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Two Previously Unknown Sermons by St Augustine Found in Polish Manuscript
GB News reported that a 12th-century manuscript preserved in Poland contains two previously unknown sermons by St Augustine on the biblical account of King Saul and the Witch of Endor. Professor Christian Tornau discovered the texts in 2024. A group of 20 Latin specialists confirmed their authenticity in 2025.
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A 12th-century manuscript preserved in Poland contains two previously unknown sermons by St Augustine, GB News reported. Professor Christian Tornau from the University of Würzburg discovered the sermons in 2024 while deciphering texts for the Bad Doberan Monastery Association. The manuscript originated from Bad Doberan Abbey and now resides at its daughter monastery in Pelplin.
Both sermons address the Old Testament account of King Saul and the Witch of Endor from 1 Samuel 28. Professor Tornau stated that Saul believes himself to be in a hopeless situation shortly before a battle against the Philistines. God does not listen to his prayers.
He turns to a witch. St Augustine concluded that the Witch of Endor possessed no genuine authority over the dead. He reasoned that if Samuel truly appeared, it could only have occurred through divine permission.
Augustine delivered the first sermon during a Sunday service and the second sermon on the following Wednesday. Professor Tornau collaborated with Dr Clemens Weidmann from the Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum to verify the manuscripts. A summer school in Vienna during autumn 2025 brought together 20 Latin specialists who reached a unanimous verdict that the sermons were genuine.
Professor Tornau stated that the style, humour and content also clearly indicate that the sermons in the manuscripts were actually written by Augustine. Evidence suggests the Pelplin manuscript may trace back to an earlier volume once held at Amelungsborn Abbey in Lower Saxony. A critical edition of the texts is anticipated by the end of 2026.
