Confessions: Saint Augustine of Hippo | Translated by R.S. Pine-Coffin

Confessions

Extended Synopsis

Born to a pagan father and a Christian mother, Saint Augustine spent his early years intellectually and spiritually adrift, torn between conflicting worldviews and philosophical doctrines. Written when he was in his forties, his Confessions is a remarkably honest and revealing spiritual autobiography that chronicles his slow, often painful departure from his youthful ideas and licentious lifestyle.

Far more than a simple memoir, this enduring masterwork details Augustine's profound transformation into a staunch advocate of Christianity and one of the most influential thinkers in Western history. The text rigorously addresses fundamental issues of Christian doctrine, the nature of time, the problem of evil, and human free will. The theological meditations and intimate prayers contained within these pages remain an integral, foundational part of Christian practice and theological study to this day. R.S. Pine-Coffin's definitive translation faithfully preserves the passion and intellectual rigor of the original Latin text.

Reader Targeting

• Students and scholars of theology, religious history, and medieval philosophy.
• Individuals seeking foundational texts of the Christian faith and the Catholic Church.
• Readers of classical autobiographies and profound spiritual reflections.

Author & Translator Biographies

Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) was a theologian, philosopher, and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings significantly influenced the development of Western philosophy and Western Christianity, and he is viewed as one of the most important Church Fathers of the Latin Church. R. S. Pine-Coffin was a British translator known for his authoritative English translations of major Latin theological texts for the Penguin Classics series.

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