one of the most influential Church Fathers in the West. He was born in Thagaste, a town in the Roman province of Numidia, located in modern-day Algeria. His contributions to theology, philosophy, and literature are well known, but what may be overlooked is that he wrestled with many of the same struggles we face today. Augustine’s journey from a turbulent youth to becoming one of the most influential Church Fathers in Christian history was fraught with challenges.

In his autobiographical Confessions, Augustine laid bare his struggles with sin, his spiritual journey toward faith, and his reflections on God’s grace. This groundbreaking work was one of the first autobiographical and confessional texts of its kind, written as a prayer to God in the form of a confession. In it, Augustine is painstakingly honest, confessing his early life marked by failures, regret, and eventual conversion.

Restlessness is perhaps the central theme of Confessions, as Augustine explores how the human condition is permeated with it. He reveals his own restlessness in pursuing worldly pleasures, intellectual inquiry, and ambition. Perhaps more importantly, he recounts how his devoted mother, Monica, prayed for him almost daily during his tumultuous youth until his conversion.

In his early years, Augustine struggled with hedonistic pleasures, academic ambition, and spiritual confusion. Sound familiar? He deeply valued education and sought truth through philosophy and theology. For a time, he adhered to Manichaeism, a dualistic belief system, but later found its teachings inadequate. Augustine was also profoundly influenced by Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, whose wisdom and eloquence shaped his understanding of Christianity.

In Confessions, Augustine describes the crucial moment of his conversion as his spiritual crisis reached a pivotal point. For some time, he had been engaged in a fierce internal struggle between his worldly desire for pleasure and his longing for truth and God. This conflict reached a fever pitch, and one day, while in a private garden in Milan, he retreated to a secluded part of the garden, weeping and praying for resolution. He then heard a childlike voice repeatedly saying, “Take and read, take and read.” Interpreting this as a divine sign, he opened the Bible to Romans 13:13–14, which profoundly moved him:


“Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.“

He later wrote that in that moment, he felt light and free, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his soul. Overcome with joy, he immediately went to share the news with his mother, who was elated. Augustine thereafter enjoyed a brief period of fellowship with his mother during which they shared a deep spiritual experience, contemplating the joy of union with God and the life to come. Many readers consider this the most moving and beautiful part of the Confessions.

Monica’s words to Augustine shortly before her death were: “Son, for my part, I have no longer any delight in anything in this life. What I am still to do here and why I am here, I do not know, now that my hope in this world is fulfilled.”

Shortly thereafter, Monica passed away, content in knowing that her prayers for her son had been answered.

Confessions transitions from this deeply emotional moment of Monica’s death to Augustine’s reflections on topics such as time, creation, and the nature of God. The remainder of the book is less a continuation of Augustine’s life story and more a meditation on universal themes seen through spiritual eyes.

Augustine wrote on many subjects that influenced the course of Western history. Through his conversion, he was given new eyes to see the world. His shift in perspective demonstrates how embracing Christ transforms the way we view the world and everything within it. As the hymn “Loved with Everlasting Love” beautifully phrases it: