I strongly recommend reading Henry Chadwick's introductory essay in his translation of confessions. It will give you some necessary background. For more information on Augustine and his life and works, Peter Brown's biography is reputed to be excellent.
My first question is one that we should focus on some in our discussion time. Why did Augustine write confessions? Any thoughts? More questions?
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Wow, I'm making the first comment! I feel super special. I had a chance to read the introduction of the first copy of Confessions I got my hands on, and found it very helpful to get some background on Augustine's journey. I've been particularly excited as of late in discovering how famous church figures in history lived very questionable, and in some cases very secular lives before (and sometimes after) coming to Christ. I think Augustine wrote confessions for both his own benefit, and for the readers benefit. On the one hand, I think he believed it would be good for his own soul to make an account before God of the sinful life he has lived, but in doing so Augustine was also laying groundwork for the confessional lifestyle all Christians are called to embody. In some ways what Augustine did with confessions was incredibly groundbreaking, but on the other hand he has done nothing more here than what every believer is called to recognize and confess; we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God.
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