In his own day the dominant personality of the Western Church, Augustine of Hippo today stands as perhaps the greatest thinker of Christian antiquity, and his Confessions is one of the great works of Western literature. In this intensely personal narrative, Augustine relates his rare ascent from a humble Algerian farm to the edge of the corridors of power at the imperial court in Milan, his struggle against the domination of his sexual nature, his renunciation of secular ambition and marriage, and the recovery of the faith his mother Monica had taught him during his childhood. Now, Henry Chadwick, an eminent scholar of early Christianity, has given us the first new English translation in thirty years of this classic spiritual journey. Chadwick renders the details of Augustine's conversion in clear, modern English. We witness the future saint's fascination with astrology and with the Manichees, and then follow him through scepticism and disillusion with pagan myths until he finally reaches Christian faith. There are brilliant philosophical musings about Platonism and the nature of God, and touching portraits of Augustine's beloved mother, of St. Ambrose of Milan, and of other early Christians like Victorinus, who gave up a distinguished career as a rhetorician to adopt the orthodox faith. Augustine's concerns are often strikingly contemporary, yet his work contains many references and allusions that are easily understood only with background information about the ancient social and intellectual setting. To make The Confessions accessible to contemporary readers, Chadwick provides the most complete and informative notes of any recent translation, and includes an introduction to establish the context. The religious and philosophical value of The Confessions is unquestionable--now modern readers will have easier access to St. Augustine's deeply personal meditations. Chadwick's lucid translation and helpful introduction clear the way for a new experience of this classic.

希波的奥古斯丁在他自己的时代是西方教会的主导人物，今天他可能是基督教古代最伟大的思想家，他的《忏悔录》是西方文学的伟大作品之一。在这篇强烈的个人叙事中，奥古斯丁讲述了他从一个卑微的阿尔及利亚农场到米兰皇室宫廷权力走廊边缘的罕见经历，他与性本性的支配的斗争，他对世俗野心和婚姻的放弃，以及恢复他母亲莫妮卡在他童年时教给他的信仰。现在，研究早期基督教的杰出学者亨利-查德威克为我们提供了这一经典精神之旅30年来的第一个新的英文译本。查德威克用清晰、现代的英语演绎了奥古斯丁皈依的细节。我们见证了这位未来的圣徒对占星术和摩尼教的迷恋，然后跟随他经历了对异教神话的怀疑和幻灭，直到他最终达成基督教信仰。书中有关于柏拉图主义和上帝本质的精彩哲学思考，还有奥古斯丁深爱的母亲、米兰的圣安布罗斯和其他早期基督徒的感人画像，比如放弃了杰出的修辞学家生涯而接受正统信仰的维克多努斯。奥古斯丁所关注的问题往往具有鲜明的时代性，但他的作品中包含了许多参考和典故，只有在了解了古代社会和知识背景的情况下才能轻松理解。为了使当代读者能够理解《忏悔录》，查德威克提供了最近所有译本中最完整、最丰富的注释，并包括一个介绍，以确定背景。忏悔录》的宗教和哲学价值是毋庸置疑的--现在，现代读者将更容易接触到圣奥古斯丁的深刻的个人冥想。查德威克清晰的翻译和有益的介绍为这本经典的新体验扫清了道路。