Confessions (Oxford World's Classics) Paperback Author: Saint Augustine | Language: English | ISBN:
0199537828 | Format: PDF, EPUB
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Review
"Chadwick's translation is superb." -Church History
"If the Latin is a "work of high art", so is this translation."-The Times
"A masterpiece beyond classification."-Church Times
"...Chadwick has the gift for being able to pinpoint significant, as well as sometimes unfamiliar aspects of the life of the church: and in this respect his footnotes in the present volume do not disappoint us."-Expository Times
"Excellent translation ... this new translation is the most readable version in modern English"-Vernon J. Bourke, Saint Louis University
"It is a great pleasure to welcome a translation of the Confessions from one who is both a scholar and a lover of Augustine. There is a concise but very informative introduction, and a bibliography which will be extremely helpfull to the students who wants to read some of the work of Augustine's contemporaries in extenso. The translation itself is clear and accessible ... of available English version, this offers the most comprehensive identification of scriptural allusions in the text."-Rowan Williams, Journal of Theological Studies
Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Latin
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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- Paperback: 311 pages
- Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (February 15, 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0199537828
- ISBN-13: 978-0199537822
- Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
- Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
St. Augustine is one of the greatest thinkers the West ever produced. Born in North Africa in the waning years of the Roman Empire, his Confessions detail his ultimate conversion to Nicene Christianity after a ten year journey through the various trendy sects of the 4th century C.E. Augustine was a member of the Manichean heresy, a follower of Astrology, and an all around sinner. He enjoyed the barbaric games of the coliseum, was overly proud of his education and teaching positions, and just couldn't bring himself to give up the ladies. He even had a son, Adeodatus, who was born out of wedlock. In short, Augustine loved the things that most people love, and he loved the same things that we love in our decadent age. This is what makes this book so relevant today; it shows how little the human race has come in 1500 years. Augustine's struggles are our struggles.
Two points of interest are worth mentioning here. The first is Augustine's mother, St. Monica. Throughout the book, Monica is an omnipresent figure in Augustine's life. She is a tireless Christian, and she does many things to try and bring Augustine into the faith. She prays incessantly, has visions and dreams from God that promise Augustine's conversion, and she follows her son everywhere he goes. Augustine gives much praise to his mother, but it's important to remember that he was writing this account after his conversion. At the time, Augustine must have been sick to death of some of her antics. He actually lied to her so he could sneak off to Rome without her, although she was soon on a boat so she could catch up with him. I also felt sorry for his father, Patricius. Dad wasn't really into the Christian thing, so Monica put on the pants in the family. Augustine even says that Monica made God the 'true' father in their house.
Translation by Rex Warner (in Signet Classics)
This one is a very good translation, especially for the modern reader. It conveys the immediacy and vividness of a text written more than 1500 years ago. One feels almost as a voyeur peeping into the private confession of a man to his God. The honesty and unembarrassed disclosure of his sins, and fruitless search for worldly wisdom, is something we can personally identify with, even today. It is amazing how vivid the description of life in late 4th century is in this Confessions. What a wonderful way to approach History, places like Carthage, Rome or Milan, thru the eyes of a skilled and intelligent man who pours his heart on these pages for us to benefit from.
St. Augustine's life, however distant in time, is filled with events, desires, and troubles, as common today as in the year 400. We can identify fully with him, and in his longing and weakness we can see our own soul portrayed. He talks about his childhood, his family, his studies and his lifelong pursuit of wisdom and truth, specially since the age of 19. We get immersed in the daily life of people in the 4th Century under the Roman Empire, their daily worries, their intellectual debates, their religious confrontations. We see the social conditions of all classes of people, from the wealthy and idle to the slaves who fight in the Circus. We see people living, talking, traveling, dreaming, and going about their business as if we were present with them. No wonder this book is an authentic classic, one that I should have read long ago.
There are many reasons to read this book.
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