The Fathers of the Church: A New Translation : St. Augustine Tractates on the Gospel of John 28-54

In his preaching, St Augustine developed an oratorical style based on the classical rhetoric he had learned prior to his conversion which he adapted to the unique demands of Christian preaching. He still recognised the classical ends of rhetoric: to teach, to please and to persuade. He gave, however, the place of most importance to content: what was said was more important than how it was said. The result is a method of preaching that is clear, lively and well-suited to its purpose.