"Confessions" by St. Augustine

[tateziwin]

WOW!!

Who has read this and what are your opinions of it?
I have just read his discussion on the mind and memory and it blew me away.

 

[vangelicmonk]

I haven't read it yet, but it is on my "to read" list. I have the book. Tell me about it. What are you thoughts on it?

 

[tateziwin]

Well, let me tell you....it is not an easy book to read!!!

As it was written around 400AD it's english translation still contains a lot of thee's and thou's, however, that is not the hard part.

Actually comprehending what you are reading is the hard part!

Don't give up too easily though, as some parts seem to stretch the mind beyond it's limits and yet others are plain and simple BUT the book in it's entirety is a treasure trove of astounding insight and observations of Augustine's understanding of Truth.

Not only is it his confessions to God but also an autobiography and a philosophy course!

My advise to you would be to read slowly with concentration, skipping anything that seems way too weird.
Before the end of the book you will have grasped his writing style and thought patterns and then at the end return to those hard parts and see if you can better understand them.

I highly recommend this book.

 

[Letalis]

I just read it recently. I loved it. I'm going to be purchasing a copy for Christmas. I just started on his City of God.

 

[Robbie_James_Francis]

I've read the first few pages several times but haven't ever got much further than that, unfortunately. It's one of those things where I have to read some of the sentences three or four times and think about it before I can carry on.

For example, from Book I, part I:

Grant me, Lord, to know and understand which is first, to call on Thee or to praise Thee? and again, to know Thee or to call on Thee? For who can call on Thee not knowing Thee? For he that knoweth Thee not may call on Thee as other than Thou art. Or, is it rather, that we call on Thee that we may know Thee?...I will seek Thee, Lord, by calling on Thee; and will call on Thee, believing in Thee; for to us hast Thou been preached.

A combination of the liberal usage of "Thee" and the presentation of successive paradoxical questions really makes my head hurt!

 

[VeronicasImage]

I've read about him before but thanks for the post as I want to get this book for someone this Christmas season.