A Late Antique Preacher in Action: Augustine, Ep. 29

Abstract:In Ep. 29, Augustine describes four sermons he delivered in May 395. A vivid account of the delivery and reception of late antique preaching, the letter shows how Augustine's listeners debated his message, and how Augustine shaped his preaching to win them over. This article situates the events in the social and archeological setting at Hippo, arguing that the laity were not as indifferent or opposed to clerical teaching as has often been supposed. For Augustine, a devout subset of laypeople were important interlocutors: meeting with him, bringing others to church, and becoming convinced, even when they had been most resistant. Similar patterns can be traced, less vividly, in many of Augustine's sermons, and, near the end of his life, the experiences of ordinary Christians helped to reshape Augustine's own theology and preaching on the martyrs.