Author(s): Augustine Hippo

Religion

St Augustine's 'Confessions' was written between AD 397-400. An autobiographical work, it was written in thirteen parts, each a complete text intended to be read aloud. Written in his early 40s, it documents the development of Augustine's thought from childhood into his adult life - a life he considered in retrospect to be both sinful and immoral. He was in his early 30s before he converted to Christianity, but was soon ordained as a priest and became a bishop not long after. 'Confessions' not only documented his conversion but sought to offer guidance to others taking the same path. Considered to be the first Western autobiography to be written, Augustine's work (including the subsequent 'City of God') became a major influence on Christian writers for the next 1,000 years and remains a much-valued contribution to Christian thinking. This edition uses the classic translation from Latin by E.B. Pusey (1838) with a partial modernisation of the text to assist the modern reader.