Confessions

By Augustine of Hippo, Aurelije Augustin, Augustin av Hippo, et al.

Book Overview

One of the great works of Western literature, from perhaps the most important thinker of Christian antiquity, in a revolutionary new translation by one of today's leading classicists Sarah Ruden's fresh, dynamic translation of Confessions brings us closer to Augustine's intent than any previous version. It puts a glaring spotlight on the life of one individual to show how all lives have meaning that is universal and eternal. In this intensely personal narrative, Augustine tells the story of his sinful youth and his conversion to Christianity. He describes his ascent from a humble farm in North Africa to a prestigious post in the Roman Imperial capital of Milan, his struggle against his own overpowering sexuality, his renunciation of secular ambition and marriage, and the recovery of the faith his mother had taught him during his earliest years. Augustine's concerns are often strikingly contemporary, and the confessional mode he invented can be seen everywhere in writing today. Grounded in her command of Latin as it was written and spoken in the ancient world, Sarah Ruden's translation is a bold departure from its predecessors--and the most historically accurate translation ever. Stylistically beautiful, with no concessions made to suit later theology and ritual, Ruden's rendition will give readers a startling and illuminating new perspective on one of the central texts of Christianity. Praise for Confessions " Ruden] has clearly thought deeply about what Augustine was trying to say." -- The Wall Street Journal "A translation of Augustine's] masterwork that does justice both to him and to his God . . . Repeated small acts of attention to the humble, human roots of Augustine's imagery of his relations to God enable Ruden to convey a living sense of the Being before Whom we find him transfixed in prayer: 'Silent, long-suffering and with so much mercy in your heart.'" -- The New York Review of Books "Delightfully readable . . . In this lively translation filled with vivid, personal prose, Ruden introduces readers to a saint whom many will realize they only thought they knew. . . . Approaching her subject with deep religious and historical knowledge, Ruden] chooses to translate Augustine as a performative, engaging storyteller rather than a systematic theologian." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Ruden's translation makes Augustine's ancient text accessible to a new generation of readers with a real taste of the original Latin." -- Library Journal " Ruden's] record as a translator of ancient texts . . . clearly establishes her considerable talent." -- Christianity Today

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812986482
• ISBN13: 9780812986488
• Release Date: March 2018
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 528 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Your Spiritual Growth

Good book to read to see that your life’s struggles are similar to others and there’s a light to look towards for inspiration.

Amazing book about a man's spiritual journey with Christ

It's an intimate book about a man who is lost sinner but one day Christ saves him. They journey that is very similar to my own. Very heart provoking!

Confessions of St Augustine

This is great Lenten Reading, and just good reading in general. What I have read and understood I wished I had read this book earlier in my life.

Inspiring

In reading the few reviews of people who did not like this book, it seems that it is the genre more than the book itself which they don't care for. Is this book redundant, as one reviewer accused it of being? Most assuredly so, but that should hardly be a surprise in a text such as this which explores the inklings of a powerful intellect that is attempting to grapple with the "big" questions.Augustine writes with a brutal honesty about himself & his weaknesses of which most of us, I would wager, would be incapable of duplicating. The book is filled with theological speculations and a sense of deep-seated guilt that Augustine feels because of his sins. Some of the passages regarding faith might seem a bit ad-hoc to the modern reader, but I suppose there is no way around that.This is a good book, but it is not a book for everyone. I would recommend it if you have an interest in philosophy, religion, or the philosophy of religion. I would admonish those who do not have an enthusiasm for these three areas not to read this book.