confessiones

Confessiones, commonly translated as Confessions, is an autobiographical work by Augustine of Hippo (St. Augustine). Written in Latin and completed around 397–400 CE, it is regarded as one of the foundational texts of Christian theology and Western autobiography. The work is framed as a prayer to God and presents Augustine’s confessions of sin and his ongoing meditation on grace, time, memory, and the nature of reality.

The narrative covers Augustine’s youth in Tagaste and Carthage, his early study and rhetorical training, his involvement with Manichaeism, and his eventual conversion to Christianity, influenced by his mother Monica and the preaching of Ambrose of Milan. The 13 books blend personal recollection with philosophical and theological reflection, using inward examination to explore the human condition and the experience of divine grace.

Among its notable themes are the search for truth, the problem of evil, the nature of time (including the famous meditation on time in Book XI), and the transforming power of faith. The work is also known for its distinctive self-revelatory style and its intimate portrayal of spiritual struggle.

Impact and legacy: Confessiones profoundly shaped later Christian thought, medieval spirituality, and the development of the Western autobiographical tradition. It influenced later confessional literature and has remained a central text in theology, philosophy, and literary studies. The work has been widely translated and continues to attract scholarly attention for its introspective method and its articulation of Augustine’s theological anthropology.