Two previously unknown sermons by St Augustine have been uncovered in a 12th-century manuscript held at a library in Poland, shedding new light on one of the Bible's most chilling and controversial stories: King Saul's encounter with the Witch of Endor. The texts, written by the influential theologian whose teachings helped shape Western Christianity, were identified by Professor Christian Tornau of the University of Würzburg in 2024.
Newly Discovered Sermons Tackle a Theological Puzzle
The sermons examine the episode described in 1 Samuel 28, where King Saul, facing battle against the Philistines and receiving no answer from God, seeks out a medium at Endor. The witch summons what appears to be the spirit of the dead prophet Samuel, who predicts Saul's death. For centuries, this passage has sparked debate among Jewish and Christian scholars because it seems to show a medium successfully summoning a dead prophet.
In the sermons, St Augustine wrestles with whether Saul genuinely encountered Samuel or whether the figure was a supernatural deception. He ultimately concluded that the Witch of Endor had no power over the dead. If Samuel did appear, Augustine argued, it could only have happened because God permitted it, not through any magical ability of the medium.
Augustine's Teaching Style Leaves Interpretation Open
According to Professor Tornau, Augustine did not impose a definitive interpretation on his congregation. Instead, after presenting arguments in two separate sermons—the first preached on a Sunday and the second the following Wednesday—he left listeners to reach their own conclusions. This approach reflects Augustine's wider teaching style, as he frequently explored multiple interpretations before allowing audiences to decide for themselves.
Latin scholars have long asked: "How can an omnipotent God allow this, or is he not really omnipotent?" The newly discovered sermons show Augustine grappling with that very question. Researchers noted that the style, humor, and content clearly indicate the sermons were written by Augustine.
Authentication Process Involved 20 Latin Scholars
Because works have previously been misattributed to St Augustine, the researchers carried out an extensive authentication process. Tornau and Dr Clemens Weidmann of the Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum (CSEL) enlisted 20 additional Latin scholars to examine the texts and verify their authenticity. The team traced the history of the sermons, noting that their survival was unusual: a 12th-century manuscript is atypical, as copies from the 8th or 9th century would be more common.
Researchers believe the sermons survived because a medieval scribe copied them from an earlier manuscript that has since disappeared. An old catalogue from a monastery mentioned a text with the same headings and sequence of contents as the discovered manuscript, which could have served as a model. However, the theory cannot be confirmed with complete certainty because the monastery's library collection was destroyed during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648).
Background on St Augustine and the Biblical Account
Augustine lived between 354 AD and 430 AD. Born in North Africa to a pagan father and a devout Christian mother, he spent much of his early life exploring different philosophical and religious traditions, including Manichaeism and Neoplatonism, before converting to Christianity in 387. He is widely regarded as one of the most important Christian thinkers after the Apostle Paul.
The biblical account of Saul's visit to the Witch of Endor has long raised difficult theological questions about whether a witch could truly summon a prophet from the dead. For generations, theologians have debated whether the apparition was a trick, a demonic illusion, or a genuine appearance of Samuel allowed by God as a warning to Saul.
The discovery of these two sermons provides fresh insight into how one of Christianity's most influential thinkers approached this enduring mystery, offering a nuanced view that continues to resonate with scholars and believers alike.
