustine's central texts, the De Trinitate, the De Doctrina Christiana, and the Confessions elucidate the principles of Augustine's theology of language. This is done in a systematic manner, which previous scholarship on Augustine has lacked. Augustine's principles are revealed through a close reading of these three core texts. Beginning with the De Trinitate, the book demonstrates that Augustine's inquiry into the character of the human person is incomplete. For Augustine, there is a void without reference to the category of human speech, the very thing that enables him to communicate his theological inquiry into God and the human person in the De Trinitate. From here, the book examines a central work of Augustine that deals with the significance of divine and human speech, the De Doctrina Christiana. It expounds this text carefully, showing three chief facets of Augustinian thought about divine and human communication: human social relations; human self-interpretation using scripture; and preaching, the public communication of God's word. It accepts the De Doctrina Christiana as laying theoretical foundations for Augustine's understanding of the task of theology and language's meaning and centrality within it. The book then moves to Augustine's Confessions to see the principles of Augustine's theology of language enacted within its first nine books. Augustine's conversion narrative is analysed as a literary demonstration of Augustine's description of human identity before God, showing how speech and human social relations centrally mediate God's relationship to humanity. For Augustine, human identity properly speaking is confessional'. The book returns to the De Trinitate to complete its analysis of that text using the principles of the theology of language uncovered in the De Doctrina Christiana and the Confessions. It shows that the first seven books of that text, and its core structure, move around the principles of the theology of language that the investigation has uncovered. To this extent, theological inquiry for Augustine the human task of looking for God is bound up primarily within the act of human speech and the social relations it helps to compose. The book closes with reflection on the significance of these findings for Augustinian scholarship and theological research more generally.
Synopsis
An exploration of three of Augustine's central texts, the
De Trinitate, the
De Doctrina Christiana, and the
Confessions elucidate the principles of Augustine's theology of language. This is done in a systematic manner, which previous scholarship on Augustine has lacked. Augustine's principles are revealed through a close reading of these three core texts. Beginning with the De Trinitate, the book demonstrates that Augustine's inquiry into the character of the human person is incomplete. For Augustine, there is a void without reference to the category of human speech, the very thing that enables him to communicate his theological inquiry into God and the human person in the
De Trinitate. From here, the book examines a central work of Augustine that deals with the significance of divine and human speech, the
De Doctrina Christiana. It expounds this text carefully, showing three chief facets of Augustinian thought about divine and human communication: human social relations; human self-interpretation using scripture; and preaching, the public communication of God's word. It accepts the
De Doctrina Christiana as laying theoretical foundations for Augustine's understanding of the task of theology and language's meaning and centrality within it. The book then moves to Augustine's
Confessions to see the principles of Augustine's theology of language enacted within its first nine books.
Augustine's conversion narrative is analysed as a literary demonstration of Augustine's description of human identity before God, showing how speech and human social relations centrally mediate God's relationship to humanity. For Augustine, human identity properly speaking is ‘confessional'. The book returns to the
De Trinitate to complete its analysis of that text using the principles of the theology of language uncovered in the
De Doctrina Christiana and the
Confessions. It shows that the first seven books of that text, and its core structure, move around the principles of the theology of language that the investigation has uncovered. To this extent, theological inquiry for Augustine - the human task of looking for God - is bound up primarily within the act of human speech and the social relations it helps to compose. The book closes with reflection on the significance of these findings for Augustinian scholarship and theological research more generally.
Table of Contents
<div class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><strong>Introduction</strong><br/><br/><strong>Chapter 1 - The problem of language in the De Trinitate</strong></span></div><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>1.1<span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Beginning at the end: the significance of Book 15 of the De Trinitate</span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>1.2<span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>God and the ultimate difference between creation and Creator</span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>1.3<span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>The Incarnation of the Word: the analogy between divine and human speech</span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>1.4<span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Language in the De Trinitate: the tool of transformation and its relationship to the mind</span></p><br/><div class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><br/><strong>Chapter 2 - De Doctrina Christiana Book 1: God, speech and ethics</strong></span></div><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>2.1 <span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>De Doctrina Christiana Preface and Book 1: the mechanics of theological speech</span><span lang=EN-US>ian mind.</span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>2.2 <span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Things and signs: the possibility of speech about God</span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>2.3<span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Speech theory continued: the Word becomes flesh</span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>2.4 <span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Uti/frui: use, enjoyment and sociality articulated </span></p><br/><div class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>2.5 <span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Conclusion</span><span lang=EN-US><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p> <br/><div> </div></span></div><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><strong>Chapter 3 - De Doctrina Christiana Books 2 and 3: Learning to Read </strong></span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>3.1<span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Scripture and the task of ‘self-reading': the transformative capacity of the written word</span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>3.2. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Signs and things: words and their relationship to thought</span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>3.3. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>The pathway to wisdom: seven steps to God</span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>3.4 <span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Signs and things: meaning, interpretation and eschatology</span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>3.5 <span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Cupiditas and caritas: a transformative dialogue</span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>3.6. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Cupiditas: the problem to be resolved</span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>3.7. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Caritas and cupiditas: the continuity between inner and outer Augustinian being </span></p><br/><div class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>3.8: <span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Conclusion</span> <br/><div> </div></div><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><strong>Chapter 4 - De Doctrina Christiana Book 4: The Importance and Character of Public Speech </strong></span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>4.1<span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Form and content: Augustinian theological anthropology</span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>4.2. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Commmunity and text: the priority of the spoken word</span></p><br/><div class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>4.3<span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Speech and Christian community: a dialogical relationship</span><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p> <br/><div> </div></span></div><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><strong>Chapter 5 - Confessions: Sociality, speech and Christian identity</strong></span></p><br/><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-UUS>5.1. <span style=&q