ConfessionsSaint Augustine wasn't always a saint. He led a turbulent and licentious youth, and belonged to the fourth century equivalent of a street gang. At the age of 29, he met a young man, Ambrose, whose intelligence, kindness and strong faith fascinated and puzzled Augustine. Then at the age of thirty-two, under Ambrose's tutelage, Augustine converted to Christianity and went on to be one of the most influential Christians throughout history. Less than a decade after his ordination to the priesthood, he wrote Confessions in his forties in 400 AD. He was a man looking back and looking forward, an apt simile perhaps for the role Augustine played in the history of the Church, that of a bridge between two distinct eras. Confessions traces a pilgrimage of unbounded grace, passionately wrestling with the spiritual questions that have engaged thoughtful minds since time began. It is Augustine's utter candor about his own sin and his struggle to reconcile his mind and soul to God's holy character that made Confessions the classic that it has been for fifteen centuries and compelling to readers still today. |
Contents
Augustines Testimony Concerning the Confessions | 1 |
Book Two | 25 |
Book Four | 53 |
Book Five | 73 |
Book Six | 93 |
Book Seven | 115 |
Book Eight | 139 |
Book Nine | 161 |
Book Ten | 187 |
Book Eleven | 233 |
Book Twelve | 261 |
Book Thirteen | 291 |
Resources and Bibliography | 331 |
Common terms and phrases
abyss Adeodatus Agentes in rebus already Alypius Augustine Augustine's baptism beautiful behold believe body called Carthage catechumen Chapter Christ Christian Church coeternal confess to thee corrupted creation creature darkness delight desire Donatists ears Enneads eternal evil eyes faith fantasm fear firmament Firminus flesh formless future gift grace hadst happy hear heard heart heaven and earth Holy Holy Spirit invisible and unformed learned light living Lord love thee lust madest Manicheans Manicheism measure memory mind mother never pass past Platonists pleasure Plotinian Plotinus praise present received rejoice remember Rome Saint Augustin Scripture seek sense Simplicianus sins sorrow soul sound speak Spirit sweet Tagaste thine things thou art thou didst create thou dost thou hast thou wilt thought thy mercy thy servant thy truth thy Word thyself true truly understand unto Victorinus voice Vulgate whole wisdom wish