Augustine's Confessions

Garry Wills examines Augustine's Confessions through a contemporary lens, offering a fresh translation and interpretation of this foundational Christian text. The book provides historical context and analysis chapter by chapter, making the complex theological concepts accessible to modern readers. Wills breaks down Augustine's style, rhetorical techniques, and philosophical arguments while exploring the author's journey from his early life through his conversion to Christianity. His translation maintains the original Latin text's precision while conveying Augustine's distinct voice and personality. The commentary highlights key themes in Augustine's work including time, memory, language, and the nature of God. Wills demonstrates how Augustine's personal narrative connects to broader questions about faith, truth, and human nature that remain relevant in the present day.

Readers describe this book as a helpful companion to Augustine's original text, with clear explanations of historical context and Augustine's theology. Many note that Wills makes complex philosophical concepts accessible without oversimplifying them. Likes: - Clear translation of difficult Latin passages - Explains Roman cultural references modern readers might miss - Highlights Augustine's wordplay and rhetoric - Provides relevant biblical connections Dislikes: - Some find Wills' interpretation too personal rather than scholarly - Several readers wanted more historical background - A few note that Wills sometimes interrupts flow with technical details - Some Catholics disagree with his modern interpretations Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (42 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (31 ratings) "Wills knows his Augustine and makes the text come alive," wrote one Amazon reviewer. Another noted: "Good for beginners but lacks depth serious scholars might want."

Memoir: A History by Ben Yagoda This history of spiritual autobiography traces the genre's development from Augustine through medieval mystics to modern memoir writers.

Saint Augustine by Serge Lancel This biographical study examines Augustine's life through historical documents and archaeological evidence from fourth-century Roman Africa.

Reading Augustine in the Reformation by Arnoud S. Q. Visser The book traces how Protestant and Catholic scholars interpreted and used Augustine's texts during the religious debates of the sixteenth century.

The Conversion of Augustine by Colin Starnes This analysis focuses on the philosophical and theological transformation described in Augustine's conversion narrative.

Sacred Biography: Saints and Their Biographers in the Middle Ages by Thomas J. Heffernan The book examines how medieval writers developed conventions for religious biography using Augustine's Confessions as a model.

🔹 Garry Wills translated Augustine's Confessions without using the word "confess," arguing that the Latin "confiteri" more accurately means "to acknowledge" or "to praise" 🔹 Though published in 1999, Wills spent over 50 years studying Augustine's work before writing this translation and analysis, having first encountered Augustine's texts while in seminary 🔹 The book challenges many traditional interpretations of Augustine's famous "pear tree incident," suggesting it was less about actual theft and more about the nature of group psychology and peer pressure 🔹 Wills, a Pulitzer Prize winner, purposely made his translation more concise than previous versions, removing what he considered Victorian-era embellishments that had crept into other translations 🔹 The work examines how Augustine's text influenced later writers, including James Joyce, who structured his novel "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" as a modern version of the Confessions