St Augustine's Confessions

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Maximilian75

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I recently purchased a copy of this timeless Catholic work. Does anyone who has read it before have advice on how to get the most from reading it?
 
Make sure you have a good translation, for starters. Bad, or very old fashioned, translations can be a real turn off.
Chapters 1-9 tell the dramatic story of Augustine’s conversion. They are quite graphic about his continual lust and career ambitions, as well as his desire to get away from his mother Monica who made him feel guilty. In short, he presents himself as a kind of “everyman” thoroughly immersed in the fame and fortune of the world while ignoring his spiritual life. But he finds his eyes slowly opening through the books he reads and several people he meets, most notably Bishop Ambrose. Then, of course, the famous conversion scene.
The remaining chapters are much more philosophic/theological.
 
I like the Henry Chadwick translation (Oxford World Classic series). I’ve taught that translation to university students for many years. It won’t be in the public domain like the one your found on amazon, but it is a contemporary translation that reads very well and accurately.
 
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