Saint Augustine Confessions Summary

Michael L. Felix
Dough Sexton
History of Christianity
July 19, 2015
Reading Review: Saint Augustine’s “Confessions” Saint Augustine’s confessions is the first autobiography written in the western world, which offers an honest and compelling tale of his struggles with sin, and his salvation in the grace of God. I believe the wording of the title indicates a desire to atone for his indiscretions as a young man for satisfying his desires by chasing and laying with many women. I find this need for vindication odd as this is a common practice by both men and women in the world we live in today. The book consists of nine books that covers his life until the death of his mother, and four books that are filled with deeply philosophical about
He was hard on his infant self, but dismiss his sinning in that period by stating the he "can recall not a single trace." Saint Augustine continues his book by discussing his disappointment in the fancy reading and writings that he learned in school for the purpose of gaining honors and future wealth. He blamed his teachers for their misguided curriculums in the remaining portion of this book, and thanks them only for teaching him literacy. Saint Augustine finishes the book one by listing his sins in that era, but also lists what was good in him, which he thought to be the work of
His greatest struggle with this theft is that he did it for the pleasure of sinning, and not because “it was beautiful”, or for the taste”. He also discusses his desire to fornicate came from a need to love, and to be loved by others; while the act of sex was wrong, the virtue of love was a Godly characteristic. While Saint Augustine confesses his transgressions and the pleasure he took from committing them, he also places some blame on the quality of friendship and peer pressure. He stated in book two that "friendship can be a dangerous enemy, a seduction of the mind", which I believe he means that you must consider that a friend who sins, will likely entice you to