Other editions of book Saint Augustine's Confessions

About Book:Written between 397 and 398 CE, the Confessions of St. Augustine describes the author's spiritual journey to Christianity. It is the first Western autobiography, and has influenced Christian writers throughout the Middle Ages. Augustine tells of his youthful sexual improprieties, and tells why he rejected Manichaenism and Astrology, leading to his conversion to Christianity at age 32. The book also includes some important theological discussions, particularly the later chapters.About Author:Augustine of Hippo ( /ɒˈɡʌstɨn/or /ˈɔːɡəstɪn/;Latin: Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; November 13, 354 – August 28, 430), also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius (present-day Annaba, Algeria). He was a Latin philosopher and theologian from Roman Africa. His writings were very influential in the development of Western Christianity.

Great art Thou, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is Thy power, and Thy wisdom infinite. And Thee would man praise; man, but a particle of Thy creation; man, that bears about him his mortality, the witness of his sin, the witness that Thou resistest the proud: yet would man praise Thee; he, but a particle of Thy creation. Thou awakest us to delight in Thy praise; for Thou madest us for Thyself, and our heart is restless, until it repose in Thee.

"The Confessions of St. Augustine" book has a beautiful glossy cover and a blank page for the dedication. "O my God, let me, with thanksgiving, remember, and confess unto Thee Thy mercies on me. Let my bones be bedewed with Thy love, and let them say unto Thee, Who is like unto Thee, O Lord? Thou hast broken my bonds in sunder, I will offer unto Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving. And how Thou hast broken them, I will declare; and all who worship Thee, when they hear this, shall say, "Blessed be the Lord, in heaven and in earth, great and wonderful is his name. " Thy words had stuck fast in my heart, and I was hedged round about on all sides by Thee. Of Thy eternal life I was now certain, though I saw it in a figure and as through a glass. Yet I had ceased to doubt that there was an incorruptible substance, whence was all other substance; nor did I now desire to be more certain of Thee, but more steadfast in Thee. But for my temporal life, all was wavering, and my heart had to be purged from the old leaven. The Way, the Saviour Himself, well pleased me, but as yet I shrunk from going through its straitness. And Thou didst put into my mind, and it seemed good in my eyes, to go to Simplicianus, who seemed to me a good servant of Thine; and Thy grace shone in him. I had heard also that from his very youth he had lived most devoted unto Thee. Now he was grown into years; and by reason of so great age spent in such zealous following of Thy ways, he seemed to me likely to have learned much experience; and so he had. Out of which store I wished that he would tell me (setting before him my anxieties) which were the fittest way for one in my case to walk in Thy paths."

The Confessions of Saint Augustine By Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo Confessions is the name of an autobiographical work, consisting of 13 books, by St. Augustine of Hippo, written in Latin between AD 397 and 400. The work outlines St. Augustine's sinful youth and his conversion to Christianity. It is widely seen as the first Western autobiography ever written, and was an influential model for Christian writers throughout the following 1,000 years, through the Middle Ages. It is not a complete autobiography, as it was written in his early 40s, and he lived long afterwards, producing another important work (City of God). It does, nonetheless, provide an unbroken record of his development of thought and is the most complete record of any single person from the 4th and 5th centuries. It is a significant theological work, featuring spiritual meditations and insights. In the work St. Augustine writes about how much he regrets having led a sinful and immoral life. He discusses his regrets for following the Manichaean religion and believing in astrology. He writes about Nebridius's role in helping to persuade him that astrology was not only incorrect but evil, and St. Ambrose's role in his conversion to Christianity. The first nine books are autobiographical and the last four are commentary. He shows intense sorrow for his sexual sins, and writes on the importance of sexual morality. The books were written as prayers to God, thus the title, based on the Psalms of David; and it begins with "For Thou hast made us for Thyself and our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee." The work is thought to be divisible into books which symbolize various aspects of the Trinity and trinitarian belief.

Aurelius Augustinus, aka SAINT AUGUSTINE (354-430) was bishop of Hippo, today called Bona, in Algeria. Before his conversion to Christianity, however, he lead a wild and licentious youth in Carthage and later studied philosophy for years in Milan. His Confessions, in which he begs forgiveness from God for his sins and sets himself entirely to devotion to God, is not only a foundational work of Western theology, it is also one of the earliest autobiographies, offering keen insight into the workings of the medieval mind. ALSO AVAILABLE FROM COSIMO CLASSICS: Saint Augustine's "The City of God" Translator and British clergyman EDWARD BOUVERIE PUSEY (1800-1882) was one of the most influential figures in the Anglican church in the 19th century, formulated theology and doctrine that radically altered the practice of Christianity in England.

Confessions (Latin: Confessiones) is the name of an autobiographical work, consisting of 13 books, by Saint Augustine of Hippo, written in Latin between AD 397 and 400. The work outlines Saint Augustine's sinful youth and his conversion to Christianity. Modern English translations of it are sometimes published under the title The Confessions of Saint Augustine in order to distinguish the book from other books with similar titles. Its original title was Confessions in Thirteen Books, and it was composed to be read out loud with each book being a complete unit. Confessions is generally considered one of Augustine's most important texts. It is widely seen as the first Western autobiography ever written, and was an influential model for Christian writers throughout the Middle Ages. Professor Henry Chadwick wrote that Confessions will "always rank among the great masterpieces of western literature". The work is not a complete autobiography, as it was written during Saint Augustine's early 40s and he lived long afterwards, producing another important work. Nonetheless, it does provide an unbroken record of his development of thought and is the most complete record of any single person from the 4th and 5th centuries. It is a significant theological work, featuring spiritual meditations and insights. In the work Augustine writes about how much he regrets having led a sinful and immoral life. He discusses his regrets for following the Manichaean religion and believing in astrology. He writes about Nebridius's role in helping to persuade him that astrology was not only incorrect but evil, and Saint Ambrose's role in his conversion to Christianity. The first nine books are autobiographical and the last four are commentary and significantly more philosophical. He shows intense sorrow for his sexual sins, and writes on the importance of sexual morality. The books were written as prayers to God, thus the title, based on the Psalms of David; and it begins with "For Thou hast made us for Thyself and our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee." The work is thought to be divisible into books which symbolize various aspects of the Trinity and trinitarian belief. Confessions was not only meant to encourage conversion, but it offered guidelines for how to convert. Saint Augustine extrapolates from his own experiences to fit others' journeys. Augustine recognizes that God has always protected and guided him. This is reflected in the structure of the work. Augustine begins each book within Confessions with a prayer to God. For example, both books VIII and IX begin with "you have broken the chains that bound me; I will sacrifice in your honor." Because Augustine begins each book with a prayer, Albert C. Outler, a Professor of Theology at Southern Methodist University, argues that Confessions is a "pilgrimage of grace [...] retrac[ing] [of] the crucial turnings of the way by which [Augustine] had come. And since he was sure that it was God’s grace that had been his prime mover in that way, it was a spontaneous expression of his heart that cast his self-recollection into the form of a sustained prayer to God." Not only does Confessions glorify God but it also suggests God’s help in Augustine’s path to redemption.

Augustine of Hippo's timeless classic of Christian theology is brought to the reader anew in this authoritative edition of his Confessions. Written over three years toward the end of the 5th century A.D. , The Confessions of Saint Augustine are split into thirteen distinctly sequential books. Together they comprise the earliest post-Biblical texts to gain authority and appreciation in philosophical and theological circles, their influence profound and immense across centuries of Christian thought and development of the Catholic church. Large portions of the text are autobiographical, as we hear the tales of Saint Augustine's younger years. Filled with wrongdoing and sin, it was only on attaining maturity that the man who was to become an honored bishop and posthumously a Saint would change his ways. After entering spiritual life, he would evolve his views upon spiritual matters amid the educational systems of Rome and Milan, where he would teach for years. His legendary conversion to Christianity is detailed, whereby Augustine examines a Bible and reads Romans 13:13-14: "Not in revelry and drunkenness, not in debauchery and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy; but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and as for the flesh, take no thought for its lusts." After covering these principle events, the later books move closer to philosophical reflection upon aspects of the Christian faith. The thought processes by which Augustine attained peace with himself and with God are detailed, while poignant questions on the nature of the divine, of reality, and of creation are examined in extraordinary depth. Finally, we are taken through Augustine's interpretations of Genesis as allegory. It is through reading Augustine's famous Confessions that we gain insight into the views and influence he would have upon more than a millennia of Christian scholars to follow. Highly eloquent and articulate, the speech here flows with ideas both insightful and inspiring on the nature of belief and the divine. For scholars and students of religion, as well as those interested in Christianity and its history, the Confessions of Saint Augustine are essential reading. Translated to English by Oxford professor and churchman Edward Bouverie Pusey, the words of Augustine retain their authenticity and impact in this edition.