Augustine's 'de doctrina christiana'

I am beginning to develop a true love for Augustine's writings. I have finally been able to read Augustine's opus on hermeneutics, and really can only recommend it. He is one of the many fathers of our theology and had an amazing impact on western thinking in general. That means: Augustine has influenced you and shaped your thinking, even if you hadn't noticed yet.

One thing I really like about Augustine is his style. His thoughts have a gentle perspicuity and at the same time can have a sarcastic but still childlike humor. For instance, his ending is fantastic:

"This book has extended to a greater length than I expected or desired. But the reader or hearer who finds pleasure in it will not think it long. He who thinks it long, but is anxious to know its contents, may read it in parts. He who does not care to be acquainted with it need not complain of its length." (IV, 31, 64)

Also at the very beginning he adresses possible obnoxious opponents:

"To those who do not understand what is here set down, my answer is, that I am not to be blamed for their want of understanding. It is just as if they were anxious to see the new or the old moon, or some very obscure star, and I should point it out with my finger: if they had not sight enough to see even my finger, they would surely have no right to fly into a passion with me on that account. As for those who, even though they know and understand my directions, fail to penetrate the meaning of obscure passages in Scripture, they may stand for those who, in the case I have imagined, are just able to see my finger, but cannot see the stars at which it is pointed. And so both these classes had better give up blaming me, and pray instead that God would grant them the sight of their eyes. For though I can move my finger to point out an object, it is out of my power to open men's eyes that they may see either the fact that I am pointing, or the object at which I point." (Preface, 3)

But it is not just the style that makes me want to wish I could hang out with Augustine and make him visit some theology classes with me, and then stay at my place overnight just to hang out and talk about America's new nuclear cooperation with India, or whatever. It is also his message that cuts directly to the heart and mind and is still extremely relevant, that is most compelling. If you would think about writing a book on hermeneutics or if you think about picking up a book on hermeneutics, what would you expect? I would expect a big part of linguistics, dogmatics, a long history of interpretations, and then probably also a part on different approaches and theories.
Well, Augustine does this to some extent, but then also makes his most important point that sounds refreshingly new (and old at the same time) in my modern ears, compared to what I hear from other theologians: love!

"Whoever, then, thinks that he understands the Holy Scriptures, or any part of them, but puts such an interpretation upon them as does not tend to build up this twofold love of God and our neighbor, does not yet understand them as he ought." (II, 36,40)

For Augustine the most important point he has to make about hermeneutics is that it must lead to a greater love of yourself, but importantly to others around you and finally to God. Love is the most important thing! "All you need is love!" Scriptures should lead to love and everything should be about love when you encounter the Bible.

"For in the theatres, dens of iniquity though they be, if a man is fond of a particular actor, and enjoys his art as a great or even as the very greatest good, he is fond of all who join with him in admiration of his favorite, not for their own sakes, but for the sake of him whom they admire in common; and the more fervent he is in his admiration, the more he works in every way he can to secure new admirers for him, and the more anxious he becomes to show him to others; and if he find any one comparatively indifferent, he does all he can to excite his interest by urging his favorite's merits: if, however, he meet with any one who opposes him, he is exceedingly displeased by such a man's contempt of his favorite, and strives in every way he can to remove it. Now, if this be so, what does it become us to do who live in the fellowship of the love of God, the enjoyment of whom is true happiness of life, to whom all who love Him owe both their own existence and the love they bear Him, concerning whom we have no fear that any one who comes to know Him will be disappointed in Him, and who desires our love, not for any gain to Himself, but that those who love Him may obtain an eternal reward, even Himself whom they love? And hence it is that we love even our enemies. For we do not fear them, seeing they cannot take away from us what we love; but we pity them rather, because the more they hate us the more are they separated from Him whom we love. For if they would turn to Him, they must of necessity love Him as the supreme good, and love us too as partakers with them in so great a blessing." (I, 29, 30)

Another message I also am not hearing too often in smart theology books is what the theology master Augustine concludes after a long discourse on the difficult passages in the Bible: "And, [...] also, what is especially and before all things necessary, to pray that they may understand them." (III, 37, 56) Prayer for Augustine is a key to the scriptures. Sure there are some interesting theories (he goes into Tichonius' laws of interpretation) but all in all, everyone should just try to figure things out by themselves with the help of God.

There are many more interesting and important messages Augustine has to give further in his book (especially about how to teach what one has learned!), but for me those two messages were important to hear now: to truly understand scriptures I need no commentaries or historical knowledge (even though Augustine would not discourage the use of these tools), but rather put what I have read and am trying to understand in the context of love to God and others; to pray is the simplest (and sometimes most humbling) but most effective tool.