The Confessions of St. Augustine (Kindle Edition)

by Augustine of Hippo (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Harvard Classics, Vol. 7, Part 1  

The origin of the autobiographical tradition, the Confessions of one of the great Fathers of the Church traces a dialogue with his God and a journey toward rising above one's self.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 343 KB
• Print Length: 368 pages
• Publisher: The Portable Library (January 19, 2007)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000O78O6G
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #52,723 in Kindle Store (See Bestsellers in Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tolle Lege!, May 27, 2002

By	James Gallen (St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Confessions of St. Augustine (Signet Classics) (Paperback)

I recently reread "The Confessions of St. Augustine" after many years and am glad that I did. This book, which is often called the first autobiography, is really not an autobiography in the sense that we use the term. It is Augustine's Confession to God, from which we glean many details about Augustine's life.

In this we learn of Augustine's family, his early life, his search for truth and, throughout the book, his teachings on theology. Here we see him move to the gradually larger world, from Tagaste, to Carthage, to Rome, to Milan, where he finally finds Truth. He is then ready to return to his native Africa, his preparation completed for the work which would make him one of the greatest, Christian theologians of all time.

In much of the early book, Augustine tells us of his rejections of God's call. Seeking truth and honors, he searched through many sources and sought out many teachers. He sought wisdom from pagan and Manichean philosophers. His disappointment with the highly touted Manichean bishop, Faustus, whose speech was pleasing but whose answers failed to soothe Augustine's soul, caused him to turn to Catholicism.

Learning from the respected bishop, Ambrose, Augustine came to recognize the truth of Christianity, but his slavery to a non-Christian life style long prevented him from following the call of God. This persisted until one day he heard the child's song "Tolle Lege, Tolle, Lege" (the title of my high school newspaper), "Take it and read." Taking this as a divine command to read the first passage of scripture to meet his eyes, he opened the book to the passage, "Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying: but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh in concupiscence." Needing to read no further, his conversion occurred and he was ready for the great work which lay before him.

Throughout much of the book, we are treated to Augustine's teachings on a variety of religious topics. We obtain his guidance on the nature of God, God's relationship with and expectations of man, as well as norms for the interpretation of scripture. This is the book for anyone with an interest in Christian theology or St. Augustine personally. Tolle Lege!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Spiritual Journey, January 29, 2002

By	JMack (Chicago) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Confessions of St. Augustine (Signet Classics) (Paperback)

I bought this book over a year ago and I was not quite sure why I bought it. About a month ago, I began going through a troubled period in my life. The writings of St. Augustine helped me live through this period.

While the book is most known for its philisophical proof of the existance of God, the book's value runs even greater. Augustine also discusses the meaning of our own existance. Each of us is molded by the opportunity to grow by each experience of our life. Ultimately, we must see the error of our ways to find true happiness in life through God. In this way, God molds us into better people. While the existance of God is not something we can easily explain, Augustine offers insite into this dilema. God created us in his own image, but this does not mean he looks like a human being. He created us as loving creatures like himself. In addition, Augustine address many other issues relating to God in his biography.

This book may be difficult reading to the casual reader. I would suggest potential readers only read this book if he/she plans to study it with the dedication it deserves.

22 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring, May 13, 2000

By	D. Roberts "Hadrian12" (Battle Creek, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Confessions of Saint Augustine (Mentor) (Paperback)

In reading the few reviews of people who did not like this book, it seems that it is the genre more than the book itself which they don't care for. Is this book redundant, as one reviewer accused it of being? Most assuredly so, but that should hardly be a surprise in a text such as this which explores the inklings of a powerful intellect that is attempting to grapple with the "big" questions.

Augustine writes with a brutal honesty about himself & his weaknesses of which most of us, I would wager, would be incapable of duplicating. The book is filled with theological speculations and a sense of deep-seated guilt that Augustine feels because of his sins. Some of the passages regarding faith might seem a bit ad-hoc to the modern reader, but I suppose there is no way around that.

This is a good book, but it is not a book for everyone. I would recommend it if you have an interest in philosophy, religion, or the philosophy of religion. I would admonish those who do not have an enthusiasm for these three areas not to read this book.