Confession of a Pre-Modern Saint

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	• St. Augustine Confessions (Oxford World's Classics) Saint Augustine Oxford University Press, USA, 1998 - 352 pages average customer review:based on 44 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Great Masterpiece

Augustine's _Confessions_ have really had no parallel in the history of biographical writing. This account of his life stands as one of the most beautifully written Latin texts ever. Augustine was a master of prose writing and even in translations his work comes very powerfully forth.
There are many of these translations around but the best so far, in my opinion, is Henry Chadwicks. This translation speaks to the comtemporary reader in a way that is unpretentious and readable.
The content of the book itself is masterfully done. This laying bare of one's soul before God achieves an unimaginable amount of self knowledge and self mastery. Augustine is able to capture the need to find meaning in his life.
The first part of the book is what is most interesting for the general reader since it deals with the biographical part of Augustine's life. The second part is more theological and philosophical in scope. It is readable but it takes more work to get at the meaning Augustine intended.
This book is great for those who are searching for the truth about themselves, if ultimately there is any.

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Confession of a Pre-Modern Saint

In our love for what is current, we often assume that our generation is the first--the first to do whatever the new "fad" is. Reading the spiritual auto-biography of a pre-modern Saint like Augustine reminds us that history is the democarcy of the dead, giving vote and voice to our ancestors (to paraphrase Chesteron in "Orthodoxy").

We are not the first to be reflective. We are not the first to explore our inner world. We are not the first to struggle with guilt. We are not the first to integrate inner spirituality and the philosophy current in our day. Augustine did all of these, and so much more, 1600 years ago.

Reading Augustine's "Confessions also reminds us of the "three ways" that Christian theologians and philosophers have historically taught that we can know God. We can know God through His special revelation in Scripture. We can know God through His general revelation in nature (creation). Aquinas emphasized integrating this "way to God" with special revelation. And we can know God through His natural revelation in human nature (in the image of God in humanity). Augustine emphasized integrating this "way to God" with special revelation.

This is where Augustine's "Confessions" diverges from post-modern auto-biography. Today's auto-biographies tend to be "all about me." Not Augustine's. Augustine searched his soul to know himself not as an end in itself, but as a means to an end.

For Augustine, self-reflection enhances our God-reflection. Since God is eternal and since we are created in His image, the deepest longings in our souls point toward the only One who can fulfill our longings. The deepest thoughts in our minds point toward the only One wise enough to provide answers for the mysteries of life.

Reviewer: Dr. Robert W. Kellemen is the author of "Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," "Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," and the forthcoming "Sacred Companions: A History of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."

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Best book ever.

This is the greatest book in Christendom other then the Bible. Period. This translation (from the Latin) is quite good. It is translated in the contemporary idiom but also keeps the beauty of Augustine's language. EVERYONE should read this book more then once in their life. Experience Augustine's "sober intoxication" with God's "sovereign joy"!

A Masterpiece

Anyone interested in Theology or morality will truly find Augustine's Confessions to be worthy of all its centuries of acclaim. I am a Protestant Christian, and I found his story of conversion to be both moving and relevant to my own life. I would say this book is a must for Christians. A warning: the concepts are deep and require effort to understand - this is not a light read. It is, however, undoubtedly worth the time and energy necessary. The intellectual, philosophical, and spritual rigor of this text will enlighten the mind and prick the heart.

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