The Confessions

by Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo; Boulding, Maria; Rotelle, John E.

• ISBN13: 9781565484450
• ISBN10: 1565484452
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-06-15
• Publisher: New City Pr

Summary

"The Confessions" is an all time number one Christian classic -- an extended poetic, passionate, intimate prayer written by St. Augustine because he felt called by God to make this confession. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, calls Boulding's translation "a different level of excellence from practically anything else on the market. She has perfected an elegant and flowing style." This 2nd edition includes a long-awaited annotated bibliography.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 9
Chronological Outline of Augustline's Life for the Period Covered by the Confessions	p. 34
Revisions	p. 36
The Confessions
Infancy and Boyhood	p. 39
Opening prayer and meditation	p. 39
Infancy	p. 43
Learning to speak	p. 47
Augustine goes to school	p. 48
His baptism is deferred	p. 50
Latin and Greek studies	p. 52
Childish sins	p. 59
Thanksgiving	p. 60
Adolescence	p. 62
Sexual awakening	p. 62
A year at home	p. 64
Adolescent lust	p. 66
He robs a pear tree	p. 67
Question of motives	p. 68
The prodigal's wanderings begin	p. 74
Student Years at Carthage	p. 75
Student life: sex and shows	p. 75
The "wreckers"	p. 78
The quest for wisdom: Cicero's Hortensius	p. 79
Distaste for scripture	p. 80
He joins the Manichees	p. 80
Monica, grieved, is consoled by a vision	p. 89
"A son of tears"	p. 90
Augustine the Manichee	p. 92
Augustine sells rhetorical skills	p. 92
He begins to cohabit with an unnamed girl	p. 93
He investigates astrology	p. 94
Death of a friend at Thagaste	p. 96
Consolation in other friends at Carthage	p. 100
Transience of created things	p. 101
What is beauty? He writes a book	p. 105
He reads Aristotle's Categories	p. 109
Faustus at Carthage, Augustine to Rome and Milan	p. 113
Augustine hopes to question Faustus	p. 115
Valid observations of the natural world by "philosophers"	p. 115
Manichlean assertions about natural phenomena are astray	p. 118
Augustine is disappointed in Faustus	p. 119
Indiscipline among his students prompts move to Rome	p. 122
Monica's opposition; Augustine departs by stealth	p. 123
Illness in Rome; Manichean contacts	p. 125
Appeal of Academic skepticism	p. 127
Augustine teaches in Rome	p. 129
He wins a teaching post in Milan	p. 130
He arrives in Milan and meets Ambrose	p. 131
Milan, 385: Progress, Friends, Perplexities	p. 134
Monica comes to Milan	p. 134
Bishop Ambrose	p. 137
Augustine finds some enlightenment	p. 139
Hollowness of his secular ambitions; the drunken beggar	p. 142
Alypius	p. 144
Nebridius	p. 150
Perplexities and plans: philosophy and the problem of continence	p. 150
Projected marriage	p. 154
Dream of an ideal community	p. 155
Dismissal of Augustine's common-law wife; his grief	p. 156
Neo-Platonism Frees Augustine's Mind	p. 158
Materialistic notions of God insufficient	p. 158
The problem of evil	p. 161
The finally rejects astrology	p. 164
Still searching	p. 168
He reads "the books of the Platonists"	p. 169
The attempts Platonic ecstasy, but is "beaten back"	p. 172
New light on the problem of evil	p. 173
Fresh attempt at mounting to God; he attains That Which Is	p. 176
He realizes the need for Christ the Mediator	p. 178
Christ the Way	p. 180
Augustine discovers Saint Paul	p. 181
Conversion	p. 184
Conversation with Simplicianus	p. 186
Story of Victorinus' conversion	p. 186
Augustine longs to imitate him, but is hindered by lustful habit	p. 192
Conversation with Ponticianus	p. 194
Story of conversion of two court officials at Trier	p. 196
Struggle in the garden	p. 199
"Pick it up and read"	p. 206
Conversion of Augustine and Alypius Monica's joy	p. 207
Death and Rebirth	p. 209
Augustine decides to renounce his career	p. 210
To Cassiciacum with his mother, son, and friends	p. 213
He lives with the psalms	p. 214
They return to Milan and are baptized	p. 219
Used of hymns in liturgy	p. 220
Discovery of the bodies of two saints	p. 221
Monica's story	p. 222
Ostia	p. 226
Monica's death	p. 230
Augustine's grief	p. 231
Peace	p. 235
Memory	p. 237
Motives for confession	p. 237
Looking for God in creatures	p. 241
Looking the God in himself: the fields of memory	p. 244
Universal desire for happiness	p. 256
In memory he knows God	p. 260
"Give what you command"	p. 263
Concupiscence of the flesh: sense of touch	p. 263
Taste	p. 265
Smell	p. 268
Hearing	p. 269
Sight	p. 270
Concupiscence of the eyes	p. 273
The third great temptation: pride	p. 275
Summary of all his discoveries	p. 280
The Mediator, priest and victim	p. 281
Time and Eternity	p. 284
Augustine prays for understanding of the scriptures	p. 284
In the Beginning God made heaven and Earth	p. 287
God creates in his Word	p. 288
This Word is eternal	p. 290
The eternal Word is the Beginning	p. 291
"What was God doing before that?" Meaningless question	p. 293
Time, a creature of God-what is it?	p. 295
Movements of the heavenly bodies are not time itself, but only markers of it	p. 302
Perhaps time is tension of our consciousness	p. 305
Out time and God's eternity	p. 310
Heaven and Earth	p. 312
Heaven's heaven is the spiritual creation	p. 312
Formless matter, the abyss	p. 313
There was no time there	p. 317
Summary of foregoing remarks on spiritual and material creation	p. 319
Some people disagree with me about the spiritual and material creation	p. 321
Augustine's response to those who disagree	p. 324
The author's intention must be sought, in charity	p. 327
"If I had been Moses"	p. 334
How fruitful are these verses of Genesis!	p. 335
Conclusion: the one Truth, many human approaches	p. 339
The Days of Creation, Prophecy of the Church	p. 342
Why did God create?	p. 343
Not for any deserving on the creature's side	p. 344
God's Spirit, Third Person of the Trinity	p. 345
Allegorical interpretation of Gn 1. Day One: Light	p. 350
Day Two: The vault of scripture	p. 353
Day Three: Bitter sea, dry land, fruitfulness	p. 356
Day Four: Lamps of wisdom and knowledge	p. 357
Day Five: Sea creatures represent signs and sacraments	p. 360
Day Six: Animals, the living soul	p. 362
Humanity in God's image and likeness	p. 364
Increase and multiply	p. 368
God assigns them their food	p. 370
God saw that it was exceedingly good (against the Manichees)	p. 373
Summary of literal exegesis; man and woman	p. 376
Summary of allegorical exegesis	p. 377
Conclusion: rest on the seventh day	p. 379
Index of Scripture	p. 381
Index	p. 383
A Bibliographic Guide	p. 417
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