Confessions (Augustine)

1 Summary
The work outlines St. Augustines sinful youth and his
conversion to Christianity. It is widely seen as the rst
Western autobiography ever written, and was an inuential model for Christian writers throughout the following
1,000 years, through the Middle Ages. It is not a complete autobiography, as it was written in his early 40s,
and he lived long afterwards, producing another important work (City of God). It does, nonetheless, provide
an unbroken record of his development of thought and is
the most complete record of any single person from the
4th and 5th centuries. It is a signicant theological work,
featuring spiritual meditations and insights.
In the work St. Augustine writes about how much he regrets having led a sinful and immoral life. He discusses
his regrets for following the Manichaean religion and believing in astrology. He writes about Nebridius's role in
helping to persuade him that astrology was not only incorrect but evil, and St. Ambrose's role in his conversion
to Christianity. The rst nine books are autobiographical and the last four are commentary. He shows intense
sorrow for his sexual sins, and writes on the importance
of sexual morality. The books were written as prayers to
God, thus the title, based on the Psalms of David; and it
begins with For Thou hast made us for Thyself and our
hearts are restless till they rest in Thee.[3] The work is
thought to be divisible into books which symbolize various aspects of the Trinity and trinitarian belief.

Confessions by St. Augustine of Hippo

2 Outline (by book)

1. His infancy, and boyhood up to age 14. Starting
with his infancy, St. Augustine reects on his personal childhood in order to draw universal conclusions about the nature of infancy: the child is inherently violent if left to its own devices because of
Original Sin. Later, he reects on choosing pleasure
and reading secular literature over studying Scripture, choices which he later comes to understand as
ones for which he deserved the punishment of his
teachers, although he did not recognize that during
his childhood.

Confessions (Latin: Confessiones) is the name of an

autobiographical work, consisting of 13 books, by St.
Augustine of Hippo, written in Latin between AD 397
and 400.[1] Modern English translations of it are sometimes published under the title The Confessions of St.
Augustine in order to distinguish the book from other
books with similar titles. Its original title was Confessions in Thirteen Books, and it was composed to be read
out loud with each book being a complete unit.[2]
The work outlines St. Augustines sinful youth and his
conversion to Christianity. It is widely seen as the rst
Western autobiography ever written, and was an inuential model for Christian writers throughout the following
1,000 years, through the Middle Ages. It is generally considered one of Augustines most important texts.

2. Augustine continues to reect on his adolescence

during which he recounts two examples of his grave
sins that he committed as a sixteen-year-old: the development of his God-less lust and the theft of a
1

2 OUTLINE (BY BOOK)

pear in vain from his neighbors orchard. Augustine
comes from a good family and has never wanted for
food. In this book, he explores the question of why
he and his friends stole pears when he had many better pears of his own. He explains the feelings he experienced as he ate the pears and threw the rest away
to the pigs. Augustine argues that he most likely
would not have stolen anything had he not been in
the company of others who could share in his sin.
3. He begins the study of rhetoric at Carthage, where
he develops a love of wisdom through his exposure
to Ciceros Hortensius. He blames his pride for lacking faith in Scripture, so he nds a way to seek truth
regarding good and evil through Manichaeism. At
the end of this book, his mother, Monica, dreams
about her sons re-conversion to Catholic doctrine.
4. Between the ages of 19 and 28, St. Augustine forms
a faithful relationship with an unnamed woman with
whom he has a son. At the same time that he has returned to Tagaste, his hometown, to teach, a friend
fell sick, was baptized in the Catholic Church, recovered slightly, then died. The death of his friend
depresses Augustine, who then reects on the meaning of love of a friend in a mortal sense versus love of
a friend in God; he concludes that his friends death
aected him severely because of his lack of love in
God. Things he used to love become hateful to him
because everything reminds him of what was lost.
Augustine then suggests that he began to love his life
of sorrow more than his fallen friend. He closes this
book with his reection that he had attempted to nd
truth through the Manicheans and astrology, yet devout Church members, who he claims are far less
intellectual and prideful, have found truth through
greater faith in God.
5. While St. Augustine is aged 29, he begins to
lose faith in Manichean teachings, a process that
starts when the Manichean bishop Faustus visits
Carthage. He is unimpressed with the substance of
Manichaeism, but he has not yet found something
to replace it. He feels a sense of resigned acceptance to these fables as he has not yet formed a spiritual core to prove their falsity. He moves to teach
in Rome where the education system is more disciplined. He does not stay in Rome for long because
his teaching is requested in Milan, where he encounters the bishop Ambrose (St. Ambrose). He appreciates Ambroses style and attitude, and Ambrose
exposes him to a more spiritual, gurative perspective of God, which leads him into a position as catechumen of the Church.
6. The sermons of St. Ambrose draw Augustine closer
to Catholicism, which he begins to favor over other
philosophical options. In this section his personal
troubles, including ambition, continue, at which
point he compares a beggar, whose drunkenness is

temporal happiness, with his hitherto failure at

discovering happiness.[4] Augustine highlights the
contribution of his friends Alypius and Nebridius in
his discovery of religious truth. Monica returns at
the end of this book and arranges a marriage for Augustine, who separates from his previous wife, nds
a new mistress, and deems himself to be a slave of
lust.[5]
7. In his mission to discover the truth behind good and
evil, St. Augustine is exposed to the Neoplatonist
view of God. He nds fault with this thought, however, because he thinks that they understand the nature of God without accepting Christ as a mediator
between humans and God. He reinforces his opinion of the Neoplatonists through the likeness of a
mountaintop: It is one thing to see, from a wooded
mountain top, the land of peace, and not to nd the
way to it[...]it is quite another thing to keep to the
way which leads there, which is made safe by the
care of the heavenly Commander, where they who
have deserted the heavenly army may not commit
their robberies, for they avoid it as a punishment.[6]
From this point, he picks up the works of the apostle
Paul which seized [him] with wonder. [7]
8. He further describes his inner turmoil on whether
to convert to Christianity. Two of his friends,
Simplicianus and Ponticianus, tell Augustine stories about the conversions of Marius Victorinus and
Saint Anthony. While reecting in a garden, Augustine hears a childs voice chanting take up and
read.[8] Augustine picks up a Bible and reads the
passage it opens to, Romans 13:13-14: Not in revelry and drunkenness, not in debauchery and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy; but put on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and as for the esh, take no
thought for its lusts.[9] This action conrms his conversion to Catholicism. His friend Alypius follows
his example.
9. In preparation for his baptism, Augustine concludes
his teaching of rhetoric. St. Ambrose baptizes Augustine along with Adeodatus and Alypius. Upon
his return to his mother in Africa, they share in a religious vision in Ostia. Soon after, Saint Monica dies
in addition to his friends Nebridius and Vecundus.
By the end of this book, Augustine remembers these
deaths through the prayer of his newly adopted faith:
May they remember with holy feeling my parents in
this transitory light, and my brethren under Thee, O
Father, in our Catholic Mother [the Church], and my
fellow citizens in the eternal Jerusalem, for which
the pilgrimage of Thy people sighs from the start
until the return. In this way, her last request of me
will be more abundantly granted her in the prayers
of many through these my confessions than through
my own prayers. [10]
10. Augustine shifts from personal memories to intro-

3
spective evaluation of the memories themselves and
of the self, as he continues to reect on the values
of confessions, the signicance of prayer, and the
means through which individuals can reach God. It
is through both this last point and his reection on
the body and the soul that he arrives at a justication
for the existence of Christ.
11. Augustine analyzes the nature of creation and of
time as well as its relation with God. He relies on
Genesis throughout this book to support his thinking.
12. Through his discussion of creation, Augustine relates the nature of the divine and the earthly as part
of a thorough analysis of both the rhetoric of Genesis and the plurality of interpretations that one might
use to analyze Genesis.
13. He concludes the text by exploring an allegorical interpretation of Genesis, through which he discovers
the Trinity and the signicance of Gods creation of
man. Based on his interpretation, he espouses the
signicance of rest as well as the divinity of Creation: For, then shalt Thou rest in us, in the same
way that Thou workest in us now [...] So, we see
these things which Thou hast made, because they
exist, but they exist because Thou seest them. We
see, externally, that they exist, but internally, that
they are good; Thou hast seen them made, in the
same place where Thou didst see them as yet to be
made. [11]

threat to most Christians as was the case two centuries

earlier. Instead, a Christians struggles were usually internal. Augustine clearly presents his struggle with worldly
desires such as lust. Augustines conversion was quickly
followed by his ordination as a priest in A.D. 391 and
then appointment as bishop in A.D. 395. Such rapid ascension certainly raised criticism of Augustine. Confessions was written between A.D. 397-398, suggesting selfjustication as a possible motivation for the work. With
the words I wish to act in truth, making my confession
both in my heart before you and in this book before the
many who will read it in Book X Chapter 1,[14] Augustine both confesses his sins and glories God through humility in His grace, the two meanings that dene confessions, [15] in order to reconcile his imperfections not
only to his critics but also to God.

4 Audience

Much of our information about Augustine comes directly

from Augustines own writing. Augustines Confessions
provide signicant insight into the rst thirty three years
of his life. Augustine does not paint himself as a holy
man, but as a sinner. The sins that Augustine confesses
are relatively minor and include his struggle with lust,
stealing pears at a young age, and minor lies. For example, in the second chapter of Book IX Augustine references his choice to wait three weeks until the autumn
break to leave his position of teaching without causing a
disruption. He wrote that some may say it was sinful of
me to allow myself to occupy a chair of lies even for one
hour. [16] In the introduction to the 1961 translation by
3 Purpose
R.S. Pine-Con he suggests that this harsh interpretation
of Augustines own past is intentional so that his audience
Confessions was not only meant to encourage conversion, sees him as a sinner blessed with Gods mercy instead of
[17]
but it oered guidelines for how to convert. St. Augus- as a holy gurehead.
tine extrapolates from his own experiences to t others Due to the nature of Confessions, it is clear that Augustine
journeys. Augustine recognizes that God has always pro- was not only writing for himself but that the work was
tected and guided him. This is reected in the structure intended for public consumption. Augustines potential
of the work. Augustine begins each book within Confes- audience included baptized Christians, catechumens, and
sions with a prayer to God. For example, both books VIII those of other faiths. Peter Brown, in his book The Body
and IX begin with you have broken the chains that bound and Society, writes that Confessions targeted those with
me; I will sacrice in your honor.[12] Because Augustine similar experience to Augustines own.[18] Furthermore,
begins each book with a prayer, Albert C. Outler, a Pro- with his background in Manichean practices, Augustine
fessor of Theology at Southern Methodist University, ar- had a unique connection to those of the Manichean faith.
gues that Confessions is a pilgrimage of grace [...] [a] Confessions thus constitutes an appeal to encourage conretrac[ing] [of] the crucial turnings of the way by which version.
[Augustine] had come. And since he was sure that it was
Gods grace that had been his prime mover on that way,
it was a spontaneous expression of his heart that cast his
self-recollection into the form of a sustained prayer to 5 Editions
God. [13] Not only does Confessions glorify God but it
also suggests Gods help in Augustines path to redemp St. Augustine (1960). The Confessions of St. Aution.
gustine. New York: Image Books. ISBN 0-385Written after the legalization of Christianity, Confessions
dated from an era where martyrdom was no longer a

02955-1. (Translated into English, with an Introduction and Notes, by John K. Ryan.)

10

See also
Imitation of Christ
Soliloquies of Augustine

References

[1] Chadwick, Henry (1992). St. Augustine, Confessions

(2008 ed.). Oxford University Press. p. xxix. ISBN
9780199537822.
[2] Saint Augustine (Bishop of Hippo.) (2006). Confessions.
Hackett Publishing. pp. 17. ISBN 978-0-87220-816-2.

EXTERNAL LINKS

Augustine. Introduction. Confessions and Enchiridion. Ed. and Trans. Albert C. Outler. Library of
Christian Classics, 7 Vol. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1955. Print.
Chadwick, Henry (2008). Saint Augustine: Confessions. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 019-953782-8. (Translation into English.)
Warner, Rex (1963). The Confessions of St. Augustine. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-45162474-2. (Translation into English.)

9 Further reading

[3] Saint Augustine (Bishop of Hippo.) (2006). Confessions.

Hackett Publishing. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-87220-816-2.

Brown, Peter. Augustine of Hippo, reprint edition.

Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000.

[4] Bourke 1966, p. 140

Brown, Peter. The Body and Society: Men,

Women, and Sexual Renunciation in Early Christianity, Twentieth Anniversary edition. New York:
Columbia University Press, 2008.

[5] Bourke 1966, p. 158.

[6] Bourke 1966, pp. 193-194.
[7] Bourke 1966, p. 194.
[8] Confessions, Chapter XII

Augustine. Confessions. Trans. Pierre de Labriolle.

3rd ed. Paris: Socit d'dition Les Belles Lettres,
1969. Print. Collection des Universits de France .

[9] Bourke 1966, p. 225.

[10] Bourke 1966, p. 262.
[11] Bourke 1966, pp. 455-456.
[12] Saint Augustine of Hippo (1961). Confessions. Harmonds
worth Middles ex, England: Penguin Books. Book IX,
Chapter 1.
[13] Outler Introduction 1955, p. 5.
[14] Saint Augustine of Hippo (1961). Confessions. Harmondsworth Middlesex, England: Penguin Books. p.
Book X, Chapter 1.

10 External links
Text in Latin with commentary by James J.
O'Donnell
Augustine: Texts and translations
Confessions public domain audiobook at LibriVox

10.1 English translations

[15] Outler Introduction 1955, p. 7.

Image Books, trans. John K. Ryan (New York: Image Books, 1960).

[16] Saint Augustine of Hippo (1961). Confessions. Harmondsworth Middlesex, England: Penguin Books. p.
Book IX, Chapter 2.

Christian Classics, trans. Albert C. Outler (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1955).

[17] Pine - Con, R.S. (1961). Introduction to Confessions.

Harmondsworth Middlesex, England: Penguin Books. p.
12.
[18] Brown, Peter (2008). The Body and Society. New York:
Columbia University Press. p. 388.

Sources
Augustine. Confessions. Trans. Vernon J. Bourke.
Washington: Catholic University of America Press,
1966. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 18
Feb. 2016.

New Advent, trans. J.G. Pilkington (Edinburgh: T.

& T. Clark, 1886).
Georgetown, trans. E.B. Pusey (Oxford : J.H.
Parker; London: J.G. and F. Rivington, 1838).
E.B. Puseys 1838 Translation: Revised 'you' version (2012) by Cormac Burke .
New City Press, trans. Maria Boulding, O.S.B.; ed.
John E. Rotelle, O.S.A. (Hyde Park, NY: New City
Press, 1997).
Confessions: St Augustine; trans. Fr Benignus
O'Rourke O.S.A, foreword by Martin Laird (London: DLT Books, 2013)

10.2

Commentaries

Saint Augustine of Hippo. Confessions, translated

by R.S. PineCon. Harmondsworth Middlesex,
England: Penguin Books, 1961.

10.2

Commentaries

An Introduction to Augustines Confessions, by

James J. O'Donnell.
In Latin with commentary by James J. O'Donnell

11

11
11.1

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