What is it about?
This article discusses Augustine of Hippo's relationship to classical rhetoric; and the role that this training played in shaping Augustine's Christian writings. When Augustine resigned his position as professor of rhetoric and panegryic-writer at Milan, he was not abandoning classical rhetoric. Instead, as a careful reading of his sermons and polemical writings demonstrates, he was repurposing this education to understand and explain his ideas about who the Christian God was, how to know him, and how to live a Christian life.
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Why is it important?
It is often thought that, when Augustine resigned his position as professor of rhetoric and imperial panegyrist at Milan in the mid-380s, he was also distancing himself from his classical rhetorical education. This article makes clear that Augustine continued to view classical rhetorical training as very important for his own work and for the training of Christian bishops. In particular, Augustine used forensic rhetoric frequently in his polemical writings.
Perspectives
This volume of essays is very important for showing the many ways that Augustine's rhetorical training shaped him as a Christian thinker, preacher, and polemicist. Of particular interest are the chapters that consider Augustine's rhetorical strategies in his polemical works. I was especially interested in the way quotation gets deployed to great effect.
Jennifer Ebbeler
The University of Texas at Austin
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Conclusion: Augustine and the Rhetorical Turn, November 2023, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004685628_012.
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