Customer Reviews

Confessions of St. Augustine, The: Modern English Version

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I very much enjoyed reading this book. I just have a few minor complaints:

1. No Table of Contents. When further studying this book and comparing it with other versions of Confessions, it is very hard to find what page number the chapter you are looking for.

2. The Chapters in the book do not identify what chapter number they are. This could have helped reduce my frustration from the missing Table of Contents.

3. I would have loved an Index. The ability to find a certain concept, etc. I was searching for would have been a great addition to this book. I don't see why there wouldn't be one.

The text itself is very readable, but I find it hard to use this book for further exploration into Augustine's work. Overall, I enjoyed this book tremendously, but it'd be better to choose a different version for more in depth study.

Augustine's Confessions might be one of the most profound Christian testimonies ever recorded. Not necessarily because Augustine led an unusual life or faced intriguing circumstances which had to be overcome; because, in reality, the actual events of his life were relatively less than extraordinary. Augustine's Confessions serve as such a spectacular testimony because, besides the fact that it was one of the first of its kind in the literary world, of the depth of his introspection and the clarity of his mind. It is a work that has made a permanent mark on Theology as well as Philosophy.

For most of the Confessions Augustine systematically examines his life up until what would have then been the present, casting pride aside in an effort to truly understand his struggle in the context of God's will and his own rebellious sinful nature. Amazingly the similarities inherent in the human struggle with the world and self span time without a hitch, making this work just as relevant today as it would have been 1,600 years ago. Once Augustine arrives at his present, he then turns his focus to an analysis of the first few chapters of Genesis, seemingly with the intent to refute several Manichean misconceptions that Augustine himself had become ensnared by. At the same time, however, Augustine sheds some light on a few topics that individuals have struggled with throughout the ages, which are likely open to some interpretation but nonetheless engaging. The conclusion of the Confessions is one which maintains its theme throughout, indicating that the pursuit of knowledge and that of truth should and will arrive at the same conclusion. Confessions certainly lives up to its title as a timeless classic.

As a side note, if one is interested in reading The City of God by Augustine, they might be best served to first read Confessions. The second half of The City of God has been said to be the closest thing to a sequel (or at least continuation) of Confessions. Confessions also sets the foundation upon which The City of God might be best understood. Beyond this, an alternative edition of Confessions which is wonderfully composed is the Barnes & Noble Classics edition.

Aurelius Augustinus 354-430 AD.
He was born in Thagesta in Numidia (North-Africa).The Confessions' has two parts. The first part is a kind of autobiography and the second part is a commentary to the first chapters of Genesis.
He taught rhetorics first in Carthago in Africa, later in Milan in Italy. But after a while he developed an aversion not only for rhetorics ( he began to consider it as useless and conceited and as a pool of sins ) but also for his fellow-man.
He began to show neurotic behaviour like having a fainting fit without apparent cause. It's for those reasons that psychologists like to study Augustine's Confessions.
As a result of his problems, Augustine became a Christian and he was one of the first to found a monastery. Later on he became bishop of Hippo in North-Africa.

In the second part of 'The confessions', he tries to explain the first chapters of Genesis. ( This second part is very impressive and is the cause that "The Confessions" is in my personal top five of the best books I read during the last 30 years.)

His plan was to comment on the whole Bible but he soon understood that this was an impossible task for one man.
Nevertheless he's is considered as the Father of modern Theology because of his comments.
To give two examples: When the Bible says that God created man to His image, Augustine explains that it means that man knows the difference between good and evil just like God does, it doesn't mean a physical resemblance.
Another interesting thought is about Creation. Creation is not limited in space and time: since God is everywhere, Creation is also everywhere and goes on till eternity.

As conclusion I should mention that 'The Confessions'is also important because it is the first publication in Antiquity in which an author reveals his most inner feelings.

I have had the pleasure of reading The Confessions of St. Augustine some years back but made the mistake of lending my copy to a friend. I have not seen the friend or the book since then. The current version is significantly abridged and leaves out many sections I still vaguely recall. I come away from this version somewhat empty. Too much has been removed. Saint Augustine deserves better treatment.

This is not a complete version of the book, and contains only selections. Otherwise, book came very promptly and in great condition.

It's incomplete and the text has been slanted to support a modern day Christian thesis. There is no table of contents, and the text is difficult to navigate.

An Absolute Excellent printing of an old classic! Heart wrenching in its convicting power that goes straight to a saved sinner like me!

This is great Lenten Reading, and just good reading in general. What I have read and understood I wished I had read this book earlier in my life.

Beautiful, heartfelt, and honest communication with God.
Especially lovely to read before bedtime. Reminds me of David in
Psalms. Makes me long for more quiet time with God.

Got it in time and in perfect condition. The seller contacted me back right away as well.