Augustine in His Own Words
which nothing was expected, or when it clearly refutes the error of its opponent and demonstrates what seemed irrefutable to be false—especially when one's words have a certain beauty, unsought-for but somehow natural, and use rhythmic sentence endings, put in not for show, but as though essential, drawn from the subject itself—this subdued style often occasions such thunderous applause that it is hardly even recognized as subdued. It advances into battle neither well-dressed nor well-armed, but goes in, as it were, naked, and yet that fact does not prevent it from crushing its opponent with its sinewy and muscular biceps, overthrowing any resistance, and demolishing falsehoods with its enormous arm-strength. Why are those who speak in this way applauded so often and so enthusiastically? Only because it is a pleasure to see truth thus demonstrated, thus defended, thus unconquered. Therefore, in this subdued style this teacher and speaker of ours should strive to make his words not only understandable, but also enjoyable and persuasive.35
Christ the Doctor
It is no surprise that Augustine had favorite themes and images that he returned to again and again in his sermons. What is surprising is his inventiveness, the way he gives well-worn themes unexpected turns. Augustine's favorite—or at least, most frequent— image of Christ was as a medical doctor. He adapts the image now this way, now that, depending, in part, on the biblical text in his hand and, in part, on the liturgical season in which he was preaching. What follows are snippets from various sermons, gathered to illustrate the richness of Augustine's poetic creativity.
(i) Ignoring Doctor's Orders
Augustine drew the image of Christ the Doctor not only from the fact of Jesus' healing miracles, but also from Jesus' remark that "the doctor is not needed by the healthy, but by the sick" (Mt 9:12). From Sermon 88:
(1) Your Holinesses36 know as well as I that our Lord Jesus Christ is the physician of our eternal health and well-being. And for this He took upon Himself the weakness of our nature: that our weakness not be everlasting. He took up a mortal body by which He would kill death. . . .
(7) My brothers and sisters, from [Adam] we too were born, and, as the
35. Doc. Chr. 4.17.34–26.56 (Green, 238–74); my trans., based on Gavigan, FOTC 2:201–28. 36. "Your Holinesses": This is another of those polite titles Augustine bestows on his congregation. On this, see note 25 above.