The Works Of Saint Augustine V 1 The Confessions

"As the psalms are a microcosm of the Old Testament, so the Expositions of the Psalms can be seen as a microcosm of Augustinian thought. In the Book of Psalms are to be found the history of the people of Israel, the theology and spirituality of the Old Covenant, and a treasury of human experience expressed in prayer and poetry. So too does the work of expounding the psalms recapitulate and focus the experiences of Augustine's personal life, his theological reflections and his pastoral concerns as Bishop of Hippo."--Publisher's website.

Shows sensitivity to his passion and poetry that should make the text more accessible to contemporary English readers.

Presents an English translation of Saint Augustine's "Confessions" in which the fourth-century bishop reflects on his faith and reveals his sins

Here, Henri de Lubac gathers from throughout the breadth and length of Catholic tradition elements which he synthesizes to show the essentially social and historical character of the Catholic Church and how this worldwide and agelong dimension of the Church is the only adequate matrix for the fulfillment of the person within society and the transcendence of the person towards God.

The Confessions of Augustine have long both demanded and eluded the sustained and serious attention to detail that a scholarly commentary can provide. This new work in three volumes is a major new reference in Augustine scholarship. A revised Latin text of the Confessions in Volume I forms the basis for a detailed line-by-line commentary (Volumes II and III) designed to elucidate the many layers of meaning in the work. Extensive quotation and abundant citation of Augustine's own writings, of the scriptural texts that were never far from his mind, and of the works of his intellectual forebears (chief among them Cicero, Plotinus, and Ambrose) are meant to provide one essential context for reading the Confessions. Placing the emphasis primarily on exegesis, O'Donnell opens up new lines of interpretation, and gives a wealth of fresh detail to some more familiar themes. The place of the Confessions in Augustine's own life and in the history of Christian literature is also discussed and illuminated.

Accompanied by a commentary, this volume presents the Latin text of one of the great classics of Christian literature. Books I-IV of the Confessions reflect on Augustine's infancy and childhood, adolescent rebellion and student days, as well as his early teaching career.

Henry Chadwick, an eminent scholar of early Christianity, has given us the first new English translation in thirty years of Augustine's The Confessions. We witness the future saint's fascination with astrology and with the Manichees, and then follow him through scepticism and disillusion with pagan myths until he finally reaches Christian faith. There are brilliant philosophical musings about Platonism and the nature of God, and touching portraits of Augustine's beloved mother, of St. Ambrose of Milan, and of other early Christians like Victorinus, who gave up a distinguished career as a rhetorician to adopt the orthodox faith. To make The Confessions accessible to contemporary readers, Chadwick provides the most complete and informative notes of any recent translation, and includes an introduction to establish the context.