Book Description

Harvard Classics, Vol. 7, Part 1

Customer Reviews (8)

Tolle Lege!
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!

Complex Ideas, Difficult to Read
Despite a superb translation, "Confessions" was not the autobiographical classic that I had hoped.Broadly, the first half details Augustine's pre-conversion life and paints an interesting portrait of life in ancient Italy.The relationships and stuggles that he details are as relevant today as there were in centuries past.The second half, however, is profoundly theological and lacks the personal touch I had hoped for.Similar to Emerson's essays, Augustine writes chapters on various aspects of bibical literalness andcatholic doctrine.I found these musings to be difficult to follow and disconnected.A profound work, but one that the reader needs to be prepared for.

A Spiritual Journey
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.

A Commendable Storyline Ending In Triumph
As a big fan of Augustine's writing I give this book five stars.The waythat he has interwoven his thoughts, feelings, and personal experiences with the humble eloquence of repentance will have you as the reader very exuberant.In reading this work you will learn more of Augustine's life, the spiritual turmoil he faced, and how he came to knowledge of the truth in a most triumphant manner.Although, that's not all that you will find interesting in the Confessions.In fact once Augustine converts to Catholicism and discovers the mystery of the faith, he then proceeds to fill in the blanks philisophically were he had once been left in error.Finally Augustine ponders on the book of Genesis and discourses a respectable point of view on the creation of heaven and earth.Oh Yeah! I forgot to explain how Augustine corresponds the subject matter of this bookwith a profound emphasis on the Holy Scriptures.So I recommend this masterpiece to anyo ne who has a love for great Latin literature, or to all that wish to read the prestige of Christian writings.

Inspiring
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?Mostassuredly so, but that should hardly be a surprise in a text such as thiswhich explores the inklings of a powerful intellect that is attempting tograpple with the "big" questions.

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

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

Book Description
1871. The object of the Saint was to illustrate the goodness and forbearance of Almighty God in bringing him, in spite of his loathsome manifold errors and infirmities, to this blessed haven of rest; that so others who were in the same state in which he had been, might not sleep in despair, and say, I cannot. St. Augustine speaks of his past sins in terms of strong condemnation, yet personally, of unconcern; as shocking in themselves, but as what he had no more to do with, in that he had condemned them, and they had been washed away by Baptism.Download Description
This is the classic autobiography work of a great saint including his theocentric testimonial of his conversion experience and his growing understanding of God. It is a moving depiction of the life and experiences of a believer from a different age. A must have for those who wish to move into a deeper relationship with God! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A Voice From Ancient Times
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This book is one that should be on every educated person's bookshelf. For a book written by a Christian in the fourth century, I was surprised at some of the details. For example, Augustine accepts autopsies as a matter of medical necessity. More well-known is his opposition to astrology.

Augustine also had surprisingly enlightened views about dress and appearance. Any race or ethnicity can enter the City of God (an argument made in "The City of God").

Augustine says that as a teenager, he and his friends stole some pears and threw them away. Have things really changed? Teenagers up to mischief!

In the "City of God," Augustine also marveled at the human mind.

"In general, the completeness of scientific knowledge is beyond all words and becomes all the more astonishing when one pursues any single aspect of this immense corpus of information. Last, but not least, is the brilliance of talent displayed by both pagan philosophers and Christian heretics in the defense of error and falsehood. In saying this, of course, I am thinking only of the nature of the human mind as a glory of this mortal life, not of faith and the way of truth that leads to eternal life."

Here are some more great lines. A philosopher was abroad a ship captained by a bad man, and after a violent storm, the fearless captain jeered the philosopher for his terror. Said the philosopher, quoting from a similar incident that occurred to the pagan Aristippus, `A rogue need not worry about losing his worthless life, but Aristippus has a duty to care for a life like his."

Finally, St. Augustine spoke to the modern world and to the "Creationists."

"It very often happens there is some question as to the earth or sky, or other elements of this world...respecting which, one who is not a Christian has knowledge...and it is very disgraceful and mischievous and of all things to be carefully avoided, that a Christian speaking of such matters as being according to the Christian Scriptures, should be heard by an unbeliever talking such nonsense that the unbeliever perceiving him to be as wide from the mark as east from west, can hardly restrain himself from laughing."

A Must Have Book!
St. Augustine's effect on the Christian religion can not be understated.This timeless work should be read by all religious and spiritual persons regardless of their path of preference if only to just understand where so many of Christianity concepts and dogma originate.

The Bishop Of Hippo.
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 all this, 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. 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

Beautiful and Profound
Augustine relates the tale of his life as an unbeliever and his conversion. It is a remarkable picture of a mother's faithful prayers for her son and the power and mercy of God, by which he eventually became an important figure in the early church.

St. Monica, Augustine'smother, stood out as a remarkable woman of God.Her husband did not wish their son to be baptized, so she respected custom and obeyed his wishes.She prayed many years for the redemption of her son, and without her patience and faithfulness we may have been deprived of her son's beautiful, inspiring books.

The translation offered by the MacMillan Publishing Company is comparatively easy for the modern reader to understand, and much less likely to induce sleep than many other available translations. I first picked it up as a child, having found it on my father's shelves, and found it understandable even then.

Whether or not you are of Christian beliefs, this is a beautiful, deeply spiritual book and I highly recommend it.

Excellent Book, Wrong Translation
"The Confessions" is undoubtedly one of the great books of western civilization, and the paradigm of the autobiography genre. But Henry Chadwick's modern translation available through Oxford UniversityPress is a more vibrant and exacting translation. Pusey's translation istoo Victorian, which casts too much of the Patristic writer in a Victorianmode of being. Augustine was a preeminent rhetorician, which comes out morebrilliantly in Chadwick's translation. Moreover, the philosophicalarguments advanced by Augustine are more clearly stated in the Chadwicktranslation. The hardcover or paperback version from Oxford isn't any moreexpensive, but significantly better translated. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Augustine in brief
The Fleming H. Revell Company put together four slim volumes of spiritual classics, one each for Augustine of Hippo, Soren Kierkegaard, Martin Luther, and Blaise Pascal.I'm not sure if they were intending to have further volumes available, but in any event, these four were published, and make an interesting little set of spiritual classics.

I say 'little set', for these books are small indeed.Each has 64 pages, and the book's footprint size is barely that of a large index card.These are pocket-books in a true sense of the word.They also offer a way of being introduced to masters of spiritual writing in a way that is brief, accessible and not intimidating.

In the introduction to the book on Augustine, Robert van de Weyer (who has published collections on things in many religious traditions, including Celtic spirituality, Islam, and a print of an early version of the Book of Common Prayer) states that Augustine may be the most influential Christian ever - both Catholics and Protestants base much of their theologies on Augustine (or react to his theology), and the Orthodox treat him as a venerated father of the church.

Van de Weyer gives a brief discussion of Augustine's life in large part derived from the classic work, Confessions.This includes Augustine's early rejection of scripture, his various times of bewilderment and confusion, and his eventual conversion.Van de Weyer draws more widely on Augustine's work to give pieces relating to doctrine and to spirituality, as well as some prayers, including the famous 'Come, Lord, set us on fire.'The book is decorated throughout with colour plates of images inspired by the writings.

This is far from a comprehensive book, and in no way a critical commentary.However, for brief kinds of reading, lectio divina and other kinds of inspirational or meditative reading with a bit of historical and theological content thrown in for good measure, this text on Augustine is a good volume to use, together with the other volumes in this series.It is a bit difficult to find, but worth it.
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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

Book Description
Written about the year 405, this treatise is unique in that it embodies both a manual for the catechist and a catechesis for the prospective catechumen. ... Read more