The Confessions of St. Augustine (Paraclete Essentials)

The first autobiography ever written, and one of the most profound testaments of faith, ever.

  “This book is the masterpiece from which all other Christian memoirs flow. Augustine’s astonishing story remains as fresh as it did when he wrote it in the late fourth century. The Confessions still speaks with a clear, vivid and altogether distinctive voice to believers and seekers searching for the One who will give rest to their restless hearts.”  —James Martin, SJ, author of My Life with the Saints

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO (354-430) was one of the foremost philosopher-theologians of early Christianity and the leading figure in the church of North Africa. He became bishop of Hippo in 396 and held that position until his death. Before becoming a Christian, Augustine lived a very secular life. His mother Monica prayed for him diligently and at age 32, during a trip to Milan, Augustine heard the preaching of St. Ambrose, was convicted by the Holy Spirit, and became a Christian. His numerous written works, the most important of which are his Confessions and City of God, shaped the practice of biblical exegesis and helped lay the foundation for much of medieval and modern Christian thought.

Born in North Carolina in 1923, Hal M. Helms graduated from Furman University and earned an M. Div. from Hartford Seminary. He served five congregations and then in 1974 became Chaplain at the Community of Jesus, an ecumenical Christian Community on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Rev. Helms “mildly modernized”  a number of classics, including The Pilgrim's Progress, The Imitation of Christ, and The Confessions of St. Augustine, and wrote several devotional books. He died in 1997.