Writing in the latter half of the 4th century, St. Augustine provides the reader with an intimate view into his own troubled past, conversion, and understanding of human nature and the Trinity. It is difficult to overestimate the significance of The Confessions of St. Augustine. Perhaps the first example of an autobiography in the Western world, Saint Augustine's analysis and account of his own life has had an immeasurable influence on Western literature, Christian theology, and our understanding of life and society in the Middle Ages-and today.