De Doctrina Christiana - Connections Between Augustine, Cicero, and Classical Rhetoric in Book Four

Connections Between Augustine, Cicero, and Classical Rhetoric in Book Four

Book Four of De Doctrina Christiana has often sparked a great deal of debate among scholars with regards to the extent to which Saint Augustine’s work has been influenced by the rules and traditions of classical rhetoric, and more specifically by the writings of Cicero. In the final chapter of On Christian Doctrine, Augustine uses much of Cicero’s rhetorical theory as he lays down the foundation for the proper use of rhetoric by Christian teachers. For example, Augustine quotes Cicero (Orat. 21. 69.) when he writes, “a certain eloquent man said, and said truly, that he who is eloquent should speak in such a way that he teaches, delights, and moves.” Some scholars claim that Book Four of this text has been greatly influenced by both Ciceronian and classical rhetoric. In his introduction to one edition of On Christian Doctrine, D.W. Robertson Jr. states, “the allegorical interpretation of literature itself was a classical practice.” At the same time, others have argued that St. Augustine is instead, “writing against the tradition of classical rhetoric.” One academic, Stanley Fish, has even gone so far as to claim that “Augustine effectively declares the speaker irrelevant as well when he tells would-be preachers to pray for God to put good speeches in their mouths (38).

However, within the past few decades, a number of scholars have made a concerted effort to achieve some degree of compromise or middle ground within this heated debate. One example is an article written by Celica Milovanovic-Barham, in which Barham acknowledges both sides of the discussion and includes examples which illustrates places in the text where Augustine agrees with Cicero’s rhetorical theories and where he disagrees. The article analyzes Augustine’s use of ciceronian rhetoric through his discussion of Cicero’s three levels of style: plain, middle, and grand. Although Augustine begins Book Four by asserting that wisdom and clarity are far more important in the rhetoric of a Christian teacher, the saint also acknowledges the power of style and eloquence in connecting with an audience and in persuading the people to act according to Christian law and teachings. According to Barham, this is where Augustine “quotes Cicero’s very words: ‘he, then, shall be eloquent, who can say little things in a subdued style, moderate things in a temperate style, and great things in a majestic style.’” However, Barham is also quick to note that, “Augustine, after all, does not completely agree with his famous predecessor,” in that, he believes that for Christian teachers, nothing they preach would be considered a ‘little thing.’ As a result, Barham argues that Augustine is advocating for alternating and blending the various ‘styles’ of rhetoric all within a single speech. She explains that by combining these three different styles, Augustine believes the speaker is able to produce a more powerful speech by delivering the necessary information in a clear and accurate way, while he is also able to connect with the audience’s emotions through the more grand and passionate style.

Another article written by John D. Schaeffer presents a very different perspective. Schaeffer essentially claims that Augustine’s writings should not be analyzed at all from the same perspective as the classical rhetoricians, because his works were produced in an entirely different era and for an entirely different group of people than those of the great classical rhetoricians. The issue for Schaeffer lies in the fact that Augustine was trying to bring together the elements of orality and the Christian religion, which was founded primarily upon the written scriptures and called for private introspection and prayer. Schaeffer says, “book 4 attempts to resolve a central paradox of early Christianity by synthesizing the oral world of public performance with a religion grounded in writing and addressed to the inner person…De doctrina presents Augustine’s attempt to bring classical rhetoric…to bear on Christian preaching.” Therefore, he argues that Augustine was not simply writing against the traditions of classical rhetoric and that scholars should consider Augustine’s work within its own context.