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{"id":1302,"date":"2006-05-10T05:30:18","date_gmt":"2006-05-10T10:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/community\/jesuscreed\/2006\/05\/10\/you-converted-me\/"},"modified":"2006-05-10T05:30:18","modified_gmt":"2006-05-10T10:30:18","slug":"you-converted-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/jesuscreed\/2006\/05\/10\/you-converted-me\/","title":{"rendered":"You Converted Me!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

I have been interested in conversion for a long time, so I am thrilled that Paraclete has now come out with an updated version of one of my all-time classics, the original Christian conversion story, Augustine\u2019s Confessions<\/em>.
\nNo other than Tony Jones <\/a> ( \ud83d\ude42 ) wrote the Introduction. I should admit up front that I\u2019m a huge fan of Augustine\u2019s Confessions<\/em>. I remember reading it the first time while a sophomore in college in a copy I ruined by writing waaaaaaay too many notes in. I\u2019ve since read it through a few more times, even though I usually skip the last few chps. In this Paraclete edition we\u2019ve got a splendid modernized translation (by Robert J. Edmondson).
\nTony<\/a>\u2018s Introduction: What could it possibly say? Here\u2019s how it starts: \u201cI think it has the makings of a great movie, a classic coming-of-age story\u2026\u201d Well, it does \u2014 what does? Augustine\u2019s story. Tony tastefully then sums up Augustine\u2019s life without recourse to the ever-present modern versions preoccupied with sex \u2014 even though that just might be what would make the book a movie. Monica\u2026 Ambrose of Milan \u2026 Augustine\u2019s conversion story. Expressed in this translation in what he said to God: \u201cYou converted me!\u201d
\nWhich reminds me of an experience I had in college. I was graced with the opportunity, after my freshman year, to go to Austria with GEM. And even further graced when (now married) Kris and I got to go two years later. When we got there, we met up with someone I had met the first time, a young woman named Claudia. She said to me, \u201cDu bist schuld daran dass ich glaeubig bin.\u201d Roughly, \u201cYou are guilty that I\u2019m a believer.\u201d The title of this new edition of Augustine\u2019s confessions reminds me of that experience for I stumbled out with something like \u201cNein, Verkehrung<\/strike> Bekehrung ist ein Werk Gottes.\u201d (\u201cNo, conversion is a work of God.\u201d)
\nTony elegantly and briefly leads us to read again the first 8 books of what is arguably the most influential book both of Western civilization (the first autobiography) and Western theology (with a lasting influence on the need for personal conversion; a profound, if overcooked at times, grappling with personal sin; and a marvelous doxological dialogue with God \u2014 I\u2019m keen on reading this book yet again.). Thanks Tony. Thanks Paraclete.
\nThis is the version college students can begin with. He provides some excellent pointers on how to read this treasure of the whole Church, and he has some nice short notes to help readers along.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"