Confessions (Oxford World's Classics)

Book Description

This new translation conveys to the English reader with accuracy and art the brilliant and impassioned descriptions of Augustine's colourful early life.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting historically, bad theology/philosophy.......2007-09-10

As a non-believer, some of the more entertaining bits were Augustine pining that he wishes he'd been made a eunuch as a boy, and describing at length the sensual dreams that aroused and tormented after he gave up his lecherous ways and escaped the lesser torment of marriage.

Interesting historically as a document of how Platonism was explicitly wedded with Christianity, but some of the theology is a bit strained, i.e., his exposition of Genesis chapter one in which he attempts to explain how God created everything outside of time and without any effort, and yet this took six days and he rested on the seventh. His attempts to solve the problem of evil also do more to confuse the issue than to clarify it, but that is to be expected.

But it is definitely far better in terms of both literary style and quality of thought than the efforts of today's believers, and it is worth reading for anyone interested in intellectual or religious history.

The problem with evil is that it is good.......2007-08-02

It is said that St. Augustine invented the autobiographical genre and that is significant. But more significant seems to be his great insight into the problem of temptation and evil. With deep conviction and personal examination, he studies the motivations toward sin and sees the paradox that we choose evil not for evil sake but because it seems good. Of all the actions in Augustine's life he could have examined as sinful acts, he chose the most simple on which to concentrate - a boyhood prank of stealing fruit captures the microscope of his self-examining eye. Bit by bit he takes apart the incident conveying how it relates to other incidents in his life and what it tells us about the human condition in general. It is the genius of Augustine to use an apparently innocuous event to convey some of the most profound thinking on human nature and the problem of evil. A groundbreaking work of its kind and content.

Peeping into the soul of a man.......2007-03-24

Translation by Rex Warner (in Signet Classics)

This one is a very good translation, especially for the modern reader. It conveys the immediacy and vividness of a text written more than 1500 years ago. One feels almost as a voyeur peeping into the private confession of a man to his God. The honesty and unembarrassed disclosure of his sins, and fruitless search for worldly wisdom, is something we can personally identify with, even today. It is amazing how vivid the description of life in late 4th century is in this Confessions. What a wonderful way to approach History, places like Carthage, Rome or Milan, thru the eyes of a skilled and intelligent man who pours his heart on these pages for us to benefit from.

St. Augustine's life, however distant in time, is filled with events, desires, and troubles, as common today as in the year 400. We can identify fully with him, and in his longing and weakness we can see our own soul portrayed. He talks about his childhood, his family, his studies and his lifelong pursuit of wisdom and truth, specially since the age of 19. We get immersed in the daily life of people in the 4th Century under the Roman Empire, their daily worries, their intellectual debates, their religious confrontations. We see the social conditions of all classes of people, from the wealthy and idle to the slaves who fight in the Circus. We see people living, talking, traveling, dreaming, and going about their business as if we were present with them. No wonder this book is an authentic classic, one that I should have read long ago.

There are many reasons to read this book. Those interested in History are certainly going to find plenty of information from eye-witness perspective; those who like to read personal memories and autobiographies won't have it easy to find a better one. For those interested in the history of religion and Catholicism, this is a must, a landmark in Christian literature. Whatever you are looking for, this book is certainly one that will satisfy your intellectual curiosity as well as fill you spiritually.

One thing to bear in mind is that the Confessions are not addressed to us, readers, that is why certain things about the author's behavior seem inexplicable: certain things that would seem to us to merit more explaining, being only mentioned briefly (his behavior toward the woman he had a child with, for example), while other issues are given a lot more space. Of course the Lord knew his heart well, but still, one is intrigued at this man.

This bitter sea, the human race.......2006-11-27

This is an eminently Catholic book written by a sinner in his young age, becoming a singer of the heavenly pleasures of asceticism, growing older. It is a long masochistic call to God for forgiveness of his previous sins in order to get eternal bliss.

Saint Augustine sees sins everywhere and every time. Every newborn baby receives a stamp `original sin' from his first day on earth, followed immediately by `Was it a sin to cry when I wanted to be feed at the breast?' All organs are sources of sin: the ears, the eye, the smell, taste (eating and drinking) and obsessively, sex (`better a eunuch for love of the kingdom of heaven'). The bodily pleasures leave him so terrified to loose eternal bliss that `Even in my sleep I resist the attractions'!
Other characteristic cardinal Christian rules are: obey all authorities (`In his own kingdom a king has the right to make orders'), censure (`But your law, God, permits the free flow of curiosity to be stemmed'), and deep anti-science sentiments (`futile curiosities masquerade under the name of science and learning. The secrets of nature are irrelevant to our lives.')

One should think that `love thy neighbor' is one of his basic principle. Absolutely not. He is a profound sectarian: `the Manichees, I ought to have disgorged these men like vomit.'
But, why is he so sure that he is right? Because of his faith (`not a clear view'), his faith in God and the Holy Scriptures.
Saint Augustine's Confessions contain also rather childish reflections on the mind, the body-mind dichotomy, memory and, e.g., `the problem of space and God's dimensions'.

But not everything is negative in this book. There is the love for his mother and his young son.
Remarkable is his vision that time didn't exist before the creation of the universe.
As a former sinner, Saint Augustine knows human nature all too well; e.g. `Men love truth when it bathes them in its light; they hate it when it proves them wrong.'
More importantly, he found a religious solution for the problem of evil: if God created everything, he is also responsible for all evil in the world. But God gave all human beings a free will. Every human being is individually responsible for his actions. (This is not the case for Calvin's creed of predestination).
One should in no way underestimate Saint Augustine's influence on Christian and Western morals.
Only for historians and theologians.

Essential classic of world literature.......2006-10-20

This is a good translation of St Augustine's 'Confessions', one of the most important works of Christian and also world religious and philosophical thought.

St Augustine's genius needs no advertisment. His brilliant intellect is more or less the founder of Western Christianity as we know it. Between St Paul and Aquinas, he is the most brilliant theological and philosophical mind the medieval period managed to produce. If Western philosphy is a cathedral, then Augustine is one of its capstones.

The Confessions is a personal narrative of Augustine's life, which describes his spiritual and intellectual journey from childhood to adulthood. Augustine is such a brilliant writer he manages to capture countless facets of experience in a book which itself is only about 340 pages long (thirteen books in total) and this work also has immense range and depth, from the strange nature of free will and sin to the inner quest for the indwelling image of the Trinity, to Augustine's mystical experiences, to his dramatic conversion, to his allegorical commentary on Genesis to his ceaseless praise of God's goodness and the beauty of creation.

Augustine is clearly influenced by several sources, especially Neo-Platonic Philosophy. Augustine read the Enneads of Plotinus in translation into Latin (thanks to Marcus Victorius, a Christian convert from Neo-Platonism) and found its concepts of God made more sense to him than that of the sect he was a member of, the Manicheans. The Manicheans, a syncretic sect who blended Buddhism, elements of Christianity, Zorastrianism and Gnosticism, and Platonism captivated Augustine for several years, seeming to provide a satisfying explanation for the baffling problem of evil. Yet Augustine, after reading Plotinus, thought the explanation of evil in terms of non-being made more sense than God making an evil world, or being ruled by an evil principle. In this sense Augustine made a crucial breakthrough in theology, not only by finding God 'within' the depths of his own soul, but also in associating God with the Platonic Good.

Yet Augustine's strongest influence is the Bible. References to the Bible abound far more than references to Plotinus, and for Augustine, pagan thought is mostly useful for articulating truths already main plain by the Word of God. However, Augustine is always too brilliant and original thinker to merely fall into a rigid pattern of dogma he never leaves (in contrast to many more mediocre minds in the Christian tradition) and reworks his theology consistently and constantly in a creative manner.

However the Confessions is too brilliant and profound a work to summarise in one review, and it is best if readers avail themselves to a copy of this work as soon as they can.

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Up Close and Personal
Truly Moving
Worthwhile even for agnostics
wow
Brave, Bold, Beautiful . . . .

Confessions (Penguin Classics)
Saint Augustine of Hippo
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 014044114X

Customer Reviews:

Up Close and Personal.......2005-09-25

Augustine of Hippo was a very interesting character who had immense influence on church theology long after he was dead and buried. Some of his thoughts on church discipline and just war had long term results that he may have disliked, but his personal journey was an interesting one.

Written as a "letter" to God, "Confessions" takes the reader through Augustine's life of wandering searchs in a variety of places for the spiritual solace that he desired. His comments on Manichaeism, philosophy and Christianity are personal and coloured by his own experiences. His own thoughts are very negative and dark in places, though "Confessions" smacks of a brutal honesty that is rare. At times, his writings are coloured by his disappointments, such as meeting with Manichaean priests.

The Penguin translation is sometimes a touch dry in the presentation of Augustine, and that can make reading a bit difficult in places. At times the style is a touch on the hard going side. However, being quite cheap, this book gives you a very cost-effective introduction to the life of the man.

However, this should not detract from the overall value of such a personal look into the life and reflections of one of theology's great historical figures. While I felt this version was not the best, the personal look at Augustine's life, loves, and disappointments put some "flesh and blood" on the person who is so often quoted in theological text books and so on.

If you have not read this, then I recommend doing so. It is a cool book.

Truly Moving.......2005-08-15

This book may change your life. Augustine's personal history tells of how a sinner can be transformed into a righteous man by faith. The most moving part of the book is the description of Augustine's mother's (Monica) influence on his life. She must have been a wonderful person of extraordinary character and determination.

Augustine's early theology is a little confusing, but it is fairly easy to understand the main ideas he is putting forward. The section on time is quite profound, and the small bit on the nature of the Trinity is very interesting.

Augustine's style combines his own personal experiences, his own theology, and biblical references to create a story of sin, redemption, and the saving power of God.

The translation is probably the best on the market, as Penguin Classics usually are.

On a side note, this book also gives information on the late imperial Roman world and church. For example, Augustine's relationship with the famous St. Ambrose includes a detailed account of the theological ordeal between the western church officials and the eastern empire.

Worthwhile even for agnostics.......2005-07-15

Before reading any St. Augustine, I had formed an image of him as an intolerant puritan, almost Taliban-esque. As an agnostic, I did not at all expect to find him a sympathetic figure. The "Confessions," however, reveal a warmly human, hugely intelligent man, relating his own open-minded spiritual journey, which included way-stops at Manicheeism and neo-Platonism. Augustine formulated his religious and ethical systems through careful deliberation and observation, aided by an epiphany or two; his is not a story of blind, unthinking faith or of mysterious visions. His concept of God seems little different from the Chinese concept of the Tao, and his concept of grace little different from the Buddhist concept of enlightenment. Thus, there is considerable interest in his viewpoint even for non-Catholics, non-Christians, and non-believers.

In addition, this book also constitutes an autobiography of material existence in the waning years of the Western Roman Empire, and thus should be of great interest to any classicist. Little examples: Augustine confirms that, at least around 400 A.D., the normal way to read, even among the most highly literate, was aloud; Ambrose's habit of reading silently to himself inspires considerable comment and speculation. We learn that high school students were rowdy, then as now. The Roman Emperor didn't seem to matter much in the lives of citizens.

The Penguin translation by Mr. Pine-Coffin is excellent and very readable. He avoids the archaic "thou's" that plague many translations. Regrettably, the cover material chooses to emphasize the translator's status as a Roman Catholic as his single most important attribute, and his introductory comments are likely to strike non-Catholics as intolerant. Skip over that, and get right into Augustine's writing itself.

wow.......2005-06-03

St. Augustine's Confessions is a masterpiece of literature. One of the first books ever written from an introspective first-person point of view, it is an intensely personal glimpse into one man's mind, soul, and relationship with God.

The first nine of Confessions' thirteen books are the story of Augustine's life, beginning with his birth and early education. He recounts his sinful lifestyle and his mother's constant grief and prayers for him, and he praises God for faithfully seeking him until at last he was converted to Christianity.

Books ten through thirteen explore the mind, the memory, the nature of time, and the interpretation of Genesis 1. Augustine displays his intellectual brilliance the most in these books, sometimes almost leaving the reader in the dust. The insights and opinions he offers, however, are ingenious.

The entirety of Confessions is written with such eloquent style one can only conclude that his expensive education to be a master of rhetoric paid off. Some of the passages are so beautifully written that you have to stop, reread it, and think about it.

Confessions is a challenge to read, but it is well worth it. Its depth, vulnerability, and beauty are seldom, if ever, matched.

Brave, Bold, Beautiful . . . ........2005-04-19

True medicine for the heart: read it with the Bible. For centuries, AUGUSTINE'S CONFESSIONS has touched people's hearts and inspired the greatest philosophers to think on God, time, memory, creation, and our humble existence.

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Why waste your time with someone else's cliff notes
Great Intro to St. Augustine
A must read
Hey, part of it is missing!!!
Unique look into a brilliant mind

The Confessions of St. Augustine
Augustine
Manufacturer: Revell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0800787242
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Book Description

Confessions is one of the most moving diaries ever recorded of a man's journey to the fountain of God's grace. Writing as a sinner, not a saint, Augustine shares his innermost thoughts and conversion experiences and wrestles with the spiritual questions that have stirred the hearts of the thoughtful since time began. Starting with his childhood in Numidia, through his youth and early adulthood in Carthage, Rome, and Milan, readers will see Augustine as a human being, a fellow traveler on the road to salvation. Though staggering around potholes and roadblocks, all Chrisitians will find strength in Augustine's message: When the road gets rough, look to God! Previously released in 1977, this book invites readers to join Augustine in his quest that led him to be one of the most influential Christian thinkers in the history of the church.

Customer Reviews:

Why waste your time with someone else's cliff notes.......2007-06-04

For whatever reason, the editor here has seen fit to leave out sections of Augustine's Confessions. What is most annoying is that this book is not clearly marked "abridged". Honest dealing requires this book to be clearly identified for what it is - an abridged, incomplete version of Confessions.

Great Intro to St. Augustine.......2007-05-28

For those of you who thought that St. Augustine was going to be so deeply intellectual that it couldn't possibly apply to you, you should try this small book. It's not difficult reading, but the ideas aren't little ones. I was amazed at the parallels in culture to our 'modern' age, and at how little has changed in nearly 2000 years. He writes pretty bluntly about his youthful vices, which made me examine my own. I bought ten copies for friends and for graduation gifts this year.

A must read.......2007-03-29

When I studied religion at university, my lecturer told us that if we were to read any book, it had to be confessions. It really is a great book and well structured. It is very dense as the best religious texts are, so it will take a long time to properly read and absorb. A must have for your collection.

Hey, part of it is missing!!!.......2006-08-04

The Augustine part is fine and the translator did a wonderful job, but why were the parts edited out? Saint Augustine was just like us in his struggles to not only come to Christianity but also to live the Christian life after his conversion. He writes about his screw-ups, failures, and triumphs in such a humble, heart rendering manner I wish I had articulated it that way first. All Christians should have this book in their library to be read and re-read often. PAX, bb

Unique look into a brilliant mind.......2006-03-18

The Confessions offer a deep look into St. Augustine's mind as he battles through questions about time and memory. It is, quite personally, an account of a once atheist who, through tragedy and an insatiable desire for truth, becomes spiritually connected to God. Augustine presents age old questions about existence and purpose, and provides his own unique and intelligent viewpoint. Augustine's confessions are uplifting to read through, and his gentle and eloquent praises to God are remarkably written. I gave this book five stars, in light of its uniqueness and the personal betterment I felt when I read it.

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Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you
Take and read

The Confessions of Saint Augustine
St. Augustine of Hippo
Manufacturer: BookSurge Classics
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1591094003
Release Date: 2002-08-28

Book Description

By his own account, St. Augustine of Hippo (A.D.354-430) lived a life of sin until his conversion to Christianity at the age of 32. Twelve years later he gave a personal account of his search for truth in The Confessions of Saint Augustine.

Customer Reviews:

Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you .......2007-07-19

Augustine's writing have withstood the test of time and it is clear to see when reading. The confessions begin with Augustine giving praise to God. It proceeds then into early childhood of Augustine and how his parents made him go to school to study Latin. As he continued to grow in his studies he also began to grow an addiction to sexuality. He brags to his friends of the sexual encounters that he has been through. In this same chapter he also speaks of how he and his concubines stole pears. He explains how this is something that he would have never done on his own, but with his friends he enjoyed it for the shear sake of stealing.

Augustine's studies increased as he continued to search for wisdom. These searches led him into the direction of the Manichaeism and to becoming a teacher of rhetoric. Shortly after this, one of his friends was baptized right before his death. Augustine teased his friend in regard to his conversion. However this also left Augustine with many questions regarding Manichaeism. He became very excited because he had the opportunity to meet the Manichee bishop Faustus. He had many questions for him, but after meeting with him, he found that Faustus did not have any answers to give him than what he had already known. This left Augustine to turn from Manichaeism and shortly after that he began to lean more towards Christianity.

Augustine's mother Monica had arranged for him to get married to a Christian girl. During this time he had been reading profusely and finally came to a conclusion about Jesus. He was in a moment of despair and heard a young girl's voice singing, "take up and read, take up and read." Upon hearing this he grabbed his Bible and began to read a passage in the book of Romans and after reading it he gave his life to Christ. He continued to give lengthy illustrations of memory and temptation. The remaining chapters of his book went into great detail about creation, the deity of Christ and the Trinity.

There are many pearls of wisdom to be gleamed after reading Augustine's work. Augustine does a fantastic job of tackling many questions in regards to Genesis. Also, the confessions would be great for a defense regarding the Trinity. This is great to appeal to since the confessions were written around 397. This could help show someone that the teachings of the Trinity were not just something that was conjured up, but have a historical standing. I highly recommend that you "take up and read."

Take and read.......2005-09-19

Augustine's 'Confessions' is among the most important books ever written. One of the first autobiographical works in the modern sense, it also represents the first time a psychological and theological enterprise were combined. It also helps to bridge the gap between the Classical world and the Medieval world, exhibiting strong elements identifying with each of those major historical periods.

Most undergraduates in the liberal arts encounter the book at some point; all seminarians do (or should!). Many adults find (or rediscover) the book later, after school. For many in these categories, there are concepts, narrative strands and historical data new and unusual for them. However, Augustine's 'Confessions' is still generally more accessible in many ways that truly classical pieces; it has interior description as well as external reporting that we are familiar with in modern writing.

The 'Confessions' shows Augustine's personality well - he was a passionate person, but his focus wavered for much of his life until finally settling upon Christianity and the Neoplatonic synthesis with this faith. Even while remaining a passionate Christian and rejecting the sort of dualism present in the Manichee teachings, he varied between various positions within these systems. Augustine's varied thought reaches through many denominational and scholarly paradigms.

The 'Confessions' are divided into thirteen chapters, termed 'Books' - the first ten of the books are autobiographical, with Augustine describing both events in his life as well as his philosophical and religious wanderings during the course of his life. The text is somewhat difficult to take at times, as this is writing with a purpose, as indeed most autobiographies are. The purpose here at times seems to be to paint Augustine in the worst possible light (the worse his condition, the better his conversion/salvation ends up being); at other times, one gets a sense (as one might get when reading the Pauline epistles) that there is some significant degree of ego at work here (Paul boasts of being among the better students, and so does Augustine, etc.).

Augustine also uses his Confessions as a tract against the Manichean system - once a faithful adherent, Augustine later rejects the Manichean beliefs as heretical; however, one cannot get past the idea that Augustine retained certain of their intellectual aspects in his own constructions even while denouncing them in his official life story.

The whole of the conversion turns on two primary books - Book Seven, his conversion to the Neoplatonic view of the world, including the metaphysics and the ethics that come along with this system; and Book 8, which describes his conversion to Christianity proper. This is where perhaps the most famous directive, 'Tolle! Lege!' ('Take and read!') comes from - Augustine heard a voice, and he picked up the nearest book, which happened to be a portion of the Pauline epistles, arguing against the undisciplined lifestyle Augustine lived. Scholars continue to debate whether Augustine's conversion to Christianity was more profound or more important than his conversion to Neoplatonism; in any event, Christianity interpreted through a Platonic framework became the norm for centuries, and remains a strong current within the Christian world view; Protestant reformers as they went back to the 'original bible' in distinction from the Catholic interpretations of the day also went back to the 'original Augustine' for much of their theology.

The final three books are Augustine's dealing with the creation of the world via narrative stories in Genesis 1 exegetically and hermeneutically. This is very different from what is done in modern biblical scholarship, but is significant in many respects, not the least of which as it gives a model of the way Augustine dealt with biblical texts; given Augustine's towering presence over the development of Western Christianity in both Catholic and Protestant strands, understanding his methods and interpretative framework can lead to significant insights into the ideas of medieval and later church figures.

This translation by Henry Chadwick is one of the standard editions of the book available. Chadwick, a noted scholar of early Christianity, provides a good introduction that gives synopses of the books as well as background and contextual information. This is a book that will be of interest to novice readers of Augustine as well as scholars, to students, clergy and laypersons, and anyone else who might have an historical, literary, philosophical, theological or other interest in Augustine - something for everyone, perhaps?

The Confessions (Works of Saint Augustine, a Translation for the 21st Century: Part 1- Books)

Average customer rating:

the best translation I've found
must read
A powerful read
overrated
For All Who Seek

The Confessions (Works of Saint Augustine, a Translation for the 21st Century: Part 1- Books)
St. Augustine
Manufacturer: New City Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1565480848

Amazon.com

Augustine's Confessions is arguably the first, and unequivocally the most influential, religious autobiography in the Christian tradition. Augustine (who was a hard-core hedonist before his sudden conversion) writes about faith with the reckless abandon of a lover; his descriptions of friendship are so beautiful they'll bring tears to your eyes; and his tributes to his mother, Monica, cast eternally fresh light on the unofficial authority of women in the early Church. --Michael Joseph Gross

Book Description

Bestselling and new translation of Augustine's alltime classic

Customer Reviews:

the best translation I've found.......2007-02-08

This Christian classic has touched me deeply. I read it the first time right after college, but recently picked it up again (thirty years later). I didn't remember a thing from the first reading.... I've been a Christian for many years, but find that this book is so fresh, with insights that are truly amazing. For this new read, I bought two different translations so that I could read both and compare when the meaning seemed obscure. I highly recommend the translation by Maria Boulding. It does a great job of staying true to his meaning, while expressing things in a way that speaks to the modern mind.

must read.......2006-02-20

This book has opened up a whole new avenue on interest for me.I have read this book several times and it has a potent affect on me. There is a dvd series (by The Teaching Co) 24 lectures on this series that I also recommend. After reading this book a whole world of other books opens before you,but you come to the understanding that you will not live long enough to read them all....unless

A powerful read.......2006-02-13

This is a profound book in so many ways; here are just a few. Augustine writes with a combination of confidence and humility that is not seen today. His confidence stems from faith in the God he clearly knows so well and his humility from a deep understanding of the sinfulness that dwells at the very core of his being. Worship is the purpose and attitude of the book; one can't help but be moved to do so after reading it. This book has also stimulated me to much thought in the areas of entertainment, evangelism, conversion, and scripture. Although this book is a great classic that has influenced Christianity and beyond for many centuries and people feel like they "should" read it, I recommend reading it for the pure delight of listening to a man who lays himself bankrupt before the Almighty and sincerely asks, "Give what you command, and command what you will."

overrated.......2005-09-24

This is easily the most overrated religious book ever. I believe it is Chapter 6 where Augustine talks about how he used to steal pears just to steal them even though he wasn't hungry is the best thought in the book about how natural evil is to us and how bad we really are.

There I just told you the best part of the book. Chapters 10 and 11 are absolutely horrific. Can anyone really say they understood those chapters?

Augustine has a major problem with sex in general and is a really bad advice giver on that subject.

For All Who Seek.......2004-01-28

Let me begin by saying that this book should be read by anyone seeking to live a better life, whether you are Christian or not, St. Augustine's representation of himself and his personal struggles are so human that they are easily accesible to people's of all faiths. That being said, don't expect to come to this book and not be challenged. This book is also the best introduction to St. Augustine and his theology so if you wish to read any of his other works, start with this one.

In my opinion, this book is really two books in one, and should be treated as such. The first book is composed of the first nine chapters and forms the autobiographical portion of the Confessioons, and the tenth through thirteenth chapters make up a concise overview of St. Augustine's basic theological views.

The first part is by far the easier to read, and depend on you are searching for by reading this book, this may be all you really need to read. St. Augustine sets out candidly for his readers the story of his life; the faith of his mother that initially so disgusted him and eventually aided in his conversion, his lusts and youthful errors, and his final dramatic conversion in the garden. Some claim that many of St. Augustine's gruelling criticisms of himself are exagerations ment as examples to his parishioners (he was the Bishop of Hippo) but irregardless the cincerity and spiritual earnestness of St. Augustine's writing shines through every page. It is amazing to think that someone who lived over 1500 years ago is so much the same as men today.

The second part is the most intellectual of the two and this is the one that contains most of the theology of the work, and while I will say that this section may not be for everyone (but after reading his autobiography I hope you will feel compelled to read this) this section should NOT be read without first reading the more spiritual autobiography. St. Augustine here provides an outline for such celebrated principles as the everlasting now, and such difficult questions as was God compelled to create the world. While he does not mention much of one of his other very famous an important theological principles here (i.e. predestination) this is still the best introduction his entire cannon of theology that is available.

I'd like to say a few words on the Vintage Spiritual Classic s edition. This is a handsome well-priced paperback volume that offers a good easily readable modern english translation. I shopped around when looking for an edition of this book, and while there are some editions that offer more notes, this is the only edition that offers refferences to the scriptual passages St. Augustine is referring to. It also contains an invaluable concise introduction and timeline to St. Augustine's life and the environment in which he lived.

Book Description

The second Hackett edition of the Sheed translation, a classic in its own right, offers a wealth of notes on philosophical, theological, historical, and liturgical issues raised by the Confessions, as well as paragraph numbers of the Latin critical edition, and a thorough index.

Confessions (Hendrickson Christian Classics)

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Great, but a bad translation.
Confessions
A personal soul searching
Take and read!

Confessions (Hendrickson Christian Classics)
Saint, Bishop of Hippo Augustine
Manufacturer: Hendrickson Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1565634519

Customer Reviews:

Great, but a bad translation........2007-08-01

Augustine's Confessions is one of the greatest books ever, but this is a terrible translation. There are far better versions out there you can find at the same price, or even lower.

Confessions.......2006-04-20

Great book! Very easy reading, it teaches:
1. That Manicheans are still around today, though they go by different names.
..... a. Environmentalist (pg 50), and
......b. Good and bad forces - Star Wars movies.
2. How a Godly Mother (Monica) acts and is remembered by her son.
3. etc.

Yours in Christ,

Alex

A personal soul searching.......2006-02-18

Reading Confessions by St. Augustine was a richly rewarding experience. The man examined his conscience, soul and thinking processes with as complete honesty as I have ever encountered in my lifetime. Some of the questions he posed and answered have never entered my mind; other areas he examined and anlyzed were areas of concern to me. In my areas of questioning, St. Augustine provided guidance/direction and most times answers that satisfied my quest for "understanding". Altogether "Confessions" is a book that I shall read (at leisure) many more times.

Rose Miller
Jackson, MI

Take and read!.......2005-05-24

Augustine And Postmodernism: Confession And Circumfession (Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion)

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Augustine And Postmodernism: Confession And Circumfession (Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion)

Manufacturer: Indiana University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0253345073

The Confessions (Everyman's Library (Alfred a. Knopf, Inc.).)

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Very deep and laborious reading, but well worth it

The Confessions (Everyman's Library (Alfred a. Knopf, Inc.).)
St. Augustine , Robin Lane Fox , and Philip Burton
Manufacturer: Everyman's Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375411739
Release Date: 2001-05-01

Book Description

Augustine's fourth-century spiritual autobiography not only is a major document in the history of Christianity, a classic of Roman Africa, and the unchallenged model through the ages for the autobiographical record of the journey to self-knowledge, it also marks a vital moment in the history of Western culture. As Augustine explains how, when, and why he became the man he is, he probes the great themes that others were to explore after himCfaith, time, truth, identity, and self-understanding--with a richness of detail unmatched in ancient literature. Dense with vivid portrayals of friends, family, colleagues, and enemies, The Confessions chronicles the passage from a life of sensuality and superstition to a genuine spiritual awakening--in a powerful narrative of one man's inner education that continues to shape the way we think and act today.

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Very deep and laborious reading, but well worth it.......2004-01-07

St. Augustine was the first, and is arguably the most influential, of the major Christian apologists. In a time when Christianity was gaining momentum in the Roman Empire but was still mostly confined to the poor and uneducated, Augustine's theological treatises and apology made Christianity more valid, and in many cases more acceptable, to the learned in Rome. This autobiography, detailing Augustine's early life with a special emphasis on what made him convert to Christianity, made a tremendous contribution to the work of the sect.

Augustine deals with several topics in this book. He explores why we sin, how it affects God, and how He tries to win us back. He discusses learning and the effect of worldly wisdom and human interpretation of divine will, and attempts to reconcile earthly learning to spiritual growth. In the last three books he discusses time and creation with God. This is definitely heavy reading, but while Augustine's argument is very detailed and is sometimes difficult to comprehend, it is not poorly organized. For the most part the narrative is smooth, though the last three books do lag a little bit compared with the rest of the work.

Augustine's work has endured for more than a millennium and a half. Christianity has evolved, and has branched into many different and often opposing factions, but Augustine's work and his message still carry the great weight that they did over 1500 years ago.

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Confessions, Vol. 1: Books 1-8 (Loeb Classical Library, No. 26)
Bishop of Hippo Augustine Saint
Manufacturer: Loeb Classical Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Confessions, Vol. 2: Books 9-13 (Loeb Classical Library, No. 27)

Saint Augustine: Select Letters (Loeb Classical Library #239)

Augustine: City of God, Volume IV, Books 12-15 (Loeb Classical Library No. 414)

Augustine: City of God, Volume I, Books 1-3 (Loeb Classical Library No. 411)

Augustine: City of God, Volume II, Books 4-7 (Loeb Classical Library No. 412)

ASIN: 0674990293

Book Description

Augustinus (354-430 CE), son of a pagan, Patricius of Tagaste in North Africa, and his Christian wife Monica, while studying in Africa to become a rhetorician, plunged into a turmoil of philosophical and psychological doubts in search of truth, joining for a time the Manichaean society. He became a teacher of grammar at Tagaste, and lived much under the influence of his mother and his friend Alypius. About 383 he went to Rome and soon after to Milan as a teacher of rhetoric, being now attracted by the philosophy of the Sceptics and of the Neo-Platonists. His studies of Paul's letters with Alypius and the preaching of Bishop Ambrose led in 386 to his rejection of all sensual habits and to his famous conversion from mixed beliefs to Christianity. He returned to Tagaste and there founded a religious community. In 395 or 396 he became Bishop of Hippo, and was henceforth engrossed with duties, writing and controversy. He died at Hippo during the successful siege by the Vandals.

From Augustine's large output the Loeb Classical Library offers that great autobiography the Confessions (in two volumes); On the City of God (seven volumes), which unfolds God's action in the progress of the world's history, and propounds the superiority of Christian beliefs over pagan in adversity; and a selection of Letters which are important for the study of ecclesiastical history and Augustine's relations with other theologians.

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