On Christian Doctrine

Background and Aims

On Christian Doctrine (De doctrina Christiana) is a theological and pedagogical treatise by Augustine of Hippo. Begun around 397 CE and completed only decades later, it aims to provide a systematic guide for Christians who wish to understand, interpret, and teach the Scriptures responsibly. Augustine presents the work as a kind of handbook for Christian teachers, concerned both with what should be taught (the content of faith) and how it should be taught (the art of communication).

Augustine addresses readers who already accept Christian authority but lack clarity about how to navigate the complexity of biblical texts, their figurative language, and the relationship between classical learning and Christian wisdom. The treatise thus stands at the intersection of theology, hermeneutics, and rhetoric.

Structure and Central Themes

The work is traditionally divided into four books, each with a distinct focus:

1. Book I: Things and Signs, Love of God and Neighbor
   Augustine distinguishes between “things” (res) and “signs” (signa). Things are realities that can be enjoyed or used; signs are things used to signify other things. Scripture is understood primarily as a complex system of signs pointing to divine realities.
   Central here is the ethical and theological framework: all interpretation is ordered by the command to love God and neighbor. Augustine argues that only God is to be enjoyed as the ultimate end, while all other things, including Scripture itself, are to be used in a way that leads to the proper love of God and neighbor. Correct doctrine is thus inseparable from rightly ordered love.

2. Book II: The Nature of Signs and Scriptural Difficulties
   Book II develops Augustine’s theory of signs, focusing especially on linguistic signs. He explores why Scripture is sometimes obscure: to cultivate humility, diligence, and communal inquiry among readers.
   Augustine also discusses the role of extrabiblical knowledge, such as history, natural philosophy, and even pagan literature, in aiding interpretation. He maintains that truths found outside Christianity can be appropriated and redirected to Christian purposes, an idea often summarized as the “spoiling of the Egyptians.”

3. Book III: Literal and Figurative Interpretation
   This book turns to practical hermeneutical rules, distinguishing literal from figurative or spiritual senses. Augustine offers criteria for recognizing figurative language, especially when a literal reading would contradict love of God and neighbor or sound doctrine.
   He provides methodological guidance for resolving ambiguities, emphasizing that any legitimate interpretation must be compatible with the “rule of faith” (the core of Christian belief) and must promote charity. Multiple interpretations of a passage can be acceptable, he argues, if they cohere with these standards.

4. Book IV: Christian Rhetoric and Teaching
   The final book addresses how to communicate Christian doctrine effectively. Drawing on classical rhetorical theory—especially the triad of instructing, delighting, and persuading—Augustine adapts it to Christian preaching.
   He outlines different rhetorical styles (plain, moderate, grand), their appropriate use, and the importance of the teacher’s moral character. Eloquence is valuable, but subordinate to truth and charity; even an ineloquent preacher may teach effectively if the message is true and God aids the hearer.

Across all four books, a unifying theme is that right interpretation and right teaching are ordered by love. Exegesis and rhetoric are not neutral techniques but are to be governed by the ultimate end of human life: union with God in charity.

Hermeneutics and Rules of Interpretation

Augustine’s hermeneutics in On Christian Doctrine combines a theory of signification with practical rules:

• Signs and meaning: Words are conventional signs; their meaning depends on usage and context. Scriptural texts often employ metaphor, allegory, and typology, requiring interpreters to look beyond the surface.
• Literal vs. figurative senses: When a literal reading seems to endorse something contrary to Christian morals or the nature of God, Augustine suggests seeking a figurative meaning. This method gives a structured way to justify non-literal readings without abandoning textual authority.
• The “rule of faith” and charity: Any interpretation must be consistent with the basic teachings of Christianity and must foster love. If different possible readings all promote charity and do not contradict the rule of faith, Augustine allows for interpretive plurality.
• Use of external disciplines: Knowledge of languages, history, geography, and even pagan philosophy is treated as useful for clarifying Scriptural signs. Augustine argues that such learning, when subordinated to Christian ends, can aid rather than threaten faith.

These principles make On Christian Doctrine one of the earliest systematic treatments of biblical hermeneutics in the Latin Christian tradition.

Reception and Influence

Historically, On Christian Doctrine has been regarded as a foundational text for Western Christian exegesis and homiletics. Medieval theologians and preachers drew heavily on its distinctions between literal and spiritual senses, its emphasis on charity as the criterion of interpretation, and its synthesis of classical rhetoric with Christian teaching.

Its influence extends beyond theology. In philosophy of language and semiotics, Augustine’s distinction between things and signs, and his analysis of linguistic meaning, have attracted sustained attention. Modern hermeneutical theorists and literary critics have also engaged the work as an early, sophisticated account of how texts signify and how interpretive communities constrain meaning.

Critics have raised questions about Augustine’s strong prioritization of doctrinal orthodoxy and charity as interpretive norms, suggesting this may limit historical-critical inquiry or encourage reading the text primarily through later theological frameworks. Others point to the flexibility of Augustine’s approach—allowing multiple valid interpretations—as anticipating later pluralist theories of interpretation.

Despite such debates, On Christian Doctrine remains a central reference point for studies of Augustine, hermeneutics, rhetoric, and Christian theological method, and continues to be read both as a historical document and as a living resource for thinking about how religious texts are understood and taught.