Augustine in His Own Words
But if he is also trying to entertain the one he is speaking to, or persuade him, he will not succeed by speaking in just any way. For the way a speaker speaks is important to produce the right outcome. For the listener needs to be entertained to keep a firm grip on him as a listener and needs to be persuaded to move him to doing what needs doing. And just as the listener is entertained if you sweeten what you say, so he will be persuaded if he loves what you promise, fears what you threaten, hates what you condemn, embraces what you commend, grieves over what you lambaste as deplorable, rejoices in what your preaching sets out as joyous, pities those whom you set before his eyes as objects of pity, flees those whom you, by awakening his fear, single out to be avoided—or whatever else can be done through a grandeur of eloquence to influence the hearts of listeners. They must thus be persuaded, not only that they may know what should be done, but also that they may do what they already know they should do. . . .
(13.29) When what we teach must be acted on, and the very reason we teach is that it be acted on, it is useless simply to persuade people about the truth of what we are talking about, and useless simply to entertain them by the way we speak, if what is said is not acted on. Therefore, the eloquent churchman, when he is trying to persuade people that something be done, must not only teach in order to instruct and entertain in order to hold their attention, but he must also persuade them in order that he may be victorious.29
The Three Styles of Speaking
To the three aims, Cicero had linked three distinct styles of speaking: "subdued," "moderate," and "grand." Augustine thought this linkage, however apt for the law courts where Cicero worked, did not do justice to the situation of Christian preaching. Much of Book 4 of On Christian Teaching is devoted to Augustine's analysis of the three styles. He claims that one can find exemplars of the three in certain biblical texts (e.g., Gal 4:21–26, Rom 12, 2 Cor 6:2–11) and in the writings of certain theologians, such as Cyprian and Ambrose. Here I excerpt Augustine's comments on the three styles themselves: how they differ, how they intersect, and to what end. He tells of one striking instance when he used the "grand" style to reduce his audience to tears. Note also how he speaks of the unusual power of his "subdued" style. If one surveys Augustine's sermons, one finds that this subdued style was his preference, and he used it especially to unfurl the riddles of Scripture. From On Christian Teaching Book 4:
29. Doc. Chr. 4.12.27–13.29 (Green, 228–32); my trans.
The Preacher 137
(17.34) The authority on Roman eloquence30 himself wanted, it seems, to tie these three aims—that is, teaching, delighting, and persuading—to the three styles when he said in a similar way: "One will therefore be eloquent who can speak about minor matters in a subdued style, ordinary matters in a moderate style, and noble matters in a grand style"31—as though to add together those three [aims] and so explain it all in one single sentence, saying, as it were: One will therefore be eloquent, who, in order to teach, is able to speak about minor matters in a subdued style; who, in order to delight, is able to speak of ordinary matters in a moderate style; and who, in order to persuade, is able to speak of noble matters in a grand style.
(18.35) Now he was able to illustrate those three styles, as defined by him, in terms of courtroom cases, but not in terms of ecclesiastical questions, investigations which engage the sort of speaker whom I would like to inform and shape. In courtrooms, things are considered minor when the case involves financial matters; they are considered major when people's health or life is at stake. But in cases where neither of these is involved and where the task is not to get the hearer to act or make a decision but simply to delight him, then the subject matter is midway between the two, as it were, and for this reason is called "middling," that is, moderate. For modus gives us the word "moderate," and we would not be speaking correctly if we confused "moderate" with "small." However, in our situation, we should refer everything (especially what we say to people from our raised spot)32 not to people's temporal, but to their eternal, welfare. Since we have to warn them as well about eternal damnation, everything we say is of great importance. So true is this that whatever an ecclesiastical teacher says about financial matters, whether about gain or loss, or whether the amount be large or small, should not be seen as unimportant. For justice is not small, and we should certainly protect it even in regard to small amounts of money, because the Lord says: "The person who is faithful in very small matters is also faithful in great ones" (Lk 16:10). . . .
(20.42) Now as for the grand style of speaking: it differs from the moderate not so much by the way it is embellished with verbal ornaments as by the way it gives vent to the spirit's passionate feelings. It may latch onto nearly all those ornaments of the [moderate] style, but it does not search around for them if it does not have them at hand. In fact, it is driven on by its own fervor, and, if it chances upon any beauty of style, it seizes upon it and claims it, not
30. "The authority on Roman eloquence": Cicero. 31. " 'One will . . . grand style' ": Quoting Cicero, Orator 101. 32. "Raised spot": Augustine is referring here to the cathedra, the bishop's elevated chair in the apse of the church from which he did his preaching.