Except for the writers of the New Testament, Augustine of Hippo, Algeria (a.k.a. Saint Augustine), is the most influential church father. His theological-philosophical writings, second to the Bible, shaped Christendom and the West for centuries.

Born in Algeria in 354 AD, Augustine became a professor of rhetoric, teaching ambitious young men how to argue in the Roman law courts. He became a Manichean, and lived a carnal lifestyle, but grew intellectually dissatisfied and spiritually unfulfilled with his religion and life. Through the Christian influence of his mother Monica, and Ambrose, the influential bishop of Milan, he converted to Christianity after reading a Bible passage in a garden.

In his breathtaking spiritual autobiography Confessions, Augustine explained and confessed his early thoughts and sins, revealing the intellectual shifts and divine intervention that led to his Christian faith and conversion. He famously prayed “…you made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you.”

Lastly, after the Visigoths sacked Rome, Augustine wrote The City of God, which contended for the truth, benefits, and happiness of Christian teaching and God’s coming city.

Confessions is a must read for high school students. Strong 8th-grade readers could also benefit, but recommend they focus on the first half of the book.