Call Toll Free: (800) 451-5006

You Converted Me: The Confessions of St. Augustine

Author: Saint Augustine, Editor: Tony Jones

Read an Excerpt

Listen to an audio interview with Tony Jones!

"I think it has the makings of a great movie, a classic coming- of-age story. A boy grows into a man, getting into the kind of mischief that a lot of boys do (messing around with girls, stealing, getting in trouble at school). Meanwhile, his over-protective Christian mother prays fervently for the salvation of his soul. . . ."

So begins the introduction (by popular youth pastor Tony Jones) to one of the most famous true stories of all time. This young man, born in 354 and named Aurelius Augustinus, turned out to be one of the greatest heroes for God in the history of the Christian Church. In these pages, Augustine lets it all spill out---from the deep trust he had in his mother, to feeling guilt-ridden after stealing from a neighbor, to his ultimate and dramatic conversion at age thirty-three. Whether you are fifteen or fifty, this edition of Augustine's Confessions will open up the life and wisdom of the first, famous, Christian rebel---a man whose heart was set on fire for God.

Product Reviews for You Converted Me: The Confessions of St. Augustine

FROM HIS VANTAGE POINT AS author, youth pastor, and Emergent Village national coordinator, Tony Jones sees a renewed interest in the classic Christian titles of the past couple millennia. Jones, a senior research fellow impractical theology at Princeton Theological Seminary, is midway through writing the introduction and reader's notes to four updated classics for Paraclete Press. The re-titled classics are You Converted Me (the first eight books of Augustine's Confessions, released in March), The Most Difficult Journey You'll Ever Make (Pilgrim's Progress, October), a reworking of Brother Lawrence's The Practice of the Presence of God, and an as-yet unselected title by a female author. Classics are a backlist staple for many Christian publishers. These titles tend to be overshadowed by front list bestsellers, but that may be changing. Disenchanted with what they perceive to be shallow and unauthentic Christianity, post-moderns tend to look to the past for inspiration and authenticity. This interest is reflected in the recent return in popularity of ancient hymns and prayers, the lectio divina, and spiritual- formation practices that require a more rigorous attitude toward faith. Retailers who want to attract a younger, emergent-church crowd would be wise to highlight and promote Christian classics, Jones says." Classics have stood the test of time:' he says. "They not only tell the message of the kingdom of God but do it in away that's profound and captures someone's imagination, whether that person is in the sixth or 2 1 11 century." "Pilgrim's Progress is probably the most-read book (after the Bible) in the history of the English language. Confessions is in the top 10. The fact that it was written by one of Christianity's top theologians about his own adolescence and conversion makes it even more attractive to young readers. Retailers would be crazy not to stock it. "Jones admits to being disheartened by much of today's Christian literature, which he considers shallow and market-driven. He warns that teens and twenty some things don't want what they consider trivial reading matter. College students, who read and discuss Plato and Aristotle in their college courses, want challenging spiritual texts. The same applies to teens, Jones observes. As a youth pastor, he's seen their eagerness to be challenged. Jones suggests retailers work with churches and youth pastors to stock classics at youth conferences and other events for teens and twenty some things. "As bookstores find themselves shrinking in the marketplace, one of the ways to re-engage is to set up book clubs that get people to question and discuss books that challenge them:' he adds. "It might get people to show up on a Thursday night, drink their coffee, argue for a couple of hours, and maybe buy a few books before they left. "Go on, take a chance!"

Aspiring Retail

November 1, 2006

We live in an age of celebrity memoirs and tabloid confessions. This autobiographical trend started 16 centuries ago in Algeria with a man named St. Augustine, whose Confessions was the world's first autobiography In this installment in Paraclete's Christian Classics for Today series, former youth worker and Emergent-U.S. Director Tony Jones helps readers navigate the twists and turns of Augustine's classic work (or at least the first half of it).
Augustine's story "has the makings of a great movie, a classic coming-of-age story," writes Jones in the introduction. Jones also provides helpful comments and pep talks throughout the book to help readers understand what Augustine was trying to do. Hats off to Jones and the publisher for trying to make this masterpiece of Christian writing accessible to a new generation of readers. -PA

Youth Worker Journal

July 20, 2006

A couple of months ago, I retrieved my battered paperback copy of Augustine's Confessions from the books-to-get-rid of box, thinking, Before I dump this, I should have another go at reading it! For the last weeks I've been winding my way with great interest through Augustine's life. However, if I'd known that a new translation of the autobiographical portion, complete with helpful explanatory notes, was on its way to my office, I might have waited!
If you've ever thought, on hearing this classic biography quoted, I should read that sometime, this is the time. You'll likely be struck by the universality of Augustine's experience with life and God. Though his culture was far different from ours, neither human nature-nor God-have changed in 1,600 years.

Discipleship Journal

July 1, 2006

Augustine gradually developed a biblical worldview, which guided him. "In reading You Converted Me, it's clear that the Bible basically became a part of his DNA."
Tony Jones is listening to the Bible on his Pod. He says, "I want it to become part of my blood flow, like it was for Augustine."
"Like it was for Augustine"?! What's he talking about? Who's Augustine? If you don't know Augustine, Tony Jones wants to introduce you to this very important person in the history of the church. Tony has just finished writing the notes for a new translation of Augustine's best-known book, Confessions. In the book, re-titled You Converted Me, Augustine tells his own story.
Tony says, "I think it has the makings of a great movie, a classic coming-of-age story. A boy grows into a man, getting into the kind of mischief that a lot of boys do (messing around with girls, stealing, getting in trouble at school). Meanwhile, his over-protective Christian mother prays fervently for the salvation of his soul."
Aurelius Augustinius, whom we know as St. Augustine of Hippo, was born in 354 and was raised in North Africa, in what is now Algeria. He was a bit of a momma's boy and a deeply loyal friend. He was known for his intelligence. In Confessions, he wrote about the struggles of his teenage years, fights with his parents, his passion for violent entertainment, and his first love. Tony Jones opens up Augustine's life, he struggled with God. At times, he was running from God. At other times, he was chasing after God. "I think that Augustine wanted to know who it was who created him, and how he might relate to that Being." Tony says that before converting to Christianity, Augustine dabbled in other religions. "He was on a quest to figure out who he was in relationship to the creation and the Creator."
In that quest, the Bible came to play a huge part in Augustine's life. Like us, he was influenced by many voices. He heard from the media of the day, as well as from his friends, teachers, and family. However, he gradually developed a biblical worldview, which guided him. "In reading You Converted Me, it's clear that the Bible basically became a part of Augustine's DNA. He writes about it in nearly every paragraph. Sometimes it's a direct quote; and at other times, it serves as the backdrop for what he's saying."
Tony Jones wants the Bible to have that kind of power in his life too. "It guides me in everything. Both at a conscious and unconscious level; and the better I know it, the better it guides me." So Tony Jones hooks up his Bible to his iPod.

Tony Jones, youth pastor and Emergent Church leader, listens to his iPod in Edina Minnesota.
Tony Peterson-husband, father, grandfather, and undisciplined blogger -listens to his mp3 player in Nashville, Tennessee.

Tony Peterson

Devo' Zine

July 1, 2006