The Confessions by Saint Augustine PDF

The Confessions by Saint Augustine PDF Download

In his time, the dominant figure of the Western Church, Augustine of Hippopotamus is today perhaps the greatest thinker of Christian antiquity, and his Confessions are one of the great works of Western literature. In this rich personal account, Augustine recounts his rare ascent from a modest Algerian farm to the edge of the corridors of power in the imperial court in Milan, his struggle against the dominance of his sexual nature, his renunciation of secular ambitions and marriage, and the restoration of his mother’s faith. Monica taught him during his childhood.

Now Henry Chadwick, a prominent scholar of early Christianity, has given us the first new English translation in thirty years of this classic spiritual journey. Chadwick presents the details of Augustine’s conversion to clear, modern English. We witness the future saint’s fascination with astrology and the Manicheans, and then we follow him through skepticism and frustration with pagan myths until he finally reaches the Christian faith. There are brilliant philosophical reflections on Platonism and the nature of God and touching portraits of the beloved mother of Augustine, St. Ambrose of Milan, and other early Christians such as Victorine, who gave up an exceptional career as a rhetorician to embrace the Orthodox faith. Augustine’s worries are often strikingly contemporary, yet his work contains many references and allusions that are easily understood only with basic information about the ancient social and intellectual environment. To make Confessions accessible to modern readers, Chadwick provides the most complete and informative notes from any recent translation and includes an introduction to contextualization.

The religious and philosophical value of Confessions is undeniable – modern readers will now have easier access to St. Augustine’s deeply personal meditations. Chadwick’s clear translation and helpful introduction pave the way for a new experience of this classic.

About the series: For more than 100 years, Oxford World’s Classics has provided the widest range of literature from around the world. Each volume available reflects Oxford’s commitment to the fellowship, providing the most accurate text plus an abundance of other valuable features, including expert introductions from leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, and up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and more.

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