The Confessions

Written between 397 A.D. and 400 A.D., The Confessions by St. Augustine is one of the most powerful books in Christian literature and tradition. The book is a collection of fundamental events in St. Augustine’s life as he finds his way back to Catholicism. The stories begin in his childhood with his devoutly Christian mother in rural Algeria during the mid-fourth century A.D.

As the stories continue, St. Augustine discusses his lavish lifestyle at the imperial court in Milan; his struggle with sexual desires; his eventual rejection of secular goals and marriage; and subsequently the rediscovery of his Catholic faith. This personal narrative was one of the first autobiographies used to describe the writer’s spiritual and emotional Christian experiences in Western literature. As such, it became an inspiration for others to write about their own personal Christian journeys throughout the middle ages.