De Doctrina Christiana is one of Augustine's most important works, especially for students and scholars interested in theology, Biblical studies, preaching, teaching and rhetoric. It is a collection of four books. The first three were written A.D. 397 and he added the fourth in 426. The first three books deal with discovering the meaning of scriptures the last with expressing that meaning. The first book is expositional dealing with the true meaning of scripture. The second book is about signs (especially words) and the difficulty "unknown and ambiguous" signs cause to those studying the Bible; dealing primarily with "unknown" signs. The third book concentrates on "ambiguous" signs where the meaning can be unclear and open to interpretation. The fourth book, written thirty years later, deals with Christian teaching and the need for "eloquence" and "wisdom" on behalf of the teacher tasked with bringing the scriptures to the Church. This book is primer that sets forth a framework for Christian teachers, preachers, educators and scholars to approach the Bible.
I would place St. Augustine as the third most influential Christian theologian and teacher, behind St. Paul and, of course, Jesus Christ because of the high esteem with which he is held in all three major streams of Christianity; Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism. Augustine was born a Roman Citizen in A.D. 354 and studied rhetoric until experiencing a radical conversion to Christianity (he writes about this in book 8 of his Confessions) after which he became a priest and then the Bishop of Hippo. His writings include: The City of God, Confessions, On Christian Doctrine and Enchiridion. Beyond Theology, he influenced thought in Rhetoric, Philosophy, Anthropology, Education and Political Science. A good example is the debate surrounding the two Iraqi wars and the Afghan wars. Much was made of "just war theory" an idea loosely tied to Cicero but morally established by Augustine's writings.
This book is useful in in establishing and applying a distinctly Christian Rhetoric. Augustine is particularly relevant in legitimizing all rhetorical devises in the advancement of truth, "Now, the art of rhetoric being available for the enforcing either of truth or falsehood, who will dare to say that truth in the person of its defenders is to stand unarmed against falsehood." Within my project on testimonies it is important to evaluate them both by design, invention and situation and audience. Augustine clears the way for consideration from a classical rhetorical perspective as well as a uniquely Christian rhetoric dealing with authority, and grace over persuasion.
