The Confessions

A book of extraordinary stylistic power, rich in refined rhetoric placed at the service of the purest authenticity of mind and heart. Yet people go to admire the peaks of the mountains, the enormous waves of the sea, the vast currents of the rivers, the expanse of the ocean, and the orbits of the stars, while neglecting themselves. Having set out for Italy in search of success as a rhetorician, Augustine encountered conversion there and returned to Africa as a bishop. He then decided to recount his story and describe the process through which God leads a soul to the Truth. A poignant evocation of the past and a meditation on the mystery of life and humanity, the Confessions—a cornerstone in the history of thought, not only religious—reflect all the major themes of Augustinian philosophy: the nature of God, the existence of evil, free will, the role of Grace, and the concept of time.