On Christian Doctrine Summary
In “On Christian Doctrine”, St. Augustine, explains how there is a difference between discovering and teaching. He also provides his readers with rules he thinks will help them understand the Scripture. He also explains to them the two main qualities speakers need, in order to share the Scriptures, with other people they might meet. St. Augustine even claims that he has divine inspiration. This is why he thinks people should use his rules to interpret the Scripture. He, at some points, seems arrogant because he explains that some people will not understand the Scripture because they can’t use his rules to make the Scripture say what they wish it to. This is arrogant because he is a Catholic, and not everyone sees the way he does, so it may
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Augustine believes that you should follow the rules he provides, in order to interpret the Scriptures correctly. This is because he claims divine inspiration by receiving suggestions in thought from God himself (3). Since St. Augustine believes he is divinely inspired, this gives some explanation as to why he believes there is a difference between discovering and teaching. He mentions these two terms because he sees them as a form of treatment to the Scriptures (7). He spends the first three books explaining what discovery is. Discovery is a way in which we understand the things in the Scripture. He states early on what he will use to help us understand better what discovery really is, but then goes on for the next two books giving examples, to further our understanding. The main example he uses is about “signs” and “things”. He describes signs as a symbol, which represents something bigger. Then tells us that with every sign, that a thing is paired with it, which is also the “something bigger” part. I think he is trying to explain how a parable works. I say this because a parable is a story in human terms, which would be the sign. Then each sign, symbolizes a heavenly “thing”, which we otherwise could not understand, without it being told in human terms
Augustine believes that you should follow the rules he provides, in order to interpret the Scriptures correctly. This is because he claims divine inspiration by receiving suggestions in thought from God himself (3). Since St. Augustine believes he is divinely inspired, this gives some explanation as to why he believes there is a difference between discovering and teaching. He mentions these two terms because he sees them as a form of treatment to the Scriptures (7). He spends the first three books explaining what discovery is. Discovery is a way in which we understand the things in the Scripture. He states early on what he will use to help us understand better what discovery really is, but then goes on for the next two books giving examples, to further our understanding. The main example he uses is about “signs” and “things”. He describes signs as a symbol, which represents something bigger. Then tells us that with every sign, that a thing is paired with it, which is also the “something bigger” part. I think he is trying to explain how a parable works. I say this because a parable is a story in human terms, which would be the sign. Then each sign, symbolizes a heavenly “thing”, which we otherwise could not understand, without it being told in human terms