The Plan

Confessions is divided into 13 Books. It is a narrative of conversion, but it is more than that… it is also a polemical work. As well as confessing the faults and failings of his early life, Augustine offers the reader a defence of his current standing as a believer and bishop within the Catholic Church.

Confessions was written over the period 397 to 400, just after Augustine’s appointment as a bishop. Many of his great polemical and theological works were written and published later in his life.

Confessions contains more than enough material for us to take time in our reading and reflection. I will provide summaries of each book... one book at a time over the next ten months or so. Expect the first such summary to be posted mid to late October 2010.

Group members should feel free to read Confessions at their own pace. They can post their own blogs on any matter related to the content of the book. Comments will be enabled to allow discussion on each blog post.

Niamh and I are sharing administration of the blog. We will moderate the blog discussions, and we will delete any posts or comments that we think are irrelevant or unduly offensive. Group members are reminded that the blog is public and can be read by anyone online.

Welcome to Tipperary Confessions

Tipperary Confessions is an online reading group. Members join the group by invitation. All members can contribute to the blog and comment on posts. For the moment the blog will be public.

There are many ways to read Augustine's Confessions. I'll be using Henry Chadwick's translation in the Oxford World's Classics series. It is possible to find the text online too.

The design of the blog may change but the purpose is simple: to provide a forum for the members to share thoughts and reflections as they read Confessions.