1 post tagged “theology”

I'm about twenty pages to starting Augustine's Confessions, arguably one of the most important works in all of the

Western canon. I've read it before, but it's been a few years. And this time, I'm reading the Latin for as much as I can (lest my Latin shrivel up and die like my Greek already has). For fun, I've gone to the amazon.com review page for this book and picked out my favorites. Here are a selection:

Hate to Give it One Star, February 6, 2006

Reviewer:

bigmac (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

Is there an option for zero. The worst I book I have ever read. He contradicts himself in his points, hoovers over stealing pears (and other evil things) and puts me to sleep. I don't see how this piece of garbage could make anyone a saint, it should be burned. ZERO STARS.

Victims Don't Count, December 3, 2001

Reviewer:

Peter L. Swiinford (Lafayette, IN USA) - See all my reviews

He gets a girl pregnant, moves in with her for 15 years, and gets the urge to wander. He keeps his son, dumps the girl, and joins the church as Mommy desires. His "ex" goes back to Africa, perhaps to die as a prostitute-turned-old-beggar, and he moves on to conferred glory after conferred glory. Not the stuff of a Saint.

overrated, September 23, 2005

Reviewer:

Jeff E. Martin (mechanicsburg, pa United States) - See all my reviews

This is easily the most overrated religious book ever. I believe it is Chapter 6 where Augustine talks about how he used to steal pears just to steal them even though he wasn't hungry is the best thought in the book about how natural evil is to us and how bad we really are.

There I just told you the best part of the book. Chapters 10 and 11 are absolutely horrific. Can anyone really say they understood those chapters?

Augustine has a major problem with sex in general and is a really bad advice giver on that subject.