Two previously unknown Augustine sermons authenticated from a 12th-century manuscript

Latin professor Christian Tornau of the University of Würzburg authenticated two previously unseen sermons by St. Augustine after scrutinizing a 12th-century manuscript from Bad Doberan Abbey. The codex, likely copied from an earlier, now-lost source, originally held six sermons; the two new ones explore the Old Testament story of the Witch of Endor and suggest a possible redemption for King Saul following Samuel’s foretelling of his death.

Tornau highlighted the sermons’ distinct humor, theological nuance and a concluding prayer unique to late-antique African liturgy, arguing they could not have been produced in the medieval period. He noted the ideas differ from Augustine’s known corpus, indicating independent thought rather than simple imitation. The scholar intends to release a scholarly edition of the texts, a project that began after a monastery preservation group asked him to decipher the manuscript in 2024. This discovery adds a rare glimpse into Augustine’s theological range and early Christian exegesis.