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Summary: Truly One of the Greatest Autobiographies Ever Written
Review: This book holds a special place among the greatest books ever written. While it is autobiographical, so say that and only that misses the point of the book entirely. Augustine's work is great philosophy, great theology, great lessons about life, struggles, weaknesses that cause failure, strengths that provide great success, wisdom, knowledge, and even history (for both the Church and secular world).Augustine discusses issues such as original sin, the Word of God, free will and the problem of evil, universal good, the Trinity, prayer, thought and memory, mathematics, truth, happiness, the good, Plato, the influence that Cicero had on him, his education, his relationship with his mother, the attributes of God, and all these barely scratch the surface. The book is heartwarming, makes you think, causes humility in the reader, and 1500 years after it was written, it is still being read by countless people. This text is used in colleges, in seminaries, and in history classrooms. It is a timeless work as applicable today as it was when Augustine first wrote it. If you enjoy history (secular as well as Church history), theology, philosophy, sociology, and classical studies, then you will not want to be without this text. I highly recommend it!
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Summary: Five Stars for This Edition
Review: When it comes to a classics such as "The Confessions," the decision one faces is not so much IF the work should be read, but rather WHICH EDITION among the scores on offer? One will have enough of a time of it wading through Augustine's cosmological musings, for example, as they stand, and an antiquated translation will only serve to make the task unnecessarily harder. This translation, on the other hand, does the inquiring mind a great service by providing a fresh new translation that retains all of the depth and angst of the original. Five stars for this edition.
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Summary: "Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet."
Review: Saint Augustine's 'Confessions' is a moving account of one man's life and his conversion to Christianity... basically how he got where he is and why it's the place to be, although it's really so much more than that. There's lust! betrayal! crime! philosophy! His story about stealing pears with his friends, even though he "had no motive for wickedness except wickedness itself," is one of the best stories EVER. So many of my profs have mentioned it to make a point in class, and it just sounds more & more awesome every time. Read this book!
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Summary: Very nicely translated
Review: This is a very nice translation of Augustine's work. In the text itself, there are footnotes to further explain certian facts (like Augustine mentioning an acient ref. to Plato or something). Also, it puts Biblical references in quotations for things that Augustine writes - all in all, I am very satisfied with this version of Augustine's work, and would highly recommend it.
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Summary: Transformation
Review: As an agnostic, it might seem strange that I found this book so deeply moving. Augustine's autobiography describes a process of conversion from a skeptical and unbelieving perspective. Regardless of whether the reader is a believer of God or not, this book is a fascinating read on both an intellectual and spiritual level. His writings remain as fresh today as they did when they were originally written -- a true sign that this book is timeless. This book is a must read for anyone serious about his own spirituality.
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Summary: Excellent depiction of his philosophical stuggles...
Review: This book belongs on everyone's bookshelf regardless of your philosophy. I highly recommend reading (in conjunction with this book) "That Same Flower" by Jostein Gaarder which is most pertinent to "Confessions" and exposes many ironies in Saint Augustine's life. "Confessions" covers everything from Augustine's struggles with the morality of sexual relations with a women to the concept of what time really is. This book is very engaging to read and I would recommend it to anyone I know (and have)!
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Summary: Essential Reading
Review: I'm not sure why I bought the copy of Confessions that I own, but it sat on my shelf for a couple of years before I actually read it. To my surprise, I found that Confessions is no dry work of deep understanding but limited appeal. Rather, it is the passionate and tortured drama of the conversion of a great soul. As an introduction to City of God, Confessions is indispensible. But as a spiritual guide, it exceeds all comparable works. The fascinating thing about Confessions is that it serves so many purposes; it is a nice review of historical heresies and education into the passion with which heresy was once viewed. It is also an astounding argument for the power and transcendance of faith - Augustine's metaphors begin to take clarity only after the book has started to have its effect. The various divergences into philosophical questions concerning thought, knowledge, and memory are at least as entertaining as those of Aristotle, and far more germaine to the faith. Augustine's story itself is of great interest - simply compare what he considers to be sinful to what our culture accepts without question. But it is inspiration and motivation that is the book's greatest asset - all of its other features become meaningless without the central fact that this is a book that will strengthen your faith. In a previous review, I noted the absurdity that I was reviewing Sun Tzu's "Art of War." I echo that sentiment, and will only add here that aside from the Bible, I do not know of another book as profound and important as this one.
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Summary: Edifying for the Heart and Mind
Review: It is no wonder that Augustine's Confessions are read so widely. Both Protestants and Roman Catholics draw from Augustine because the insight found in his work, especially this one, is equaled by very few in history. Certainly, Augustine is the most influential church father; and there is a rise in Augustinian thought among philosophers today (c.f. "Augustinian Christian Philosophy" by Alvin Plantinga). In the Confessions, there are really three general themes that underly each of his discussions:
1. Turning away from God
2. Confessing the greatness of God
3. Confessing turning back to God. The third point is very Neoplatonic; in fact, many of the chapters are dripping of Neoplatonism. However, Augustine's recognition of similar ideas in Scripture is (partly) what lead him to Scripture. The first point has to do with Augustine growing up, rebelling, and eventually his converting to the Catholic church (3rd point). There are several famous stories that people have critized Augustine about. For instance, Augustine mentions how he stole some pears with his friends. As a result, Augustine writes for pages and pages about how aweful and wicked his act was. Some might think, "it was only a few pears, get a grip." Another famous story regards Augustine's praises for God being eternal and how time itself is intrinsically painful. Is time itself intrinsically painful? That's another hot topic that has stemmed from Augustine's work. In any case, this book is edifying both on spiritual and intellectual grounds. His confessions mention how he struggled for years with lust. However, he also has deep intellectual writings (e.g., book XI), such as about the nature of time. Those discussions are difficult, but not too difficult. To this day, people still discuss academically about the coherence and meaningfullness of his views. That being said, Augustine demonstrates in this work that he is a brilliant man, but also one that loved the Lord. I think that reading this book will be good food for your soul, as it was for mine.
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Summary: Still powerful after 1600 years
Review: After Sacred Scripture itself, perhaps no other book has brought more people to a deeper understanding of the truths of the Christian faith than "Confessions." Simply put, it's the story of one well-educated, intelligent man who led a profligate life in a sophisticated pagan society. It took his mother, prayer, and the grace of Almighty God to make him a saint--and indeed one of the greatest saints of the Catholic Church. What is most striking about Augustine's story is how easily it relates to our own lives and our own times. It is impossible to read "Confessions" without seeing a little bit of yourself in his tales of his early life. The book is perfect for anyone struggling with their Christian faith. Indeed, it helped bring me back to the Catholic Church. This translation is well-written and highly readable. I own it and highly recommend it.
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Summary: Beautiful and Profound
Review: 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's mother, 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.
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