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Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo
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Confessions (Classics) New Impression Edition, Kindle Edition

by Augustine (Author), R. S. Pine-Coffin (Introduction, Translator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 964 ratings
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'Give me chastity and continence, but not yet'

The son of a pagan father and a Christian mother, Saint Augustine spent his early years torn between conflicting world-views. The Confessions, written when he was in his forties, recounts how, slowly and painfully, he came to turn away from his youthful ideas and licentious lifestyle to become one of Christianity's most influential thinkers. A remarkably honest spiritual autobiography, the Confessions also addresses fundamental issues of Christian doctrine, and many of the prayers and meditations it includes are still an integral part of the practice of the faith today.

Translated with an Introduction by R. S. PINE-COFFIN

Previous page
  1. ISBN-13
    978-0140441147
  2. Edition
    New Impression
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Penguin
  5. Publication date
    May 29, 2003
  6. Language
    English
  7. File size
    502 KB
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Wills] renders Augustine’s famous and influential text in direct language with all the spirited wordplay and poetic strength intact." —Los Angeles Times

 

"[Wills’s] translations . . . are meant to bring Augustine straight into our own minds; and they succeed. Well-known passages, over which my eyes have often gazed, spring to life again from Wills’s pages." —Peter Brown, The New York Review of Books

"Augustine flourishes in Wills’s hand." —James Wood

"A masterful synthesis of classical philosophy and scriptural erudition." —Chicago Tribune

About the Author

St Augustine of Hippo, the great Doctor of the Latin Church, was born at Thagaste in North Africa, in A.D. 354. He was brought up as a Christian but he was soon converted to the Manichean religion. He also came under the influence of Neoplatonism. However, in 387 he renounced all his unorthodox beliefs and was baptised. His surviving works had a great influence on Christian theology and the psychology and political theology of the West.

R.S. Pine-Coffin is a Roman Catholic and was born in 1917.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002RI8ZTQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin; New Impression edition (May 29, 2003)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 29, 2003
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 502 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 266 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 197673763X
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 964 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
964 global ratings
Great writing. Sloppy printing and alignment.
3 Stars
Great writing. Sloppy printing and alignment.
Love this book. Studied it in depth in college and sought it out again over a decade later. Disappointed in the quality of the printing, though. Poor alignment is frustrating to look at in contrast to the beautiful words. Probably won’t return because it’s still readable, and I don’t want it wasted, but publisher shouldn’t be so sloppy.
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Top reviews from the United States

Jim Martin
5.0 out of 5 stars 1600 Years Old, and Still Powerful !
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2011
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To think this work was written 1600 years ago! The fact that this masterpiece is still in existence is amazing, and also, as you will see, a rare gift.

What we find here is a very honest account of one man and his quest to find himself through all of the obstacles that life throws at you on a daily basis. The first thing that struck me is how sincere and honest St. Augustine is. He literally pours out his heart on every single page. Speaking directly with God, he discusses almost every facet of his life from: birth, parents, philosophy, education, mankind, loneliness, despair, gossip, sin, doing right, doing wrong, the joy of doing wrong, and eventually salvation and service.

After years of adversity, we see St. Augustine at long last, turns his heart toward God, and he accepts the faith of Christianity as his own. This is a volume that should be read by all, not just by Christians. We can all learn a thing or two from St. Augustine like `no one is perfect'. Only God knows how many times we falter, and how many times we drift even further from doing the right thing. But, the important note is that after St. Augustine realized he couldn't fight it anymore, and that something was missing in his life, he realized that he could never be complete without God in his life. He turned away so many times because he was lost in the lust of all his worldly pleasures, one of them being women. However, when he finally joined with God, he stated that he no longer needed anything, but His words. There are many touching experiences found in this book... Without question, I received more from this paperback than originally anticipated.

There is something in this book for all mankind to heed. These are the books that should never be lost for they possess the little secrets that we as human beings can learn from and apply in our own lives so that we can touch others as well. I think I could write a review that is 3 pages long on this detailed material. Within this book, one finds many treasured lessons to apply in everyday life. I wish I could list them all but you will just have to read, and discover them for yourself.
27 people found this helpful
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Jmart5
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2024
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A great read to help grow closer to God, especially during Lent
One person found this helpful
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Doctor G
5.0 out of 5 stars Stimulated my senses
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2022
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As a cradle Catholic who was afforded many religious education sessions, I was very pleased how this book opened my eyes to many aspects of my church that I took for granted or did not really think about. Darretta’s book presents those aspects in a very clear manner that includes many thought provoking imagery that gives one a clearer understanding and appreciation of what we encounter through our senses when we enter a church. I would highly recommend this book as a supplement for RCIA candidates, for teachers and students in religious education classes, for a book club discussion or just for the spiritual enrichment of an individual.
5 people found this helpful
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B. Marold
4.0 out of 5 stars Kindle Review - Could be better
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2012
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I read this entire book on Kindle with Professor Pine-Coffin's translation; however, I found his edition, as realized on Kindle, was not the best. At many points in my reading, I had to consult the notes in the Oxford World's Classics edition translated by Henry Chadwick to find an explanation of an obscure reference. The Pine-Coffin edition on Kindle is assiduous in having drill down notes for all the definite, and sometimes speculative references to biblical passages. The Chadwick translation has that and many, many more notes on Augustine's history and on lexical matters. Chadwick has another advantage absent from Pine-Coffin. The standard text of the Confessions is divided by Augustine's own Book numbers and "Chapter" or section numbers. Editors have added an additional division of chapters into paragraphs. Virtually all references to the Confessions includes these paragraph numbers. The Chadwick edition has these numbers. The Pine-Coffin edition (both on Kindle) does not.

I do not know Latin, so I could not check the translations, but I'm confident that both are professionally translated into good, modern colloquial English. The advantage of having the paragraph numbers is that it is far easier to compare two translations if both are so numbered.

Both are on Kindle, so I strongly recommend the Chadwick / Oxford translation. If you could have two Kindle windows open at the same time, I would suggest you have both on Kindle, but since you cannot, if you wish to compare two translations, I recommend the Barnes and Noble / Outhler translation. The Gary Wills translation on Kindle looks engaging, but its markings of the paragraphs seems non-standard. Prudence prohibits me from investing in a third copy of Confessions on Kindle, as I already own three.
27 people found this helpful
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Amanda DiDonato
5.0 out of 5 stars We are all sinners
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024
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This is a great book about how everyone who is a sinner can become a saint.
2 people found this helpful
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Fit Engineer
5.0 out of 5 stars Profound
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2023
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If you are religious you'll love the book
2 people found this helpful
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rr
5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT READING MATERIAL
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2023
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FOR READING TO FOLLOW ALONG MY BIBLE STUDIES
2 people found this helpful
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E. Joyce
5.0 out of 5 stars Truth for all times.
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2016
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While my review pales in comparison to the scholarly essays written in these reviews, I will allow the Holy Spirit to speak through this newborn in the faith. While I cannot comment on the accuracy or style of this translation like others, I can personally reflect. I had a personal connection to Augustine as I have struggled with some of the same sins as he did. Reading how he dealt with it was very helpful. Also when you take into account when this was written it is amazing the similarities of societies then and now, one would think it was a contemporary piece. The first half is an easy read, the later half is difficult and requires slow reading and reflection to understand. This is a must read as it is one of the earliest, non scripture, christian writings.
68 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Leah
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it to have better theology
Reviewed in Canada on April 11, 2024
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Anyways... Augustine was protestant :)
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Anoniem
1.0 out of 5 stars Received the book that was damaged
Reviewed in Belgium on December 21, 2023
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Very dissapointed as I received the book damaged..
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Anoniem
1.0 out of 5 stars Received the book that was damaged
Reviewed in Belgium on December 21, 2023
Very dissapointed as I received the book damaged..
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book.
Reviewed in India on April 23, 2023
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Great book but I would suggest it for beginners.
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Penguin
5.0 out of 5 stars Full of surprises and theological gems that enlarge and improve our minds
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2018
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Saint Augustine is hailed as the most important theologian after Apostle Paul. More than a millennium after him, Martin Luther was an Augustinian monk and John Calvin cited Augustine most in his work. In other words, there may be greater theologians after him, but they enjoyed the advantage of having Augustine before them, an advantage that clearly Augustine could not have had.

He was born in 354 and died in 430. Therefore this book was written about 1600 years ago! This is a translation for Augustine did not write in English. There are many versions of translation of this work - I do not know why or the general shortcomings of the translations, but this version reads nicely and, I believe, authentically. Saint Augustine was a professor in Rhetoric before he was a monk. He was a highly learned person. That is to say, when you pick up this book, be mindful that you are reading one of the greatest minds of his time and writing was his strength. What I would say about this translation is that it does not pose a barrier between us and the great mind. Furthermore, its prose is sophisticated and poetic. I believe therefore this is a faithful reflection of the original work. It is a great piece of literature in its own right. This is my first point.

As a subject matter, how many of us would be as candid as he in writing up our deepest confessions for posterity? In today's narcissistic culture greatly enhanced and enabled by the social media, we see human nature is to show off our best to the public. Confessions are something we do behind closed doors and in our private prayer to God. And yet Augustine is demonstrating the right approach to God. No one can come to God like a saint in our own merits. Heart wrenching confessions that cry out to God and His mercy are the only path that all genuine believers must tread. In other words, every genuine believer must have made the journey through like Augustine and have his own personal confessions to make to God. We are put down in order that we can be lifted up. We can't be lifted up if we are not down on our knees first. Melodrama they are not. Augustine's confessions are the results of deep soul-searching. If we think we don't have confessions of our own to make, Augustine shows us how as he lays out the kind of questions to ask ourselves and how God's Word search and examine our souls. Augustine tells us how he argues at each turn, the critical moments he knew it was the Truth, and the struggle to break away from the bondage of his carnality. His is what every Christian should have experienced, although the details differ in each individual case. If we never know the work of the Holy Spirit in using God's Word to examine our heart and soul with power and conviction, Augustine's Confessions is a fine example. As such his autobiography is not just his spiritual journey but also a spiritual journey that he takes us to go on ourselves.

The book starts with a narrative of his life, showcasing his sense of humour and playfulness as well as the brilliance of his mind and his command of words. That part of the book stops at the death of his pious and prayerful mother, Monica, who played a significant role in Augustine’s spiritual life from young. Thereafter Augustine takes us to soar high and lofty probing into the things of God. He covers concepts that when you first read, you will be puzzled. But then you realise they are far from trivial but pivotal in our understanding of God. For example, he talks about memory. I believe the whole discourse is hinting at the peculiar feeling of homecoming when we come to God even though we do not seem to know Him beforehand in our life. Where does this sense of homecoming come from if we have no memory of “home” in God at all? This reminds me of C. S. Lewis’s concept of JOY. Augustine also takes time to define what eternity is. The discourse does seem a little trivial at first. Not so. When I was reading Confessions, I was reading Dolezal’s All that is in God concurrently. I realise Augustine’s exploration of eternity has helped me understand the latter! It is an essential concept about God that implies many of His other attributes in His essence. Moving on, he describes what God’s Word is. God’s Word is not speech! Wow! How wrong I have been in understanding “In the Beginning was the Word!” The Word, God’s only begotten Son, is catapulted on to a completely different plane for our understanding. What is strange is that I have never come across this view relayed in more contemporary works or sermons.

I have read a reviewer on his other work who mocks Augustine’s scientific knowledge. Far from it, Augustine knew and even critiqued the latest scientific developments of his time. From what I see, there is timelessness in his writing. The questions he asked, the query he framed and the method he used to probe are masterclass. His writing is transcendent because he is bringing us a knowledge of God who is transcendent. I hope people would see the relevance even to this day. One may ask how the latter part of the book relates to Confessions. I would answer that genuine confessions are brought about by our high view of God. The more we see God, the more we see our sins. Put it differently, we can only see our sins when they are set against God.
24 people found this helpful
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Cristina S.G.
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best spiritual books in the world.
Reviewed in Canada on November 13, 2023
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A book of Hope for every man and woman who is looking for God. No matter your past or baggage.
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