Confessions Of St. Augustine, Hardback

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The Confessions of St. Augustine remains one of the most moving and thought-provoking conversion stories of all time, more than 1500 years after it was originally written. It is the story of a wayward son living a sinful life who finds himself called to God. Through the intercession of his mother, St. Monica, he found his way (slowly) to the Catholic Church. Eventually he became a bishop and a saint.

An incredible autobiography by one ot the Church's greatest saints.

When St. Augustine composed  The Confessions he was nearly 45 years old and had spent 11 years living the monastic life.  His autobiography is unique because he is writing to God and not to an audience.  Augustine intended for his work to be read, but the reader is a witness to an intimate conversation between God and Augustine.  It is essentially a long prayer.

St. Augustine uses books one through ten to analyze his infancy, childhood and ultimate conversion.  He says that when he was an infant he would become indignant and revenge himself on his elders with fits of tears when they did not obey his wishes.  How many modern memoirs include infancy in their chapters?  Augustine also devotes many pages to the events that shaped his life: watching the games, stealing the pear, the death of his best friend, the prayers of his mother and his conversion in the garden.

The last three books drift away from the story of his life int Full Review...

Our hearts are restless until they rest in You...

"[Q]uia fecisti nos ad te et inquietum est cor nostrum, donec requiescat in te.."   With these words St. Augustine pinpoints the very answer to man's intrinsic restlessness, a restlessness that has been with him since the beginning of time.  "When will I finally  find true happiness, and is it upon this earth?"

The Confessions of St. Augustine are essentially his journey through life.  Throughout the course of the book we travel with him from his very first memories up until the present time he was writing it.  Probably one of the greatest philosophical minds ever, St. Augustine purges his deepest thoughts in the quest to go ever further into the mystery of man's existence upon this earth. 

In searching for these answers he relates to the reader select events of his past life, and he considers and draws out the motives which compelled him to act as he did.  He explains how man's sinful actions are a Full Review...

A timeless classic that's bound to prompt introspection

I recently tackled St. Augustine's Confessions. I vaguely remember reading bits and pieces of it in a college philosophy class (in fact, I still have that very musty old copy), but I don't think the professor realized he was living on this planet, so we never really delved very deeply into any of the philosophy books we covered, nor did we read any of them from cover to cover.

St. Augustine's Confessions is by no means light reading. Bits and pieces of it are a bit lighthearted, in fact, I even found myself laughing out loud on a few occasions, but on the whole the I found the book to be what I would describe as heavy. It's certainly not a frivolous read. While at times the book seemed a bit daunting, the story itself is captivating. This is essentially St. Augustine's autobiography and conversion story.

I have a penchant for history, so from that standpoint, I really enjoyed St. Augustine's account of life in the Roman Empire 1600 years ago. As he takes us on his jo Full Review...

St. Augustine's Confessions - Still Meaningful Today!

I've always wanted to read The Confessions of St. Augustine, but found a myriad of reasons for not doing so.  My main reason for avoiding this spiritual classic was a fear of not being able to understand one of the greatest theologians in the history of the Church.  However, when the Tiber River Reviewer Program presented an opportunity to review this book, I decided to accept the challenge and I'm glad I did!

St. Augustine's reflection on his battle to reject the attractions of the world and embrace the Catholic faith provides valuable insight for those of us who struggle with this on a daily basis.  Using numerous Scriptural references and detailed recollections, Augustine recounts the story of his personal struggle to accept the Catholic faith and reject his hedonistic desires. 

While for the most part his writing is rather dry, St. Augustine's humor shows through from time to time.  His classic prayer of “Grant me chastity an Full Review...

St. Augustine of Hippo

Feast Day: Roman Rite Calendar - 08/28 Tridentine Calendar - 08/28 Patron Of: Brewers, Eyes, Printers, Theologians Also Known As     Aurelius Augustinus     Doctor of Grace Memorial     28 August Profile     His father was a pagan who converted on his death bed; his mother was Saint Monica, a devout Christian. Trained in Christianity, he lost his faith in youth and led a wild life. Lived with a Carthaginian woman from the age of 15 through 30. Fathered a son whom he named Adeotadus, which means the gift of God. Taught rhetoric at Carthage and Milan. After investigating and experimenting with several philosophies, he became a Manichaean for several years; it taught of a great struggle between good and evil, and featured a lax moral code. A summation of his thinking at the time comes from his Confessions: "God, give me chastity and continence - but not just now."     Augustine finally broke with the Manichaeans and was converted by the prayers of his mother and the help of Saint Ambrose of Milan, who baptized him. On the death of his mother he returned to Africa, sold his property, gave the proceeds to the poor, and founded a monastery. Monk. Priest. Preacher. Bishop of Hippo in 396. Founded religious communities. Fought Manichaeism, Donatism, Pelagianism and other heresies. Oversaw his church and his see during the fall of the Roman Empire to the Vandals. Doctor of the Church. His later thinking can also be summed up in a line from his writings:         Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in you. Born     13 November 354 at Tagaste, Numidia, North Africa (Souk-Ahras, Algeria) as Aurelius Augustinus Died     28 August 430 at Hippo Canonized     Pre-Congregation Patronage     brewers     Bridgeport, Connecticut, diocese of     Cagayan de Oro, Philippines     Ida, Philippines, diocese of     Isleta Indian Pueblo     Kalamazoo Michigan, diocese of     printers     Saint Augustine, Florida, city of     Saint Augustine, Florida, diocese of     sore eyes     Superior, Wisconsin, diocese of     theologians     Tucson, Arizona, diocese of     Valletta, Malta All information used with permission of the Patron Saint Index.

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