Customer Reviews (2)

Take and read!
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 F.J. Sheed is one of the newer editions of the book available. Peter Brown, a noted scholar of early Christianity (particularly in the field of study of Augustine), provides a good introduction 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 best translation of St. Augustine's Confessions
Let me put it this way, and I quote another translator of this book, "You have not read 'Confessions' until you have read the Sheed translation." ... Read more

Book Description
Saint Augustine's contributions to Christian theology aresecond to no other post-apostolic author in the whole sweep of churchhistory. Yet along side his doctrinal treatises, Augustine tells a story ofhis life devoted to Christ as his only satisfaction. The Confessions is atonce the autobiographical account of Augustine's life of Christian faithand at the same time a compelling theology of Christian spirituality foreveryone. Among the most important classics in Western literature, itcontinues to engage modern readers through Augustine's timelessillustrations and beautiful prose. Augustine's Confessions is a book torelish the first time through and then profoundly enjoy over a lifetime ofrevisiting.

This accessible and accurate translation of The Confessions comes alivewith Simon Vance's narration. Vance is an award-winning audiobook narratorwith hundreds of titles to his credit, including classics by CharlesDickens, H. G. Wells, and Robert Louis Stevenson. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great reader
Obviously, the Confessions of St. Augustine themselves need no review. However, potential buyers need to know that the reader for this particular recording is absolutely fantastic. I took the time to listen to other recordings before I decided which to buy, and this one is absolutely the best one. It is a pleasure to listen to! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent selection of the young Augustine's philosophy.
This edition of Augustine's early writings is an excellent text for undergraduates as well as a fine collection for specialists.One can see the formative years of Augustine's Christian thought on a variety of topicsin nice translations with useful a useful synopsis of each work included. Well worth the money and essential reading for those who wish to know thisgreatest of saints better.You may also want to read his Confessionsbefore or during your reading of these texts for a fuller picture of hislife. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

First-time translations of two early works of Augustine
This book contains a pair of unfinished works by Augustine on the Book of Genesis. The table of contents is as follows:

Introduction (Roland J. Teske)

Entries from "The Retractions" on the two works

"Two Books on Genesis against the Manichees"

"On the Literal Interpretation of Genesis: An Unfinished Book"

General Index

Index of Holy Scripture

Augustine regarded the interpretation of Genesis as important to Christian belief, but also found it difficult. These works were his two first attempts at writing interpretations of it, but he thought them only partly successful and did not see fit to complete them. Neither work is to be confused with Augustine's "The Literal Meaning of Genesis", which is a later and much longer work on the same subject that he successfully completed (that work is available in two volumes from Paulist Press).

Augustine's special interest in Genesis had two roots: apologetic and theological. His apologetic interest was a response to frequent attacks on Genesis by non-Christians and what he felt were inept defenses of it by uneducated Christians. His theological interest sprang from the critical importance of the Fall to Augustine's theology.

The first work, "Two Books on Genesis against the Manichees", was primarily apologetic. It was written not long after Augustine left the Manichees to return to the Church, and was intended as a rebuttal to the Manichee attacks on Genesis. In this context, Augustine discussed Creation, Eden, and the Fall, but the work ended there - Augustine felt that he had not yet learned enough to complete the task he had undertaken successfully. The section on Creation was largely literal - reading it as a record of events that had occurred, but the section on Eden and the Fall was largely allegorical, reading it for the spiritual truth within the literal account. The chief interest I found in the work was that the description of the Eden and the Fall shows the strong influence on Augustine of classical virtue ethics, but none of the theology of Original Sin that is of such importance in his later writings.

The second work "On the Literal Interpretation of Genesis: An Unfinished Book", was aporetic in character: in it, Augustine deepens the reader's understanding of the text by raising questions about it rather than by giving answers. This work was written not long after the previous one, and again Augustine found himself ultimately unequal to the task he had set. This work is even shorter than the previous one, and gets less far into Genesis, ending after the Creation days. I found the work pleasant to read; the aporetic style provides a sense of intimacy - that the author is sharing not only his answers with the reader, but also his questions, even if he doesn't have an answer to give.

The supporting material in the book is quite good - the only fault I would find is that the introduction generally refers to works by the abbreviations of their Latin names, which made me break from reading the text to his table of abbreviations (about 30 in all) far too often, a fault compounded by the fact that English translations for the titles in that table were not provided. Still, this is a pretty minor quibble.

As a final note, thanks are due to Teske and CUA Press for providing the first translation of these works into English. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Soulful Introduction to a Longing Soul
Many thanks to the publisher for providing this very accessible introduction to the spiritual writings of Augustine of Hippo. The fourteen selections carry just enough of the flavor of this thinker to whet thereading desire of those who have shied away from Augustine and yet, theselections are fresh so that those familiar with Augustine's work (theConfessions, City of God) will also find themselves longing to renew theircontact with this seminal Christian from North Africa. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Both Historical and yet Relevant Today
Even though this book is out of print, if you research, read, and/or study Augustine and his thought, then you do not want to be without this text. John Leinenweber is a first rate translator.

The text includes letters from Augustine to students, the nuns of Hippo, Proba (a widow), Bishop Benenatus, Boniface (count of Africa), the Donatists Schimatics, etc. The letters include rebukes, theology, philosophical issues, concerns about movements or trends in the Christian Church, consultations, etc.

This text, if for no other reason, allows the reader to really pry into the mind of one of the greatest thinkers in the history of theology and philosophy. It allows us to see his concerns, his responses to others in crisis, in dealing with doctrinal issues and the like. The most intriguing thing, I think, about this text is the fact that these letters, even when read today still ring through with strong relevancy! I highly recommend this work! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

First-time translations of two early works of Augustine
This book contains a pair of unfinished works by Augustine on the Book of Genesis. The table of contents is as follows:

Introduction (Roland J. Teske)

Entries from "The Retractions" on the two works

"Two Books on Genesis against the Manichees"

"On the Literal Interpretation of Genesis: An Unfinished Book"

General Index

Index of Holy Scripture

Augustine regarded the interpretation of Genesis as important to Christian belief, but also found it difficult. These works were his two first attempts at writing interpretations of it, but he thought them only partly successful and did not see fit to complete them. Neither work is to be confused with Augustine's "The Literal Meaning of Genesis", which is a later and much longer work on the same subject that he successfully completed (that work is available in two volumes from Paulist Press).

Augustine's special interest in Genesis had two roots: apologetic and theological. His apologetic interest was a response to frequent attacks on Genesis by non-Christians and what he felt were inept defenses of it by uneducated Christians. His theological interest sprang from the critical importance of the Fall to Augustine's theology.

The first work, "Two Books on Genesis against the Manichees", was primarily apologetic. It was written not long after Augustine left the Manichees to return to the Church, and was intended as a rebuttal to the Manichee attacks on Genesis. In this context, Augustine discussed Creation, Eden, and the Fall, but the work ended there - Augustine felt that he had not yet learned enough to complete the task he had undertaken successfully. The section on Creation was largely literal - reading it as a record of events that had occurred, but the section on Eden and the Fall was largely allegorical, reading it for the spiritual truth within the literal account. The chief interest I found in the work was that the description of the Eden and the Fall shows the strong influence on Augustine of classical virtue ethics, but none of the theology of Original Sin that is of such importance in his later writings.

The second work "On the Literal Interpretation of Genesis: An Unfinished Book", was aporetic in character: in it, Augustine deepens the reader's understanding of the text by raising questions about it rather than by giving answers. This work was written not long after the previous one, and again Augustine found himself ultimately unequal to the task he had set. This work is even shorter than the previous one, and gets less far into Genesis, ending after the Creation days. I found the work pleasant to read; the aporetic style provides a sense of intimacy - that the author is sharing not only his answers with the reader, but also his questions, even if he doesn't have an answer to give.

The supporting material in the book is quite good - the only fault I would find is that the introduction generally refers to works by the abbreviations of their Latin names, which made me break from reading the text to his table of abbreviations (about 30 in all) far too often, a fault compounded by the fact that English translations for the titles in that table were not provided. Still, this is a pretty minor quibble.

As a final note, thanks are due to Teske and CUA Press for providing the first translation of these works into English. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting for style as well as content
The table of contents is as follows:

Introduction

Commentary on the Lord's Sermon on the Mount

Retractions: Book I: Chapter 19

Sermons:

53. On the Beatitudes

54. How to 'Let Your Light Shine Before Men'

55. On Taming the Tongue

56. On the Lord's Prayer

60. On Almsgiving

61. On Almsgiving

72. On Almsgiving

94. The Slothful Servant

109. The Adversary

346. On Life's Pilgrimage

4 (Denis). Christ: Lamb and Lion*

5 (Denis). Life From Death*

6 (Denis). The Holy Eucharist*

7 (Denis). Sonship or Servitude*

8 (Denis). On Baptism*

13 (Denis). Christ: The Glory of Martyrs*

11 (Morin). On the Beatitudes**

Index.

* The sermons so marked and the numbers assigned them are taken from a collection published by Michael Denis in 1792.

** Taken from Dom Germain Morin's "Miscellanea Agostiniana".

Although the title work of this book is Augustine's close commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, the book also includes the chapter concerning the commentary taken from Augustine's "Retractions", as well as seventeen of Augustine's sermons: ten of which took their themes from the Sermon on the Mount, and seven others that were included because they had not (at the time of writing) ever been translated into English.

Scriptural commentary is not generally regarded as Augustine's greatest strength as a theologian; held closely to the text and the order of presentation in the text, he could not address the deep questions which the text as a whole raised, but at which individual passages in their immediate context only hinted, and it was in addressing the deep questions that Augustine excelled.

Apart from their questions concerning their excellence, Augustine's method of commentary may seem quite surprising to those familiar with the more modern historical approach. Augustine's focus is on symbol-systems. Here, for example, is Augustine's commentary on the first part of Matthew 6:6:

"'But,' says He, 'when you pray, go into your bedrooms.' Now, what are these bedrooms but the very hearts that are signified also in the Psalm wherein it is said: 'The things you say in your hearts, be sorry for in your bedrooms.' He then continues: 'And closing the doors, pray in secret to you Father.' Our entering the rooms is not enough if the door be left open to the importunate, for external things rush brazenly in through this door, and lay hold on our innermost affections ... Therefore, the door must be closed;"

By way of contrast, Daniel J. Harrington, in the modern form, writing on the same passage from "Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Matthew", says:

"The Greek word tameion can refer to a 'storage room' or 'pantry', the innermost room in the house. In either case the idea is the room least likely to attract public notice. Perhaps such a room had no windows ... Matthew 6:1-18 functions as part of the attack against Jewish opponents of the Matthean community."

Of course, the two forms of commentary are not mutually exclusive - a reader may hold both, either, or neither to be good readings. Some of course, may hold to the Harrington's form exclusively, and reject Augustine's symbol systems as imaginary. Others may hold to the Augustine's form exclusively and reject Harrington's Matthean community as imaginary.

With regard to the sermons in the collection, Augustine himself always regarded his sermons as unsatisfactory, but he seems to have been alone in that assessment. His sermons were admired and his style imitated for many centuries afterwards, a fact that has greatly complicated trying to determine which sermons Augustine wrote, and which were imitations of his style.

The editiorial material in the book includes the introduction, which provides a historical view of the works, both prior as regarding their composition, and later as to their reception and impact. Additionally, footnotes give exact references for Augustine's scriptural citations, translation issues, and references to other works of Augustine's or of others. Finally, the work has an index, which is, however, only fair. ... Read more

Book Description
Saint Augustine's contributions to Christian theology aresecond to no other post-apostolic author in the whole sweep of churchhistory. Yet along side his doctrinal treatises, Augustine tells a story ofhis life devoted to Christ as his only satisfaction. The Confessions is atonce the autobiographical account of Augustine's life of Christian faithand at the same time a compelling theology of Christian spirituality foreveryone. Among the most important classics in Western literature, itcontinues to engage modern readers through Augustine's timelessillustrations and beautiful prose. Augustine's Confessions is a book torelish the first time through and then profoundly enjoy over a lifetime ofrevisiting.

This accessible and accurate translation of The Confessions comes alivewith Simon Vance's narration. Vance is an award-winning audiobook narratorwith hundreds of titles to his credit, including classics by CharlesDickens, H. G. Wells, and Robert Louis Stevenson. ... Read more