ABSTRACT

This chapter aims to summarize the bishop’s philosophy of education based on his own training and developed in his many treatises. It looks at samples of Augustine’s preaching, addressing the full range of issues connected with public speaking: use of texts, delivery, audience background, the size of the congregation, audience response. The chapter demonstrates that Augustine was masterful in connecting with his students and includes the subject of biblical interpretation and application to the everyday concerns of the bishop’s congregation. Augustine’s philosophy of learning can only be gleaned from a careful reading of his major treatises. Augustine’s teaching skills are most evident in his preaching. The bishop’s homilies are available in three primary collections: the Sermons, The Tractates on John, and his Commentary on the Psalms. Augustine’s talent as a teacher is immediately apparent in his creative and penetrating interpretation of biblical texts.