ABSTRACT
Augustine’s Confessions is one of the most influential works in Western literature. Confessions is a creative account of Augustine’s inner life, his development from youth to middle age, and his conversion to Christianity. Augustine wrote Confessions while living in Hippo Regius. While he did not have access to a major library, he was able to consult Christian and Jewish Scriptures and writers who identified with Neoplatonism. Scholars continue to debate the influences on Confessions, but most agree that Augustine drew from the Greek philosopher Plotinus, founder of Neoplatonism, and Scripture. Confessions also stems from the cultural context in which it was written. During Augustine’s time, elite members of society belonged to philosophical schools of wisdom—schools formed during the Roman Empire to teach followers both a philosophy and a way of life. In Confessions, he comes to believe that he has been searching for Christ from the beginning.
