This Cambridge Companion serves as an authoritative guide to Augustine's "Confessions" - a literary classic and one of the most important theological/philosophical works of Late Antiquity. Bringing together new essays by leading scholars, the volume first examines the composition of the text, including its structure, genre, and intended audience. Subsequent essays explore a range of themes and concepts, such as God, creation, sin, grace, happiness, and interiority, among others. The final section of the Companion deals with its historical relevance. It provides sample essays on the reception history of the Confessions. These essays demonstrate how each generation reads the Confessions in light of current questions and circumstances, and how the text continues to remain relevant and raise new questions.

Introduction: what is The Cambridge Companion to Augustine's 'Confessions'? Tarmo ToomPart I. Circumstances of Composition:1. Title, time, and circumstances of composition Carolyn Hammond2. Genre and structure of the Confessions Annemaré Kotzé3. Anticipated readers Jason BeDuhnPart II. Main Themes and Topics:4. Aversion and conversion Marie-Anne Vannier5. Creation and recreation Matthew Drever6. Sin and concupiscence Johannes van Oort7. Grace Volker Henning Drecoll8. God Paul van Geest9. Happiness and friendship Anne-Isabelle Bouton-Touboulic10. Love, will, and the intellectual ascents Sarah Byers11. Memory, time, and eternity Lenka Karfiková12. Philosophy Giovanni Catapano13. Pride and humility Notker Baumann13. Soul, self, and interiority Phillip CaryPart III. Reception and Reading Strategies:14. Manuscript transmission, critical editions, and English translations Gert Partoens15. Reception in the Middle Ages Eric Leland Saak16. Reception in the period of reformations Katrin Ettenhuber17. Reception during the enlightenment Patrick Riley18. Reading (in) the Confessions Mark Vessey.

Tarmo Toom is Associate Professor of Historical Theology at the John Leland Center for Theological Studies and Professorial Lecturer at Georgetown University, Washington DC. Among other publications, he has edited Patristic Theories of Biblical Interpretation and Augustine in Context (Cambridge, 2016), as well as sections of The Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity.

Tarmo Toom, Carolyn Hammond, Annemaré Kotzé, Jason BeDuhn, Marie-Anne Vannier, Matthew Drever, Johannes van Oort, Volker Henning Drecoll, Paul van Geest, Anne-Isabelle Bouton-Touboulic, Sarah Byers, Lenka Karfiková, Giovanni Catapano, Notker Baumann, Phillip Cary, Gert Partoens, Eric Leland Saak, Katrin Ettenhuber, Patrick Riley, Mark Vessey