What do you think?
The Confessions of Saint Augustine: A Modern Translation with Introduction
The Confessions of Saint A Modern TranslationThe classic spiritual autobiography—newly rendered in clear, contemporary English. In The Confessions, Augustine of Hippo recounts his restless search for truth—from youthful ambition and distraction to a life transformed by grace—and then turns to profound meditation on memory, time, Scripture, and creation. This edition offers a faithful, readable translation with a crisp orientation to Augustine’s world and thought.
What’s inside?Book I — Childhood, infancy, and the God who already knows us.Book II — Adolescence and the theft of the sin as disordered love.Book III — Studies at Carthage, Manichaeism, and the first glimpse of beauty “so ancient and so new.”Book IV — Ambition, rhetoric, astrology, and the searing grief of a friend’s death.Book V — To Rome and Milan; meeting Bishop Ambrose and unlearning error.Book VI — Restlessness deepens; Monica’s prayers; a heart divided.Book VII — Neoplatonism and the problem of God as immutable Good.Book VIII — Crisis and the garden at Milan and conversion.Book IX — Baptism with Alypius and Monica; Monica’s death and Augustine’s praise.Book X — Present memory, desire, temptation, and the love of God.Book XI — Time and “What, then, is time?” and “In the beginning…”Book XII — Reading Genesis heaven and earth, letter and spirit.Book XIII — The six days and the Sabbath as the soul’s re-creation and rest in God.
Why this edition?Modern & Faithful — Smooth, accurate English that preserves Augustine’s intimacy, irony, and biblical cadence.
Guided Reading — A concise introduction situates the work historically and explains its two narrative and contemplation.
Concise Commentary — Light notes clarify names, sources, and key themes (restless heart, grace, memory, time) without interrupting the flow.
Reader-First Design — Clean headings, generous spacing, and consistent formatting for devotion, classroom, or study.
Who is it for?Seekers and skeptics, students and scholars, pastors and spiritual directors—anyone drawn to a searching, honest encounter with God, the self, and the mystery of time and grace.
“Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”Read The Confessions as a living an unsparing self-portrait that becomes praise—leading from confession of sin to confession of faith, and from memory of the past to hope in the eternal present of God.
What’s inside?Book I — Childhood, infancy, and the God who already knows us.Book II — Adolescence and the theft of the sin as disordered love.Book III — Studies at Carthage, Manichaeism, and the first glimpse of beauty “so ancient and so new.”Book IV — Ambition, rhetoric, astrology, and the searing grief of a friend’s death.Book V — To Rome and Milan; meeting Bishop Ambrose and unlearning error.Book VI — Restlessness deepens; Monica’s prayers; a heart divided.Book VII — Neoplatonism and the problem of God as immutable Good.Book VIII — Crisis and the garden at Milan and conversion.Book IX — Baptism with Alypius and Monica; Monica’s death and Augustine’s praise.Book X — Present memory, desire, temptation, and the love of God.Book XI — Time and “What, then, is time?” and “In the beginning…”Book XII — Reading Genesis heaven and earth, letter and spirit.Book XIII — The six days and the Sabbath as the soul’s re-creation and rest in God.
Why this edition?Modern & Faithful — Smooth, accurate English that preserves Augustine’s intimacy, irony, and biblical cadence.
Guided Reading — A concise introduction situates the work historically and explains its two narrative and contemplation.
Concise Commentary — Light notes clarify names, sources, and key themes (restless heart, grace, memory, time) without interrupting the flow.
Reader-First Design — Clean headings, generous spacing, and consistent formatting for devotion, classroom, or study.
Who is it for?Seekers and skeptics, students and scholars, pastors and spiritual directors—anyone drawn to a searching, honest encounter with God, the self, and the mystery of time and grace.
“Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”Read The Confessions as a living an unsparing self-portrait that becomes praise—leading from confession of sin to confession of faith, and from memory of the past to hope in the eternal present of God.
423 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 11, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 18, 2026
A Framework for Understanding Humanity
I assumed I was more of a Pelagian so I never picked this up. The book definitely challenged some of my modern beliefs or at least gave me an appreciation for Saint Augustine.
I assumed I was more of a Pelagian so I never picked this up. The book definitely challenged some of my modern beliefs or at least gave me an appreciation for Saint Augustine.
June 29, 2026
Though I have no religious affiliation, one of the most inspiring books I've read in a while, particularly Bk. 8, in which St. Augustine describes the conversion of Victorinus, the two couriers and their influence on his own conversion.
My history of the early Catholic Church is pretty rusty. For that reason, much of the theology (the Manichaeism heresy and refutations, which I presume are the reason for the extensive commentary on Genesis 1.1 in Books 12-13) was difficult to sort through. Bearing in mind how critical a period this was: the books of the Catholic Bible being canonized, the nature of Jesus of Nazareth/ Christ, the Trinity, debated. None of this was really settled in St. Augustine's time. It was worth soldiering through Bks. 12 and 13 for the insights on creation ex nihilo, (esp. the relation between sound and melody as an analogy for God's creation and simultaneous formation of the things of the earth . . . it is very important to Augustine that we do not conceive of God 'creating' like an artisan, as we would, in synchronous time, on pre-existent matter, with our hands, but rather, understanding creation through speech) and of course, as a philosophy student, I had read Book 11, Augustine's reflections on time/ temporality prior--which are highly influential in the phenomenological tradition (Husserl, Heidegger, Levinas . . .)
And since we have (unfortunately) entered the age of "fundamentalism," and ham-handed literalism, don't expect St. Augustine to have such a contemporary (Protestant/ evangelical) approach to anything in the Bible, including Genesis 1.1. He makes quite clear it is possible for one passage to mean multiple things (all true) just as it is possible to express one true thing many ways. And to insist on one's own reading (because it is one's own) commits the sin of pride.
I should mention I am not using the above edition. My edition has no ISBN (or price), published by Quality Paperback Club, 1991 (Edward Bouverie Pusey, translator). Where I acquired it, who knows. It contains extensive footnotes, though mostly quoting related passages in Augustine's work, not much explanatory notes or historical context . . . and a ton of proofreading errors. I cannot speak to the merits of this "Modern Translation" by Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers.
I would recommend to a reader unfamiliar with the history of early Catholicism to acquire an edition with extensive historical/ theological context--to get everything out of it. My background on this history comes predominantly from: Hans Küng, The Catholic Church: A Short History, Modern Library, 2003, and a variety of college "World Religion" textbooks I used in my classes over the years.
My history of the early Catholic Church is pretty rusty. For that reason, much of the theology (the Manichaeism heresy and refutations, which I presume are the reason for the extensive commentary on Genesis 1.1 in Books 12-13) was difficult to sort through. Bearing in mind how critical a period this was: the books of the Catholic Bible being canonized, the nature of Jesus of Nazareth/ Christ, the Trinity, debated. None of this was really settled in St. Augustine's time. It was worth soldiering through Bks. 12 and 13 for the insights on creation ex nihilo, (esp. the relation between sound and melody as an analogy for God's creation and simultaneous formation of the things of the earth . . . it is very important to Augustine that we do not conceive of God 'creating' like an artisan, as we would, in synchronous time, on pre-existent matter, with our hands, but rather, understanding creation through speech) and of course, as a philosophy student, I had read Book 11, Augustine's reflections on time/ temporality prior--which are highly influential in the phenomenological tradition (Husserl, Heidegger, Levinas . . .)
And since we have (unfortunately) entered the age of "fundamentalism," and ham-handed literalism, don't expect St. Augustine to have such a contemporary (Protestant/ evangelical) approach to anything in the Bible, including Genesis 1.1. He makes quite clear it is possible for one passage to mean multiple things (all true) just as it is possible to express one true thing many ways. And to insist on one's own reading (because it is one's own) commits the sin of pride.
I should mention I am not using the above edition. My edition has no ISBN (or price), published by Quality Paperback Club, 1991 (Edward Bouverie Pusey, translator). Where I acquired it, who knows. It contains extensive footnotes, though mostly quoting related passages in Augustine's work, not much explanatory notes or historical context . . . and a ton of proofreading errors. I cannot speak to the merits of this "Modern Translation" by Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers.
I would recommend to a reader unfamiliar with the history of early Catholicism to acquire an edition with extensive historical/ theological context--to get everything out of it. My background on this history comes predominantly from: Hans Küng, The Catholic Church: A Short History, Modern Library, 2003, and a variety of college "World Religion" textbooks I used in my classes over the years.
March 22, 2026
Whether you are religious or not, this book is a testament to the power of religion. Augustine without Christianity would've been no one special, but due to his beliefs and and convictions, he is one of my favourite philosophers of all time. I have never read something from someone who can be this brutally honest, this vulnerable, and for no reason other than to get closer to his God. Also some really cool and badass metaphysics (far less pretentious than any others from the same school).
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews