The Craft of Thought: Meditation, Rhetoric, and the Making of Images, 400-1200 (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature) [Paperback]

Mary Carruthers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 6, 2000 | Series: Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature (Book 34)

A companion to Mary Carruthers' earlier study of memory in medieval culture, The Book of Memory, this book, The Craft of Thought, examines medieval monastic meditation as a discipline for making thoughts, and discusses its influence on literature, art, and architecture, deriving examples from a variety of late antique and medieval sources, with excursions into modern architectural memorials. The study emphasizes meditation as an act of literary composition or invention, the techniques of which notably involved both words and making mental "pictures" for thinking and composing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... a wide-ranging text...illuminating for scholars of classical and medieval history, art history, and literature, as well as the more obvious disciplines of theology and rhetoric." Envoi, Natalie Grinnell, Wofford College

"...Carruthers puts forward at a quick pace, a wealth of intuitions and ideas about the function of pictures which are liable to stimulate further research in the fields both of classics and of medieval studies." Classical World

Book Description

A companion to Mary Carruthers' earlier study of memory in medieval culture, The Book of Memory, her new book, The Craft of Thought, examines medieval monastic meditation as a discipline for making thoughts, and discusses its influence on literature, art, and architecture, deriving examples from a variety of late antique and medieval sources, with excursions into modern architectural memorials. The study emphasises meditation as an act of literary composition or invention, the techniques of which notably involved both words and making mental `pictures' for thinking and composing.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (November 6, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521795419
• ISBN-13: 978-0521795418
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #573,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cultivating Mental Expertise, July 27, 2005

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B. Madigan (Anchorage, AK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Craft of Thought: Meditation, Rhetoric, and the Making of Images, 400-1200 (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature) (Paperback)

This interesting but challenging book examines the disciplined mental habits of Christian monks in the period from late antiquity to the early middle ages. Christian monastic traditions evolved in a world quite alien to modern sensibilities. The monasteries themselves were isolated and insular. Daily life was austere and focused on paying homage to God through meditative prayer. Over time, the monks developed a meditative technology that included memory skills, emotional control, and creative expression. These practices are what Professor Carruthers means by The Craft of Thought, and she does an admirable job of helping moderns appreciate the accomplishments of these diligent and inventive ancients.

The book argues that monastic practices were rhetorical devices that lead their followers step by step to a point where they were able to meditate in ways that illuminated the canonical teachings of their faith. Her point that cultural practices can serve rhetorical functions is well illustrated in the book.

The monks were highly disciplined. They developed specialized memory techniques and applied them to learning scriptures. They were skillful in creating and recalling visual images. Meditation put these skills and others in play. First the monk established facilitating conditions - prostrating oneself while weeping, for example - then he recalled scriptures and used them to devise new visions to better capture the glory of God.

The book was a difficult read for me because of my weak background in medieval studies. Professor Carruthers wrote primarily for her colleagues in this area, and so she omitted contextual and historical background information. I also found the organization of her chapters somewhat loose so that the various bits and pieces did not always come together for me. However, overall I was pleased with the book. It gave me a learned scholar's insights into the cognitive techniques of medieval monastic life.