Two previously unknown sermons by St. Augustine — one of Christianity’s most influential theologians — have been authenticated, revealing ideas scholars say have never before appeared in his surviving works.
The newly discovered sermons were found on a medieval manuscript by Christian Tornau, a Latin professor at the University of Würzburg in Germany.
The manuscript was copied at Bad Doberan Abbey in present-day Germany during the 12th century, likely from an earlier manuscript that has since been lost.
St. Augustine lived from 354 to 430 A.D. He served as the bishop of Hippo Regius in present-day Algeria and was a prolific theologian.
In a press release issued by the University of Würzburg, officials said the saint “is regarded as one of Christianity’s most important Church Fathers.”
“His extensive body of writings continues to occupy scholars today,” the university also said.
Tornau is now working to publish the sermons for the first time in a scholarly edition after nearly two years of research.
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The discovery began in 2024, when a representative of the monastery’s preservation association asked Tornau to decipher the manuscript.
Of the manuscript’s six sermons, two were previously unknown.
The two sermons explore the Old Testament story of the Witch of Endor, in which King Saul consults a witch before a battle against the Philistines.
At Saul’s request, the witch summons what appears to be the spirit of the deceased prophet Samuel, who foretells Saul’s death in battle — raising the question of theodicy, or why an all-powerful God would allow an apparently diabolical act to occur.
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Augustine’s sermons show him weighing the possibility that King Saul repented and was ultimately redeemed after hearing Samuel’s prophecy.
“The first sermon was preached during a Sunday service and ends by presenting the theodicy question and the possible interpretations,” Tornau told university officials.
“Only in the second sermon, delivered the following Wednesday, are the alternatives weighed … the style, humor, and content also strongly indicate that the sermons preserved in the manuscript really are by Augustine.”
The interpretation of Saul being saved is the “most remarkable element” of the new sermons, Tornau told Fox News Digital.
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“This is unparalleled in Augustine and in ancient Christianity in general, where we find a very negative image of Saul,” said Tornau. “Augustine suggests it … and clearly takes it seriously.”
The professor noted that Augustine may have independently developed the idea that King Saul repented and was ultimately saved after hearing Samuel’s prophecy, or he may have been influenced by Jewish rabbinic interpretations that viewed Saul more favorably.
“In any event, it is indicative of Augustine’s [independence] of mind and his willingness to think everyone, even those who appear most evil, [are] capable of salvation through the grace of God,” he said.
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“This combines intellectual honesty and episcopal humility in a remarkable and very Augustinian way.”
The texts can “confidently” be dated to Late Antiquity, Tornau added, because they reflect a style of Christian liturgy that would have been impossible in the Middle Ages.
“The background is North African, as is clear from the concluding prayer of the first sermon, which is only attested in late-antique Africa,” he said.
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He also noted that the sermon’s author “is familiar with Augustine’s thought and works but does not simply copy them, which would be a sign of inauthenticity.”
“After this intense period of reading and interpreting, we came to the conclusion that there are no serious objections to Augustine’s authorship,” he said.
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It does not seem possible to trace the manuscript further back than the 12th century, the professor said, adding that the texts themselves also initially gave researchers pause.
“We were fascinated, of course, by the idea of having found new sermons of Augustine, but soon turned skeptical because [in] some places the sermons did not seem to read like Augustine,” Tornau said.
“Our final verdict is that they are indeed authentic.”
