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With complete and authoritative notes by the translator, this intensely personal narrative tells of St. Augustine's rise from a humble Algerian farm to the edge of the corridors of power at the imperial court in Milan. The lucid, modern language of this new translation makes this classic of Western literature accessible to today's audience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (47)

Fascinating autobiography of a late roman man

Passages from this book were assigned to me in a classics survey course. I remember being deeply disappointed in the course, as I was interested in learning about late Republican Rome, and all the reading assignments were late Imperial, and mostly Christian. My professor was a late convert to Roman Catholicism, so his tastes in Roman history were reflected in the course. Most of the course was photocopied notes, but he made us buy this book. I was less than sympathetic to Catholicism at the time, having lost my faith in my teenage years, so I found it annoying that I spent $40 on a hardcover book of something I wasn't interested in. None the less, I somehow hung onto it, and eventually gave it a thorough read, just as my professor had hoped we might.

Augustine is a frustrating man. He was obviously an accomplished fellow, a very learned man: one of the greatest of Church Fathers. The thing is, he wasn't a very good man. He was a deeply flawed man, and flawed in ways which are very similar to problems that modern people have. He speaks openly of his poltroonery and his shady and grubby dealings. While it may seem arrogant of me to say so, I feel very much the moral superior of Augustine.He is shifty, creeping, he treats his woman and child abominably, and he's generally a grubby weasel of a mama's boy. His behavior in life is that of a very base and cowardly figure: a type sadly common in our age. Even his prayers and hosannas lacked manly virtue: he grovels before god most horribly. I suppose one could credit him some bravery in laying bare his wretched soul the way he has. One could also read it as the same sort of wounded narcissism which fuels modern "tell all" confessional books. I don't consider such books to be particularly brave: they're just narcissistic and disgusting. Nietzsche put it well, St. Augustine,"... lacks in an offensive manner, all nobility in bearing and desires ... like that of an undeservedly favoured or elevated slave..."

None the less, I'm glad Augustine was such a man, as his book is an invaluable guide to the mental furniture of late Imperial Roman man. He also has a powerful intellect when he chooses to exercise it, and his philosophical thoughts are very worthy of consideration. It makes me sad he chose service with the Church, rather than service to Rome, but the era in which he lived made this a logical choice. The era in which he lived was incredibly corrupt: his family was responsible for some absurd tax levied many years prior. Church service was probably his only escape from debt slavery. I fear we live in a similar era of social decay and barbarian invasion, and wonder at the ensuing cataclysms which will engulf our modern day Augustines.

Read it during your lifetime, then reread it!
What can one say that hasn't been already said about this influential and stunning book?The insights force you to consider the most important matters of life.Oprah doesn't even come close!

Life Changing
I first came across St. Augustine's "Confessions" when I was a freshman in college. It was a monumental experience in terms of both the content of his writing and the freshness and relevance of his writing style. After re-reading them again recently, I am still struck with how contemporary the book feels. Aside from many of its 4th century particularities, the concerns that St. Augustine had and the way he frankly and honestly dealt with them could be lifted from almost any contemporary tell-all autobiography. The biggest exception is the fact that "Confessions" is a quintessentially and irreducibly a religious text, and in an age when religious considerations are largely pushed towards the margins of their life stories, it is refreshing and uplifting to see what would a life look like for someone who took them very seriously and committed himself to reorganizing one's whole life around the idea of serving God wholly and uncompromisingly. "Confessions" is a very accessible text, and for the most part it does not deal with theological and philosophical issues. The exception is the latter part of the book, which are almost exclusively dedicated to those topics. You may want to skip those at the first reading, but I would encourage you to read them nevertheless. Maybe the very inspiring and uplifting story of St. Augustine's conversion to Christianity can lead you into deeper considerations about your faith or the meaning of life in general. I cannot think of a better introduction to those topics than "Confessions," nor of a better guide than St. Augustine.

Interesting Work of Ancient Literature
This is a famous Christian work by what many believe to be the greatest theologian in Christian history. To be quite honest, this was a very tough read for me, especially near the end. When Augustine was speaking about his life experiences, the book was great but when he started getting deep into philosophy, I lost interest. As the footnotes in my version make clear (Henry Chadwick was the translator) Augustine was very much influenced by Platonic and Neoplatonic philosophy. His whole thought world was very different then our own. His philosophical musings were elaborate but eloquently irrelevant to me personally.

His entire outlook on his past sins, the virtues of his mother and the all pervasiveness of God's grace were what gripped me the most about this work. Despite all his faults, God's forgiveness brought by His grace touched Augustine profoundly. In one story from Augustine's childhood he stole peaches from a neighbors tree just for the thrill of doing something wrong. He agonizes over this sin that most people would not have mentioned. Sin isn't just about the wrongness of the crime itself but the state of one's whole heart in committing particular sins. Jesus was correct when he spoke about an evil treasure coming out of an evil heart. Sin is a privation, a twisting distortion, something that is unnervingly banal, while living in the Spirit is truly living in the light of true goodness, beauty and life.

Augustine had a very metaphorical interpretation of Genesis that would rub a both young Earth and old Earth creationists the wrong way. Reading that reaffirmed by belief that Genesis and the Bible as a whole aren't meant to be a science textbook but is the gift of God's revelation to us. One does not have to take any type of literal reading of Genesis to be a Christian.

Overall, I recommend reading the biographical parts of this book and skipping most of it, unless of course you are a big ancient philosophy buff.

Classic Christian Theologian at Some of His Best
Saint Augustine changed Western literature and theology with this little book.Beginning a new and very personal genre, one can appreciate it simply as the story of a man grappling with the challenges of his life as he tries to find God.Simultaneously, he was writing perspectives on God that would affect the theology of a continent for a thousand years to come and could be considered a precursor to the kind of existential Christianity seen in a Pascal or a Kierkegaard.Historically, it holds value as a very ancient, very personal text that contributed greatly to these fields and even besides all of this is relatively readable for the modern audience.One of those books that you will look smart reading and worthy of that distinction. ... Read more

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The Confessions of St. Augustine, a passionate, deeply honest autobiographical account of Augustine's journey toward faith, has been a source of spiritual guidance and intellectual nourishment for millions of people throught the centuries. While Augustine is regarded as one of Christianity's greatest theologians, the enduring and universal appeal of the Confessions is undoubtedly in Augustine's humanity--in his fervent examinations of his own struggles, conflicts, and temptations, and in his intensely personal quest for God. This modern edition of the Confessions will offer a profound source of spiritual enlightenment to today's reader. ... Read more

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Translated by Marcus Dods

Customer Reviews (48)

City of God
Item was not received in condition as explained by seller. Cover was different, condition was worn more than expected, etc

Excellent Condition
Used the book for class but it was really good and I received it from Amazon is excellent condition.

It just flows...
I am not sure who to credit to regarding the eloquent flow of ideas in this book.It is just pleasing to read.Whether it's due to Agustine (I can't read Latin) or to the translator making sure the English reflects the original Latin, this book reflects the breadth of the authors experience and knowledge such that it has universal appeal across the ages.Indeed, the new age garbage that's being touted nowadays as being new and enlightened are the "has beens" in Augustine's age and usually came from the gutter and vulgar culture of his age.

City of God
I received my order on time and in perfect condition. I would definately buy from this seller again.

Not For Beginners
St. Augustine of Hippo is one of the most enlightened men to ever live, but be forewarned: the City of God--while doubtlessly a magnum opus that stands among the giants in the history of philosophy--equals the Bible in length and matches Descartes in density. Unless you are already deeply knowledgeable in Christian theology and Platonist philosophy, I would recommend that you take a college course on Augustine rather than trying to tackle this on your free time.

The entirety of this work, sans footnotes and elaborations, can be found online: [...] ... Read more

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Taken from the complete works of St. Augustine, this collection has been arranged so as to give readers an organized, comprehensive view of the great African saint's political ideas. Included is an interpretive analysis by Dino Bigongiari. ... Read more

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At his Wednesday audiences during 2007 and 2008 Pope Benedict XVI gave a series of short talks on the Fathers of the Church. He devoted himself not only to such famous and influential Fathers as Augustine and John Chrysostom but also to figures not venerated as saints; one subject, Tertullian, even died outside the Catholic communion. This volume contains thirty-six of these inspirational teachings. / In these catecheses the Pope is not delivering academic lectures or preaching sermons. Rather, he is instructing Christian believers who want to have their faith confirmed and strengthened. Pope Benedict firmly believes that the Fathers of the Church still speak powerfully today, and his accessible presentations will make many readers eager to look further into the writings of these great early Christians. ... Read more

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Find out what led Augustine to become one of the greatest Christian thinkers in the history of the Church with this moving diary of his journey to the fountain of God's grace. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

The Confessions of St. Augustine
Arrived on time in excellent condition and is a very inspiring book.I'm glad I bought it and am enjoying it.

Why waste your time with someone else's cliff notes
For whatever reason, the editor here has seen fit to leave out sections of Augustine's Confessions.What is most annoying is that this book is not clearly marked "abridged".Honest dealing requires this book to be clearly identified for what it is - an abridged, incomplete version of Confessions.

Great Intro to St. Augustine
For those of you who thought that St. Augustine was going to be so deeply intellectual that it couldn't possibly apply to you, you should try this small book.It's not difficult reading, but the ideas aren't little ones.I was amazed at the parallels in culture to our 'modern' age, and at how little has changed in nearly 2000 years. He writes pretty bluntly about his youthful vices, which made me examine my own.I bought ten copies for friends and for graduation gifts this year.

A must read
When I studied religion at university, my lecturer told us that if we were to read any book, it had to be confessions. It really is a great book and well structured. It is very dense as the best religious texts are, so it will take a long time to properly read and absorb. A must have for your collection.

Hey, part of it is missing!!!
The Augustine part is fine and the translator did a wonderful job, but why were the parts edited out? Saint Augustine was just like us in his struggles to not only come to Christianity but also to live the Christian life after his conversion. He writes about his screw-ups, failures, and triumphs in such a humble, heart rendering manner I wish I had articulated it that way first. All Christians should have this book in their library to be read and re-read often. PAX, bb ... Read more

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St. Augustine of Hippo's famous autobiography, as translated by Edward Bouverie Pusey. ... Read more

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Saint Augustine of Hippo is one of the central figures in the history of Christianity, and this book is one of his greatest theological works. Written as an eloquent defense of the faith at a time when the Roman Empire was on the brink of collapse, it examines the ancient pagan religions of Rome, the arguments of the Greek philosophers and the revelations of the Bible.Pointing the way forward to a citizenship that transcends worldly politics and will last for eternity, this book is one of the most influential documents in the development of Christianity.

One of the great cornerstones in the history of Christian thought, The City of God is vital to an understanding of modern Western society and how it came into being. Begun in A.D. 413, the book's initial purpose was to refute the charge that Christianity was to blame for the fall of Rome (which had occurred just three years earlier). Indeed, Augustine produced a wealth of evidence to prove that paganism bore within itself the seeds of its own destruction.However, over the next thirteen years that it took to complete the work, the brilliant ecclesiastic proceeded to his larger theme: a cosmic interpretation of history in terms of the struggle between good and evil. By means of his contrast of the earthly and heavenly cities--the one pagan, self-centered, and contemptuous of God and the other devout, God-centered, and in search of grace--Augustine explored and interpreted human history in relation to eternity. ... Read more

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A Must Read Book
The City of God was completed 13 years after Augustine began to write it in 413 A.D. It was written slowly and became a much different work than that which Augustine set out to create. Three years after the fall of the Roman Empire, Augustine set out to prove that Christianity was not to blame for Rome's collapse as some had charged. Almost half of The City of God was dedicated to this original purpose. Luckily for readers today, as well as then, by book eleven he turns his attention to the two cities and almost entirely dropped his original theme which has been a dead issue for some time. The two cities Augustine applies his brilliant mind to for the remainder of the work is that of The World and of God. Beginning in book eleven, Augustine traces the history of each city from a Christian perspective in a highly contemplative and truly beautiful manner. However, he seems to never miss an opportunity to correct any contrary philosophies along the way. He eventually makes his way to his ideas, based primarily on the writings of the apostles Paul and John, about the final realities of each city, as well as the consequences for their respective citizens.

The City of God would probably not be considered light reading by most, but if one can complete it while trying to digest as much as they can, it is certainly worth it. This is one of those works which is probably understood a little differently each time it is read. One helpful disclaimer offered by Thomas Merton is that if one is unfamiliar with Augustine and his writing, they would be best served to first read Augustine's Confessions (Penguin Classics) prior to tackling The City of God. It really is good advice.
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Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Publisher: London Society for Promoting Christian KnowledgePublication date: 1922Subjects: Kingdom of GodApologetics -- History Early church, ca. 30-600Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

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The first autobiography ever written, and one of the most profound testaments of faith, ever.

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
The classic autobiography of the man who journeyed from sin to sainthood from heresy to the heights of theological insight, from the darkness of worldly ambition to the changeless light of grace.c1963. 351pg. Binding intact. Cover has extensive wear to edges, corners and spine, fading of color, scuffing, creases, writing on front, and soiling. Pages are tanning heavily, no markings detected in text. Original owner's name is written on inside title page, along with some notes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

How to become secure
The process of moving from promiscuity toward chastity is difficult and demands the courage of a soldier. Augustine gathers the steps from his personal experience and writes about them in his Confessions. The nine step process is outlined as follows:

1. "Oh that the tides of my youth might have spent themselves upon the conjugal shore" (Book II. Chapter 2.). Desire to be chaste. 2. "It was foul, and I loved it. I loved to perish. I loved my own error-not that for which I erred, but the error itself" (II.4). Acknowledge that you like being used. 3. "I was most certain that it was none but myself who was willing and unwilling, and immediately perceived that there was the cause of my sin" (VII.3). Admit that you decided to be promiscuous. 4. "For the law of sin is the violence of custom" (VIII.5). Apprehend that promiscuity has a powerful attraction. 5."I, miserable young man, supremely miserable even in the outset of my youth, had entreated chastity of You, and prayed 'Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet'" (VIII.7). Try not to delay your healing. 6. There "was nothing else but to will to go, but to will it resolutely and throughly" (VIII.8). Develop a healthy desire for chastity. 7. Become courageous and enter the struggle. "I all but came to a resolve. I all but did it, yet I did not do it.Yet I did not fall back to my old condition, but took up my position hard by, and drew breath" (VIII.11). 8. Cry. "I flung myself down, how, I know not, under a certain fig-tree, giving free course to my tears, and the streams of my eyes gushed out" (VIII.12). 9. Receive the power of God and become secure. "I grasped ... the volume of the Apostle, ... and in silence read: 'Let us live honorably as in daylight...' (Romans 13: 13-14). No further would I read, nor did I need to, for instantly, as the sentence ended-by a light, as it were, of security infused into my heart-all the gloom of doubt vanished away" (VIII.12).

According to St. Augustine, security is that which enables a person to adjust the intensity of every human attraction. ... Read more

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Augustine (354-430) had a profound impact on the development of the Christian Church, sparking controversy and influencing the ideas of theologians for over fifteen centuries. His words are still frequently quoted in devotions today and his key themes retain a striking contemporary relevance--what is the place of the Church in the world? What is the relation between nature and grace? In Augustine of Hippo, the late Henry Chadwick--a renowned authority on Augustine--describes with clarity and warmth the intellectual development of this key Father of the Church.In his characteristically rigorous yet sympathetic style, Chadwick traces Augustine's intellectual journey from schoolboy and student to Bishop and champion of Christendom in a period of intense political upheaval, providing valuable insight into the progression of Augustine's ideas. With a foreword reflecting on Chadwick's distinctive approach to Augustine by Peter Brown, and a further reading list on Augustine compiled by Gillian Clark, this volume is both an essential assessment of Augustine and a final tribute to one of the great church historians of the twentieth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a fascinating read
I found this a fascinating and illuminating journey into the world of 4th/5th Century African Christianity in its engagement with the philosophical thought of late antiquity.It also gave clarity to the pastoral practice of a man who was as much concerned for the well-being of people as he was his theological ideas.Augustine is very much a product of his time, not merely a defender of Catholic orthodoxy or conservative sexual morals.Chadwick makes it clear that he was the shepherd of his flock, for good or for ill.The prose is captivating and readable, and the book is accessible - and short - enough to newcomers to be a helpful introduction to Augustine's thought, and perhaps more importantly, to the life he led.Great read. ... Read more

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Garry Wills’s complete translation of Saint Augustine’s spiritual masterpiece—available now for the first time

Garry Wills is an exceptionally gifted translator and one of our best writers on religion today. His bestselling translations of individual chapters of Saint Augustine’s Confessions have received widespread and glowing reviews. Now for the first time, Wills’s translation of the entire work is being published as a Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition. Removed by time and place but not by spiritual relevance, Augustine’s Confessions continues to influence contemporary religion, language, and thought. Reading with fresh, keen eyes, Wills brings his superb gifts of analysis and insight to this ambitious translation of the entire book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An Engaging Translation
Garry Wills' translation of Saint Augustine's "Confessions" brings this work to life. Wills has rendered Augustine's Latin into beautifully flowing contemporary English.It is commendable that he was able to do this while preserving the personal character of this saint's life story and demonstrating the complexity and depth of Augustine's thought.

While reading this book, I often felt amazed that this work, despite being written so long ago, appears to be so contemporary.Augustine's life and ideas really transcend time and are insightful reflections on the basic human condition. If you would like to read a good translation of the "Confessions" written in contemporary English, I highly recommend this edition to you.
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