Many of us will be familiar with this man who lived in the latter part of the fourth century after Christ. His life involved periods living in Carthage, Milan and Rome and he was a soul on a journey in the knowledge of God. I had long heard of him but had never read his confessions. This particular edition reviewed is an abridgement with a foreword by Warren W.Wiersbe. It is also something of a paraphrase which makes it all the more readable for today’s reader. Perhaps that is the best way to start reading this mans writings. It certainly whetted my appetite to delve further into his thought and reasoning. This book is officially called a ‘confiteri’. I had never come across this word before and it refers to ‘the praise of a soul’. At first it can be disconcerting to look into these pages and find them the thoughts of a man musing in the presence of God and directing all to God. At times they meander through various issues but through all the theme of God’s grace to Augustine throughout his life is present. Although he is known as Saint Augustine he writes as a sinner. He shares his innermost thoughts and conversion experiences and his struggles with temptations of various kinds along with spiritual questions that repeatedly troubled him. This book is challenging to read. It demands prayerful pondering, slow progress, not to be read page after page. Often in the churches of today the use of the mind is at a low ebb, instead the ‘feel good’ factor is all, what excites dominates but here is need for sober thinking in the presence of God. The humility of this man before the greatness of God and His grace is stunning to read. His willingness to expose the depths of his soul and the answers of God goodness to him only encourages the reader to realize how God loves His people to approach Him in the simplicity of a seeking child. It is all the more wonderful to realize that this man Augustine is reckoned to be one of the greatest intellectuals in the history of the church and his thinking is prodigious and here he is writing so intimately of his struggles and joys of walking with God. Others have spoken of this book as one of the greatest books of philosophy ever written, I cannot say, I am not familiar with much in that realm but this is a book that will help us to love God more with all our heart and mind too. We have to join Augustine on his journey and become thrilled with God as he himself became as he muses upon the wonders of God’s grace to him through his life.
