"God is our home but many of us have strayed from our native land.
The venerable authors of these Spiritual Classics are expert guides--
may we follow their directions home." --Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Writing in the last years of the fourth century a.d., Saint Augustine of
Hippo created what is at once the first true autobiography in Western
literature and among the most sophisticated yet accessible theological
arguments in the history of Christianity. With extraordinary candor and
psychological acumen, Augustine recounts his passage from a life of
sensuality, Manichaean superstition, and empty careerism to a genuine
spiritual awakening, and he articulates views on marriage, morality, and
faith that have shaped our discourse ever since. The Confessions allows
us to appreciate both the startling modernity of Augustine's insights
and the imperishable poetry of his voice. With a new Preface by
MacArthur Fellow Patricia Hampl,
author of Virgin Time and A Romantic Education.
In the annals of spirituality, certain books stand out both for their
historical importance and for their continued relevance. The Vintage
Spiritual Classics series offers the greatest of these works in
authoritative new editions, with specially commissioned essays by noted
contemporary commentators. Filled with eloquence and fresh insight,
encouragement and solace, Vintage Spiritual Classics are incomparable
resources for all readers who seek a more substantive understanding of
mankind's relation to the divine.
