The Confessions of St. Augustine

“For Thou hast made us for Thyself and our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee.”

As the son of a pagan father and a Christian mother, Saint Augustine spent his childhood torn between the two conflicting faiths and their opposing world views.

When he was in his early forties, he wrote His Confessions, a remarkably honest and revealing spiritual autobiography. In it, he provides an unbroken record of his development of thought and recounts how slowly and painfully, he turned away from his youthful ideas and sinful, immoral lifestyle to instead become a staunch advocate of Christianity and one of its most influential thinkers. It is the most complete record of any single person from the 4th and 5th centuries and widely seen as the first Western autobiography ever written.

Written as prayers to God confessing his faith despite past mistakes, and recognizing the ways that God has transformed his heart, these spiritual meditations and insight make The Confessions of St. Augustine a significant theological work which will always rank among the great masterpieces of western literature.

Author Biography

Augustine of Hippo is one of the greatest thinkers and writers in the Western world. Named the bishop of Hippo in Africa, he was very influential in civil and church affairs. With more than 113 books, 200 letters and 500 sermons he has left a lasting impact on Western philosophy and culture. His well-known works include: The Confessions; The Trinity, The City of God, The Expositions of the Psalms. Today, these are all still best selling titles.