In the first book of his final commentary, Augustine warned believers not to make bold assertions on matters in which they were not skilled. Hyde Park, New York: New City Press. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3:39–40. 1994. Like today, opponents of Christianity regularly attacked the Bible’s opening chapters and he felt the need to defend their accuracy and historicity. Thus, for Augustine, the term “literal” was concerned with historical referentiality, not with the particular literary genre or style in which that history is recounted. Augustine, “The Literal Meaning of Genesis,” The Works of St. Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century Part 1 Book 13: On Genesis. This precedent has had disastrous results throughout history. For example, he asked why some beasts were created to harm each other. He makes a spiritual application from this musing by claiming that the barren trees were created to make man. This complicated reasoning could have easily been avoided if he would have accepted a progression of time during the creation rather than clinging to an instantaneous creation. Previously we have sought Augustine’s help for both widening our vision of creation and cautioning our method. He rules out the possibility that God created these things because they were deserving of being created (Augustine 1997, XIII.3.4). Several examples of this will be cited later. Finally, much of the material is repeated in The Literal Meaning of Genesis. comment. Augustine’s commentaries on the first chapter of Genesis contain invaluable information for the Church. Nevertheless, even though he was not concerned with the modern contest, one of his hermeneutical practices set forth in these commentaries has contributed to the ongoing dispute. I do not think it means what you think it means.”. Consequently, he thought it was possible to make sense of the passage through both an allegorical and a literal approach. Second, it does not hold the rich apologetic content that his commentary against the Manichees regularly exhibited. Augustine. However, he still resorts to the other styles at times and even warned against making confident claims about one’s interpretation. His interpretive schemes set forth in these volumes have been variously labeled as literal,1allegorical, (Clough 2001, pp. He regarded the creation of man in God’s image as literally true, yet he could not bring himself to do the same with the other verses about man. Minneapolis, Minneapolis: Bethany House. Augustine’s varying hermeneutical approach is easily noticeable in his commentaries on the Book of Genesis. In The Ante-Nicene fathers. Ross, H. 2000. He wanted to know why the blessing to man to be fruitful and multiply was also given to the fish and birds, but not land animals (Augustine 2002b, III.13.21). In particular, this writing on Genesis magnifies his appreciation of the Lord who created new life in him in what he believed was a similar fashion to the way He created the world. Similar to the first two books in this commentary, Augustine frequently wondered why the chapter states what it does. Volume VII: Fathers of the third and fourth centuries, eds. Chafer Theological Seminary Journal 7, no. Augustine certainly used arguments similar to those in the Intelligent Design Movement. Hence,For Augustine, the term “literal” was concerned with historical referentiality, not with the particular literary genre or style in which that history is recounted. It is a question of age, which is actually a history question. A more natural solution is to hold that insects were created on the sixth day when God made everything that “creeps on the earth” (Genesis 1:25). Browntown, Wisconsin: Midwest Apologetics. These works had included such ideas as taking the days of Genesis 1 as 7 epochs of redemptive-historical history, and 7 stages of the Christian life.De Gene… Answers Research Journal (ARJ) is a professional, peer-reviewed technical journal for the publication of interdisciplinary scientific and other relevant research from the perspective of the recent Creation and the global Flood within a biblical framework. Lactantius. Once again, his philosophical presuppositions and the Vetus Latina would hinder him from properly exegeting the passage. In his Genesis works, Augustine was primarily concerned with clarifying the doctrine of creation and, relatively speaking, had He devoted a considerable amount of space in laying out his perspective on the relationship between faith and science. He explained that he did not think it was right to ascribe the words of Sirach 10:9 to a prophet as he had done earlier since “they are not found in a book by an author we are absolutely certain should be called a prophet” (Augustine 2010, I.10.3). 1995. He argued that any number of interpretations may be acceptable. Augustine’s origin of species. Many features of Augustine’s treatment of Genesis 1 run counter to modern inclinations, in both fundamentalist and historical-critical canons of interpretation. They claim that science proved that the church should adjust its interpretation to scientific fact (Rusbult 2001). Perhaps his strongest arguments are found near the end of the second book. When God told man to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28), Augustine uses an argument from silence to claim that it should be interpreted figuratively.11 Instead of physical reproduction, he believes this verse refers to the human ability to learn and pass on what one has learned to others (Augustine 1997, XIII.37). Man and the rest of creation are results of conflict between these two Principles. Augustine. In contradistinction to these beliefs, the Bible explains that only the perfectly good God is eternal and evil is a result of the free choices made by His creatures. Augustine has too keen an eye to miss the inconsistency of heaven and earth being created both in the first verse and later on. Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Internet Explorer is no longer supported. A hyper-literal interpretation takes everything in a strictly literal fashion. 2010. The fact that Augustine wrote so much on the creation of man in God’s image may lead one to believe this chapter would heavily emphasize man’s creation. Electronic ed. 1976. St. Augustine on Genesis 1 - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. The Manichees did not allow for non-literal interpretations, so Augustine likely reacted strongly against anyone adopting their particular hermeneutic. Hyde Park, New York: New City Press. Chaffey, T. 2008. In particular, when he turns to Genesis 1—“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” Augustine pictures the heavens as a particularly “high” level of creation, and the “earth” as an especially “low” level of creation. Despite these facts, the unfinished commentary provides a glimpse into Augustine’s spiritual and mental development in his early years as a priest prior to becoming the famed Bishop of Hippo. Echoing that statement is the following from Confessions. Chapter 3, Midrash Bereishit Rabbah, Accessed on July 17, 2019. The Literal Interpretation of Genesis (De Genesi ad Litteram) 1:19–20, Chapter 19 Augustine recognized that we should be willing to reconsider our ideas about creation/reality as new information becomes available, but he appears never to entertain the idea that new information might contradict the biblical revelation. Genesis 1 is clear that God created everything over the course of six consecutive normal-length days. He devotes the entirety of Book 5 of his literal commentary to how Genesis 2:4-6 “with all their problems, confirm the opinion that creation was the work of one day.” Anticipating the charge that his notion of instantaneous creation draws too heavily on Sirach 18:1 in the Old Latin version (“he who remains for eternity created all things at once”), Augustine appeals to the textual proximity of these verses: “now we get evidence in support, not from another book of holy Scripture that God created all things simultaneously, but from next door neighbor’s testimony on the page following this whole matter.”De Genesi ad litteram 5.3.6, in idem, 279. In his Revisions he added a few more paragraphs (Fiedrowicz 2002, p. 106) and then stopped. Read online: God means what He says: A biblical critique of the framework hypothesis. Augustine. Although he would continue to cite these books in his later commentaries, he modified his view of their authority. Augustine adopted a kind of framework interpretation of Genesis 1, vigorously rejecting the … Augustine’s first commentary on Genesis was written with the specific goal of refuting Manichaeism and its assaults on the early chapters of the book. Young, D. A. The first three books are dedicated to discussing the first chapter of Genesis. Augustine’s influence, combined with the diverse understandings of his writings, has contributed to the confusion in the modern church on many key subjects found in Genesis 1. For example, in his commentary against the Manichees, he not only refuted the foundational beliefs of Manichaeism, but did so in a manner in which both scholar and layman could understand. He presented the cases for the full moon and new moon positions, but concluded that he stood “in the middle between these two opinions, asserting neither of them, but definitely saying that whether God made the moon at its first phase or at the full, he made it perfect” (Augustine 2002b, II.15.30). 1:42–45. To properly answer the question of the age of the earth, one should consult a reliable historical record that reveals the answer. Young-earth creationists point out that the Bible is a reliable history book that teaches how and when the Lord created the earth and universe. As was mentioned earlier, this is likely based on the poor word choice of the. If the Bible clearly affirms a truth then it matters not what the majority of scientists claim, because God knows exactly what He did, how He did it, when He did it, and He is capable of revealing it to man in an understandable manner. Before investigating the four commentaries, it must be noted that Augustine was commenting on the Vetus Latina, the Old Latin text of the Bible, which would soon be replaced by Jerome’s Vulgate. He believes there is only one day of Creation that has occurred six times upon itself, and that god created formless matter in Genesis 1's prologue that became formed in Genesis 2. Augustine understands this to be a clear statement that the world was created in an instant, and interprets Genesis 1 in light of this. This commentary is particularly important for many reasons and, as such, it requires much more attention than the others. Modern participants in the age of the earth debate can gain remarkable insight from these commentaries. His impressive body of work on diverse subjects, combined with his tremendous influence on Roman Catholics and Protestants, have led believers to imbue Augustine’s writings with great authority. AiG consents to unlimited copying and distribution of print copies of, An Examination of Augustine’s Commentaries on Genesis One and Their Implications on a Modern Theological Controversy, How Genomes are Sequenced and Why it Matters: Implications for Studies in Comparative Genomics of Humans and Chimpanzees, Created Kinds and Essential Natures: A Biblical and Philosophical Response to Evolutionists, Williams 2001, p. 62. First, he sees the creation days as representing the six ages of the world. He also committed the final three books of his Confessions to Genesis as well as Book XI in his magnum opus, The City of God. He speculated that time may be simply a matter of one’s consciousness but seems to reject that notion after contemplating some of its ramifications. He developed another argument for the Trinity being involved in these particular days of creation. Instead, scientific consensus is continually changing. The sun, moon, and stars of the fourth day are the various ways in which God communicates His message to mankind. This should not be understood as an allegorical interpretation because he believed God truly created the fruit-bearing trees. For example, he sought an answer as to why God did not “see that it was good” in verse 2, but He did “see that it was good” after creating the light. Augustine. Augustine did in fact claim that man’s history on earth was less than 6,000 years, but he was unclear about the amount of time that may have passed, if any, prior to man’s creation (Ham 2006, pp. Christianity Today 53(5). In The Ante-Nicene fathers. Augustine vociferously affirmed the goodness of animal death prior to the fall, in opposition to the … Hyde Park, New York: New City Press. The commentary proceeds in a fairly literal fashion except for the times in which he attempts to deal with the creation of light on the first day and the creation of the heavenly bodies on the fourth day. Augustine's method of exegesis is rich and multi-layered. Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 CE) most famous for his work Confessions and his City of God, is regarded as one of the Fathers of The Church in the tradition of Catholicism.In this brief essay from his The Literal Meaning of Genesis, Augustine denounces Christians who speak on subjects they know little or nothing about in an attempt to appear `wise' among non-Christians. He reasoned that since the matter was shapeless and invisible then it would have been impossible for a sound to have actually been made. Augustine engaged creation in relation to “apologetics” concerns, so in his doctrine of creation you gather a sense of how Christianity as a whole made sense to him. He now believed that a literal interpretation of Genesis was feasible, in addition to the allegorical hermeneutic of his first work. The majority of Book XII consists of arguments designed to refute those who may disagree with his particular interpretation. He rightly pointed out that. Finally, Augustine’s greatest fault in these commentaries lies in the fact that he often tried to reconcile God’s word with the scientific views of his day. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. Every dating method, including starlight from distant galaxies and radiometric dating techniques, are based on three assumptions. 4:457–464. Augustine. For example, Hodge wrote, “It is of course admitted that, taking this account by itself, it would be most natural to understand the word [day] in its ordinary sense; but if that sense brings the Mosaic account into conflict with facts, and another sense avoids such conflict, then it is obligatory on us to adopt that other [long periods of time]” (Hodge 1872, pp. Faith and Mission 10, no. The first two, On Genesis: A Refutation of the Manichees and Unfinished Literal Commentary on Genesis, are early works, written within ten years after Augustine s conversion to Christianity. From this foundation, the Manichees developed a convoluted angelology and anthropology (O’Meara 1954, pp. Much of the misuse is due to a failure to recognize his context and his changing interpretive approaches throughout the commentaries. Augustine (Aurelius Augustinus) lived from 13 November 354 to 28August 430. Scripture, as Augustine came to believe under Ambrose’s influence, was to be interpreted as possessing multiple senses: the historical (or literal) and allegorical (or spiritual), being those he found to be most helpful for a fuller explanation of the meaning of the Bible (Unfinished Literal Commentary on Genesis 1… Henry Center For Theological Understanding. . Angelology is a significant complicating feature of Augustine’sAlthough Augustine was alert to broader philosophical issues in his context, his interpretation of Genesis 1 was ultimately rooted in certain exegetical concerns. He began his commentary by explaining that he had been advised. God’s word is infallible, unchanging, and historically reliable and a plain reading of the text along with some simple calculations place the age of the earth at roughly six thousand years. Modern science does not accept virgin births or resurrections from the dead. Augustine’s first commentary on Genesis 1-3 has largely been approached as evidence of an overly philosophized Christianity rather than as an exhortation to openness to the mystery of Jesus Christ. So what specifically does Augustine think Genesis 1 “literally” means? He also addressed the question as to whether or not the luminaries of heaven were living beings. The stars are likened to the gifts of the Spirit given to individuals, while the sun and moon shine brighter and represent the meatier teachings of God’s word which babes in the faith cannot handle. This will be explained in the next section. Rather than recognizing the necessity of a progression of time, his a priori commitment to a timeless creation caused him to search for non-literal elements in the text. Following some introductory remarks, Augustine began his unfinished commentary by expounding on four hermeneutical styles that had been practiced in his day: the way of history, the way of allegory, the way of analogy, and the way of aetiology. In general, Jewish writers distinguished various levels of meaning, including an allegorical as well as a literal or historical level. Augustine does believe in a literal creation, but not as contained in Genesis 1 as we’ll see. Modern translations have corrected the text to indicate that the “plant of the field” and the “herb of the field” had not yet grown because it had not rained and there was no man to till the ground. This view is based on the biblical idea that God stretched out the heavens yet it does not require billions of years. The embarrassing episode of Galileo and Pope Urban VIII would have been avoided had the Church not melded their interpretation of Scripture with the Ptolemaic view of the solar system.27, In the same way, old-earth creationists today often marry modern scientific conclusions with the text of Scripture. First, it was the fastest moving star. J. E. Rotelle O.S.A. He speculated as to whether or not insects were made during the Creation Week or if the perishable material things from which they allegedly sprang contained them in seed form (Augustine 2002b, III.14.22–23). Michael Fiedrowicz revealed that Augustine also dealt with the subject of creation in many of his other works, including Answer to an Enemy of the Law and the Prophets, Faith and the Creed, and Answer to Julian (Fiedrowicz 2002, p. 14). First, it is assumed that one knows the initial conditions of what they are examining. Augustine relied heavily on an allegorical hermeneutic in his first commentary. Consequently, the statement “Let there be light” could not have been made in time, but in eternity, and it could not have literally referred to the creation of light, but of intelligent life (Augustine 2002b, I.17). Surely, the word of truth properly interpreted will never contradict accurate conclusions of scientists, but it will contradict incorrect conclusions made by fallible and limited men whose ideas are often based on naturalistic assumptions. Rusbult, C. 2001. In On Genesis, ed. 1997. Also, he had a broader scope than the allegorical commentaries since was not focused merely on refuting one heretical view or showing how the creation account symbolized his own testimony. Since this paper is designed to examine his comments on the hexaemeron, the following study will only cover the first three books in this commentary. He remained undecided on the issue because he believed Scripture was silent concerning the subject (Augustine 2002b, II.18.38). Although they are not mentioned by name in the commentary, the Manichees were occasionally in Augustine’s sights. Genesis 1 to 3 This article examines the understandings of the creation accounts in Genesis 1–3 found in various early Jewish writings including rabbinical, philosophical and mystical/apocalyptic works. Although scientific understanding has vastly improved since Augustine’s day, it is by no means infallible or static. Thankfully, these Christians inconsistently apply their hermeneutic; otherwise, they would not believe the Gospel. Augustine as mentor: A model for preparing spiritual leaders.Nashville, Tennessee: B & H Academic. Ross, H. 2001. As shown in the sections about his two literal commentaries, Augustine frequently avoided the literal interpretation of a passage if it did not mesh with his understanding of the science or philosophy of his day. That is, if scientific consensus disagrees with the properly exegeted findings of Scripture, then one should either remain silent or modify one’s exegesis to match the science.13 This is not what Augustine had in mind, but his quote has been used to support this notion.14. He wrote. This concern is well-intentioned but he seemingly failed to notice the potential danger it could have on one’s hermeneutic. He mused that this “star” should have been the hottest for two reasons. It also reveals his newfound belief that Genesis could be understood in a literal fashion.