Augustine of Hippo is known for some of the greatest theological masterpieces in Christian history, notably, his Confessions, The Trinity, and The City of God. Over 900 of his sermons, a treasure trove of his insights into God, Scripture, and humanity, have also survived. Given the wide dissemination of many of these texts over the past 1600 years, Augustine is arguably the most influential preacher since the time of the apostles. In recent decades, scholars have paid more attention to his sermons, including those newly discovered, with the result that Augustine's preaching has become increasingly accessible to a broad audience. The Cambridge Companion to Augustine's Sermons furthers this work by offering essays from an international team of experts. It provides a reliable guide for scholars and students of early Christian biblical exegesis, liturgy, doctrine, social practices, and homiletics, as well as for those dedicated to the retrieval of early preaching for the Church today.

‘Augustine's sermons have long inspired audiences with their theological depth and rhetorical mastery. Andrew Hofer, O.P., has assembled a team of first-class scholars to provide crucial background to Augustine's preaching and to explore themes central to his pastoral project. While this volume will be indispensable to scholars of early Christianity and homiletics, it will also profit all readers interested in Augustine and the transmission of the gospel.'

Rev. Brian Dunkle - Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry

‘This collected volume demarcates a new departure in the study of the formidable orator and enormously prolific Bishop Augustine of Hippo. It assembles a rich variety of perspectives on his still understudied body of sermons. This collection is a must for any serious student of Augustine who wants to learn more about the intricate interplay of his powerful rhetoric, of his tireless exploration of a wide array of facets of the faith, and of his desire to entice his audience to put faith into action.'

Professor Karla Pollmann - University of Tübingen

‘Possidius, in his Life of St. Augustine, remarks that, as valuable as his writings were, those who were able to hear him preaching in Church and see him present there profited the most and knew him best. While we can't go back in time, this volume brings us as close as we can be to hearing him and seeing him in Church because it allows us to read his sermons more alert to their major themes and concerns, their style and their charism. This is a wonderful addition to the literature on Augustine the preacher, and it is sure to be a valuable reference resource for years to come.'

Professor John C. Cavadini - University of Notre Dame

‘This book offers fresh perspectives, fine overviews and perceptive analyses of the vast inheritance of Augustine's Sermons to the People, Expositions of the Psalms, and Homilies on John and 1 John. Surveying and assessing this staggeringly dense, 20-volume rain forest of inventional exegesis, mystical theology, and psycho-spiritual insight corrects the imbalance of seeing Augustine only through the lens of his most famous treatises or chronic points of controversy. The whole Augustine here stands forth amidst his daily concerns as a teacher, pastor, bishop, and Christian. A strong stimulus for both scholars and preachers! '

Professor Michael Cameron - University of Portland