Customer Reviews

The Confessions

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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.

If you liked this, and you have good reading stamina, chack out his other major work "City of God".

This is one of Augustine's best-known works, for all the right reasons. Sometimes comic, sometimes haunting, sometimes moving, this is the original autobiography. The narrative starts in early childhood and attempts to find an even earlier stage of existence, goes through adolescent error, until death (his mother's) and rebirth (Augustine's baptism). The last sections of the Confessions are explorations of memory and a reading of Genesis.

This translation, by Maria Boulding, is very adequate: Augustine's relatively straightforward style is rendered into highly legible English. The introduction (by Patricia Hampl, not by the translator) is solid too, and introduces the book by way of the faculty of memory, an essential structuring device of autobiography.

However, I can only give this three stars because the edition itself totally lacks apparatus. For starters, the index is somewhat meagre (no references to 'language,' 'rhetoric,' 'Virgil,' 'Dido,' for instance). Even less helpful are the notes. This book is part of the 'Vintage Spiritual Classics,' and 'spiritual' here means 'exclusively Christian.' This is a somewhat misleading choice of words (not to mention colonialist), and results in notes only giving biblical references. Thus, there are no notes explaining, for instance, Manichaeism (very relevant to the discussion in 3.7) or Neoplatonism. A few general observations in the Chronology, which precedes the Confessions, hardly suffice for a modern reader, and those remarks are not contextualized.

In all, for its price this is a decent book (although overpriced in Amsterdam, unfortunately), but I had hoped for and expected a slightly more expansive editorial philosophy from Random House.

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."

I tried to read St. Augustine Confessions in a couple of other translations and it never really "clicked" for me. But Maria Boulding's finally did and I read through quickly with great delight and (I hope) spiritual profit. She has a gift for making this classic work modern and yet, I strobgly believe, very faithful to the original Latin.

St Augustine sets out to honestly be apart and not separate from everyone of us, by letting us know of his frail and human existence which is embodied by sin and corruptiblity, but he so reassurringly reminds us that through God's mercies and graces we are loved and forgiven of sin by acknowledgement and by a constant repentance of sin. Augustine speaks of God's love in a penatrating fashion that touches the soul of whoever is in search of releasing the hard coated cover of restraints and freely allowing God's love to touch the depths of our heart, which as Augustine so reverently feels and leaves one who reads along with a hair-rising experience of Love from our Father.

Saint Augustine's "Confessions" is a very beautiful and fascinant book that narrates, as his title suggests, in a sincere and humble way, the spiritual journey and conversion of the author from darkness to light, vice to virtue, and error to the truth of the catholic faith, proving that saints, even the greatest and wisest as Augustine, are also simple and common men (sinners) ruled by an imperfect human nature. Really, after the read of this book, it is impossible to deny that each one of us have something of Augustine in his own character, and this is one of the greats merits of the "Confessions".

A real classic, essentially an intimate and personal work, it simultaneously develops some of the major concepts that influenced decisively western civilization for fifteen centuries (the essence of God and His role on creation, the universality of moral law, the decayed human nature or the notion of free wiil, for example), which is one more reason to recommend that book to every person interested in west's religion, moral,philosophy and law. Five stars!

Although he lived centuries ago, Augustine lived much as we do today...Gifted but unfocused, he builds a successful career as a teacher. Gradually, he loses enthusiasm for his work, finds his sensual pursuits less and less fulfilling, and realizes his life has no purpose. His search for meaning and direction becomes agonizing and desparate. His mind and soul are in torment: he increasingly sees his answers lying in the direction of God, but he fights against faith with all his might, unable to give up the sensual indulgences he clings to so tightly, if only out of habit. Augustine describes his struggle vividly, passionately, and with utter honesty. When he finally breaks through and embraces God with the whole of his being, he discovers in himself a strength and focus so powerful he changes the world forever. Yet Augustine is in many respects an average person, full of flaws and inconsistencies. And clearly, he worked hard to find his faith, suffering many setbacks along the way. These things make Augustine seem all the more human, and his story all the easier to understand. The second part of the book is less personal, mainly a reflection on key passages of Genesis. The writing becomes more theoretical, and somewhat difficult to understand without a strong grasp of the Scriptures. (It would be helpful to read or reread Psalms before tackling "Confessions"--it's Augustine's favorite book of the Bible and he quotes it extensively throughout the work.)

This book, goes through the life a great saint and his story of Education, loss of loved ones and conversion, ending with his philosophical ideas on many doctrinal things. Although this book is not for the beginner of patristic litature, i do beleve that it holds somthing for everyone. St. Augustine not one makes things clear with his Poetic at times prose, but establishes His own Love Of Our Lord and of the Curch. His talks on his life can give anyone hope of covnversion. We can all hold him up to example, and this book will help you to understand and get into the head of a Great saint...Saint Augustine...Pray For Us!!

The Confessions of St. Augustine is one of the most important literary and spiritual classics in Western civilization. It is a profound and brilliant spiritual autobiography in which Augustine paints a picture of himself, "warts and all." Augustine's honesty about himself is matched by the beauty of his expression, but what is most moving about The Confessions is Augustine's engagement with God. Throughout, you see a soul which God is drawing to Himself, as well as a soul that gradually responds to the grace of God in its life. It is a book that may be read as devotional literature, autobiography, theology, and literature.

As Augustine discovered, "our heart is unquiet until it rests in you."

Actually, The Confessions are addressed to God, and this gives them a sense of immediacy and intimacy, as if God has been watching over Augustine his entire life. One of the most compelling aspects of The Confessions is that we are able to see the gradual conversion of St. Augustine's heart. His isn't an instantaneous conversion, as conversions are often portrayed, but a series of steps on the path to God. Along the way we are privileged to experience with Augustine some of the turning points in his spiritual pilgrimage. One of these is the famous story in which Augustine hears a voice say, "Pick it up and read," provoking him to read Romans 13:13-14, after which light flooded his heart and his face was peaceful.

It has been said that The Confessions are "the West's first autobiography," and the influence of The Confessions on Western literature is incalculable. It is a book that continues to speak to us, more than 1500 years after its original writing and a book that is worth wrestling with. Augustine's meditations on memory, the senses, time, eternity, and heaven and earth (which make up Books X-XII) are also worth reading and contain not only some profound theology but a theology intermingled with prayers and praise to God.

There are many editions of The Confessions out there, and the Vintage Spiritual Classics edition is a good one. One of the best features is that its footnotes tell us which passage in the Scripture Augustine is referring to. There is a convenient chronology at the beginning, as well as a useful "Preface." The translation itself is a good one, although "Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee" (the translation I'm used to) sounds better to my ears than "our heart is unquiet until it rests in you" (Maria Boulding's translation in this version.)

Supportive theological insights as one continues on their Christian journey. Reassures that "roadblocks" happen as one travels through life experiences.