Rhetorical Distinctions in Augustine's Early and Later Writing

Abstract

This article seeks to view Augustine's early work as a form of revelatory rhetoric where the aim is to define and express the nature of the divine. This aim contrasts with Augustine's post-ordination work where the aim is more deliberative in nature through a language that instructs and moves his audience. While the contexts and rhetorical purposes of these eras are distinct, there is a continuity in terms of Augustine's theology. I argue that it is Augustine's rhetorical context that distinguishes his early and later work through an analysis of De libero arbitrio.