On my second reading, now less fascinated by Augustine's story as it unfolds, I became more aware on its deeper meaning, the continuity of the book's composition, the frankness and frailty of its author. It doesn't surprise me that this time it was actually harder to read the whole thing so fast, as each chapter brought solid food for thought.

Augustine's is the story of a slow realization how one individual simply can't tame their will, their urges (however natural) and keep going without inevitably failing even though they decided firmly on their principles. To be human is always to be weak, in quite a special and non-degrading way. His faith then crystallizes into acceptance of this fact with full trust in God, whose infiniteness will make up for the human lacking.

This leads into wonderful philosophical passages on time, memory and history, which are for me the highllight of the whole book, along with a wonderful part on the death of his mother, saint Monica. This episode foreshadows the beautiful reflections in the last parts of the book, as it was a memorably visceral encounter with eternity for Augustine. I find it beautiful to see how evident it is that she was such an important inspiration of his philosophy, not only because she was a strong female character in times when it seemed it was at odds with people's general worldview, but also because such wisdom and acute philosophical insight as Augustine's was not possible without the experience of deep true love. No man's an island, we grow through our encounters.

So if you every visit my home and see Confessiones sitting on a prominent shelf in my library or anywhere near just within a reach, this is why.

Fantastic translation of the Confessions. Learned so much more the second time reading and discussing in class. Writing a paper on the presupposition of immutability as a literary device in Book VI this week for my phd seminar.

https://youtu.be/xL9SXQfIvsM?si=fZIly...

The matter of heaven and earth is one, the beauty of heaven and earth is another.

Even when I disagree with Augustine, there is a subtlety to his mind and a blazing passion that comes through in his writing. This still resonates after more than a millennium, though today it is for his probing writing on memory and time rather than as a how-to guide for conversion. Augustine prefigured much of what we consider original in the modernists’ streams of consciousness and our current obsession with auto-fiction. This remains the key to all of Augustine’s other works and a seminal work in world literature.

Without doubt this is a very important historical document. But the essential question when reading it today is (unless you're an academic): what says it to me, today? And then the answer is rather mixed. On the positive side, Augustine is the first one to come in the neighbourhood of Plato and Aristotle in expressing deep, intellectual views and setting up a chain of reasoning that is consistent and profound (but of course his look at things is completely different than that of the ancient Greeks). Especially his chapter on God and Time was breathtaking, the work of genius. But on the down side, this is a difficult read because it is very pluriform (partly autobiography, partly testimonial, partly philosophical and theological), and from a literary point of view especially the autobiographical parts are rather disappointing, even disturbing, by its pathos and by the childish sense of notion of 'sin'.

This book, is meant (for me, at least), to be read repeatedly and slowly. I like to absorb and sometimes it’s a slower process than I anticipate. There is always more to ponder. Augustin is brilliant, yet sublime in his honesty. This book is a great place to visit many times. He takes my hand and pulls me along farther each time than the previous reading.

You can read my review here: https://classicalcarousel.com/confess...

St. Augustine’s Confessions is such a lovely and honest book. I’d recommend it to everyone, if people who aren’t remotely religious. It’s one of those works that really manages to encapsulate certain feelings and articulate them in ways that are clear but also sort of startling in their clarity, saying obvious things in ways you’d never quite thought of before.

Take this bit from Book 8: “In my heart I kept saying ‘Let it be now, let it be now!’ and merely by saying this I was on the point of making the resolution. I was on the point of making it, but I did not succeed. Yet I did not fall back into my old state. I stood on the brink of resolution, waiting to take a fresh breath…And the closer I came to the moment whichw as to mark the great change in me, the more I shrank from it in horror. But it did not drive me back or turn me from my purpose: it merely left me hanging in suspense.”

It’s a distinctly theological feeling for Augsustine, but I also think it’s just generally a human one, and that’s what makes this book such a joy to read. Augustine is also just a lovely writer, and he’s honest and inquisitive about himself, his God, and his world. It’s one of the most accessible ways to get a look at the worldview of an early medieval Christian.

There are also two sections on memory and time (books 10 and 11) that are just loads of fun.

Second reading was great. It only gets better. What a great heart he had for God, and what a great God who had his heart!

Books 1-9 are great, and every Christian should read and know Augustine's own story of conversion. Books 10-13 are Augustine's musings on various subjects: memory, time, philosophy, and a lot about the creation account in Genesis. On the latter, he seems to ask more questions than he answers, and often his allegorical hermeneutic is revealed. These four chapters did not benefit me as greatly as the first 9 did. Chadwick's translation is very readable for the modern English reader, yet maintains the seriousness and respect needed in a translation of such an important work.

This was a newer translation that completely spoke to me.

What I especially enjoyed was that all the scripture that he referenced in his work was noted down. It took me a while to read this one because I read all of the Bible passages noted in the work.

I can see way this book has been such an inspiration for people over the years.

While reading this I was highlighting like crazy in my Bible app. Word of advice, if you read this edition and want to read all the passages, having a Bible app will make it easier. I was constantly switching between different translations because St. Augustine used the Latin Vulgate when he was writing this. And some of the books he referenced aren’t found in a common translation of the Bible.

Reading this book was a very joyful time.

This is one of the most life changing book I have read. I shall give a full review at a later date.

For a whole month, I spent time learning from St. Augustine. I was not a very good student and some days I threw a hissy fit and refused to read any more. I almost wanted to bail out because the spiritual concepts were difficult to fathom. I was glad, therefore, to buddy-read this important work with Ebba Simone. This gave me the extra impetus to persevere and finish reading it.

Even though this book was rather weighty in issues raised for contemplation, I was very impressed and encouraged by Augustine’s love for God and his desire to seek after Him. I was also humbled by his sincerity and honesty in sharing his spiritual journey. Augustine’s conversion story was fascinating. His confessions took the form of conversations with God, which revealed a closeness I covet. It is no small gift that Augustine was willing to grant us access to his private thoughts and struggles as well as his insights, gratitude, and comfort.

Augustine of Hippo (13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. Confessions was written sixteen centuries ago. An autobiographical work, it outlined his wayward youth and his conversion to Christianity.

Augustine was a very bright student at Carthage where he won prizes for poetry composition. He loved the theatre where he could vicariously taste eroticism. He had an illustrious liberal education and became a professor of rhetoric. He claimed that he taught his students skills that could save the life of guilty rather than innocent people. From his late teens to young adulthood, Augustine believed in the myths of Manichee. The Manichees were a cult that taught a version of the doctrine of the Trinity, a Christology which excluded the reality of the humanity of Christ. Augustine also dabbled with astrology for a time. A very important influence was Monica, Augustine’s mother who prayed and wept over his waywardness. A bishop she consulted and begged to talk to Augustine but declined, said to her, “Go away from me: as you live, it cannot be that the son of these tears should perish.” I found this moving.

There are thirteen books in this autobiography. The first four books and Book VIII, which chronicled Augustine’s life, were to me the most interesting. The other books contained Augustine’s exploration of evil and its origin, memory, time and eternity, and creation (how the world came to exist). He pursued these topics with an intensity that I was unequal to. What held me was his deep devotion to God that found expression in prayer and praise, which were often touching and beautiful.

I believe that the ictus to Augustine’s ‘Confessions’ can be summed up in this thought which he articulated and is often quoted:

n  “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.”n

This was exemplified in Augustine’s own life. It is also a theme expressed in varied ways throughout this work. Rest was a fitting conclusion to this autobiography where we are directed to the final sabbath rest of eternity.

I have penned a gist of my thoughts and summary to each of the thirteen books. Consider it a spoiler of sorts if you wish to read this book.

Book I. Early Years
I must say that the prose style is a bit formal (for want of a better word) and takes some getting used to. But what struck me was Augustine's desire for closeness to God - a desire to know God and to be known. That is admirable. I like learning about his childhood and what irked him about school. I was touched by his humility and how he ascribed his gifts to God.

Book II. Adolescence
Augustine confessed to the atrocities he committed as a wayward youth whose prime motivation was social approval. He admitted to a perversity that took pleasure in doing evil: “I had no motive for my wickedness except wickedness itself. It was foul, and I loved it. I loved the self-destruction, I loved my fall, not the object for which I had fallen but my fall itself.” There is wise reflection too that friendship can be a dangerous enemy especially for young and vulnerable youth.

Book III. Student at Carthage
Augustine’s awareness of grace shone in this book that recounted his waywardness in his adolescent years when he strayed from his faith. He was sexually promiscuous and impregnated a young girl. Yet, he knew God chastised him but not as he deserved. He had a godly mother who grieved over his sinful ways and prayed for him. Augustine recalled visions of assurance his mother shared with him that his prodigal self would find its way home one day.

Book IV. Manichee and Astrologer
Augustine took pride in his liberal education that was the mark of a cultivated gentleman. He also prided himself on his intelligence and ability to access difficulty learning on his own without the need for instructors. He believed in astrology and religion (Manichee, a weird cult) for him was mere superstition with no knowledge of the true God. However, he felt led each step of his ‘mistaken life’ by an invisible hand through various individuals such as the wise doctor, Helvius Vindicianus, who persuaded him that astrology was utterly bogus. His thoughts about the good life in God as our true home are beautifully expressed and comforting. This was a difficult book to read and I did not understand some things I read.

Book V. Carthage, Rome and Milan
Book V was written like a conversation with God about his seduction and deception by the Manichees and how God in answer to his mother’s tearful prayers and His grace led him to see through the vacuousness of the cult. He wrote about his disappointment with Faustus, the eloquent Manichee Bishop, who was unable to answer his questions and dodged them by his charm and smooth-talk. At this time, he did not consider himself a sinner. His conceived of sin merely as an alien nature within human beings. He also had a mistaken notion that God has mass and is not a spirit. He also mentioned moving from Carthage to Rome and finally to Milan to find more satisfying teaching positions in rhetoric. What was moving was Augustine’s awareness of God’s pursuit of him in all his wandering and his mother’s constant love for him and prayers, which God honored.

Chapter VI. Secular Ambitions and Conflicts
This marked a period in Augustine’s life when he no longer believed in the Manichees and was also not a Catholic Christian. He spoke of friendships he made which were significant in shaping his future life and beliefs. One notable friend was Alypius who later became Bishop of Thagaste. Augustine also revealed his erotic indulgence and his fear of being without a woman’s embrace. Again, we read about his awareness of divine guidance in his journey toward the truth. Rest is a key theme. Augustine said of God, “You alone are repose.”

Book VII A Neoplatonic Quest
A period of seeking and searching to understand the problem of evil. He acknowledged the immutability of God and even professed to love God. But his soul was weighed down by his sexual weakness. He was puffed up with knowledge. He could not enjoy God.

Book VIII The Birthpangs of Conversion
This interesting book described the turning point of Augustine’s life. It detailed his titanic struggles to give up his carnal habits and surrender his will to serve God. It recounted the events and people that directed his path towards giving up eroticism and earthly ambition. What an amazing encounter with God!

Book IX. Cassiciacum: to Monica’s death
This book described Augustine’s life post-conversion: his gratitude, his resignation from public work as a rhetoric professor, and how he loved reading and praying the Psalms. I read Psalm 4 and was moved by his response to it. It described the conversations he had with his mother, Monica, prior to her death. Monica was a significant influence upon Augustine’s life. What a devout and God-fearing woman!

Book X. Memory
Augustine confessed to a range of temptations of the flesh (the lust of the eye in various forms) that he continued to struggle with. I admired his honesty. He prayed for God’s mercy to help him fulfill his desire to love and please God. He wrote about the power of memory. “It is a vast and infinite profundity.” Is memory independent of the mind? He wrote about joy, too. Joy is the happy life. In his words, “That is the authentic happy life, to set one’s joy on you, grounded in you and caused by you. That is the real thing, and there is no other.”

Book XI. Time and Eternity
In this book, Augustine asked a question: Why pray when God our Father knows what we need before we ask him? His answer: “Therefore I lay bare my feelings towards you, by confessing to you my miseries and your mercies to us (Ps 32:22) so that the deliverance you have begun may be complete. So I may cease to be wretched in myself and may find happiness in you.” Another key idea in this book is that God created time. There ls a lengthy discussion on when and how time is measured and what time means relative to eternity. Augustine had a curious mind that was very tenacious in seeking answers to his obscure questions. I was much less interested and became impatient and irritated as his deliberations grew more and more intense.

Book XII Platonic and Christian Creation
Augustine acknowledged that God granted him insight into creation. This was a very intricate exploration of what is meant by “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Here is an example of an insight he gained: “Again you said to me, in a loud voice to my inner ear, that not even that created realm, ‘the heaven of heaven’, is co-eternal with you. Its delight is exclusively in you.” From what seems to me the murky depths of his confessions, his sincerity, indefatigable curiosity, and hunger for the truth rose to prominence. He was so earnest I felt ashamed to be impatient with his confessions. In all his wrangling about truth, he was certain that God made all things visible and invisible with His immutable word.

Book XIII. Finding the Church in Genesis 1.
Book XIII is a beautifully written book. Augustine spoke eloquently of a Good God and how he put His goodness in us that we may do good. “Be fruitful and multiply’ which was told Adam and Eve was extended to the church. Interestingly, “these fruits of the earth are to be allegorically interpreted as meaning works of mercy.” In his role as a Bishop, Augustine was committed to how the church could help the poor and needy. In a separate vein, he also talked how men should not sit in judgement of God’s Word even when it seemed obscure to us. A man can only know and love God by asking that He renews our mind and quickens our understanding. Finally, he concluded by describing the sabbath rest of eternal life when our journey on earth comes to an end.