Augustine’s Utilization of Rhetorical Economy in His Early Theology of Creation

On Genesis against the Manichaeans 1.21.32

While the majority of previous scholarship on Augustine’s theology has treated his references to rhetorical concepts as incidental, Robert Dodaro (2004), Michael Cameron (2010), Mark Clavier (2014) and Adam Ployd (2017), have recognized recently that Augustine incorporated sundry aspects of rhetoric...

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Bibliographic Details
Author:Brian Gronewoller
Published: S.n., s.l., 2020
Volume:74
Pages:303-315
Language:English
Periodical:Vigiliae Christianae
Number:3
ISSN:0042-6032
Format:Article
Topic:- Biography > Person and Life > Specialized biographical studies > rhetor (Augustine -)
- Works > Exegetical works > De Genesi adversus Manichaeos
Status:Active
Description
Summary:While the majority of previous scholarship on Augustine’s theology has treated his references to rhetorical concepts as incidental, Robert Dodaro (2004), Michael Cameron (2010), Mark Clavier (2014) and Adam Ployd (2017), have recognized recently that Augustine incorporated sundry aspects of rhetorical theory into his theology in a consequential manner. In this article I advance this new scholarly movement in two ways. First, I show that Augustine also used rhetorical theory in a consequential manner in his early theology of creation; I argue that Augustine utilized the rhetorical concept of economy (oeconomia) as the logic justifying God’s declaration that the completed creation was “very good” (Gen 1.31) by means of a close reading of De Genesi aduersus Manichaeos 1.21.32. Secondly, I combine my findings in this article with previous research to contend that future scholarship on Augustine’s theology should treat his references to rhetorical concepts as potentially consequential.

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