Mind of the Maker (Audio Cassette) [Audio Cassette]

Dorothy L. Sayers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1991 | Series: Audio Cassette

Mystery writer, theologian, and culture critic Dorothy L. Sayers examines anew such ideas as the image of God, the Trinity, free will, and evil. 5 cassettes.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Best known for her Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, Dorothy Sayers was also a playwright, essayist, and a translator of Dante. C.S. Lewis said that he liked her "for the extraordinary zest and edge of her conversation--as I like a high wind." The reader gets a fair taste of that wind in this book, her study of the human (and divine) creative process. Beginning with some stingingly humorous words for the education process (which has produced, she says, "a generation of mental slatterns") she then explores the Trinitarian nature of creativity. Here she identifies the Christian concept of the Holy Trinity--God, Son, Holy Spirit--with three elements of creation. First, the Idea: "passionless, timeless, beholding the whole work complete at once, the end in the beginning"; then the Creative Energy: "begotten of that idea, working in time from the beginning to end," manifesting the Idea in matter; and finally the Creative Power: "the meaning of the work and its response in the lively soul"--in essence, what she calls "the indwelling Spirit."

In a plain, matter-of-fact style that readers will recognize from her mysteries, she reflects on the question of free will and miracle, evil, and, ultimately, "the worth of the work." It is especially here, I think, in this final chapter that the book remains both timeless and profoundly timely. The artist stands for the true worker, she writes, who, while requiring payment for his work, as an artist "retains so much of the image of God that he is in love with his creation for its own sake." So too, ultimately, should it be for all human work: "That the eyes of all workers should behold the integrity of the work is the sole means to make that work good in itself and so good for mankind. This is only another way of saying that the work must be measured by the standard of eternity." --Doug Thorpe --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Dorothy L. Sayers is the author of novels, short stories, poetry collections, essays, reviews and translations. Although she was a noted Christian scholar, she is most known for her detective fiction. Born in 1893, she was one of the first women to be awarded a degree from Oxford University. Her first book featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, Whose Body?, was published in 1923 and over the next 20 years more novels and short stories about the aristocratic amateur sleuth appeared. Dorothy L. Sayers is recognized as one of the greatest mystery writers of the 20th century.

Letter from the Editor:

Dorothy L. Sayers is recognized as one of the greatest mystery writers of the 20th century. In 1923, Whose Body?, her first book, featuring the aristocratic amateur sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey, was published, and over the next 20 years more novels and short stories appeared. All 15 of Sayers' mysteries are available from HarperPaperbacks.

Now there is a new Dorothy L. Sayers novel. A long-lost partial manuscript titled Thrones, Dominions was discovered last year, and acclaimed mystery writer Jill Paton Walsh has completed it. St. Martin's Press will publish this book in February. This is a signal publishing event, and HarperCollins congratulates St. Martin's Press.

We are sure that Thrones, Dominions will delight Sayers' fans and find new ones for her, and in the process whet appetites for Sayers' other mysteries. A list of these books is attached. In the words of Dorothy L. Sayers herself, "Murder must advertise." So, in addition to an announcement about Thrones, Dominions in a recent issue of Publisher's Weekly, the next edition of the HarperCollins mystery newsletter, Deadline, will include a piece on the Sayers books, as will St. Martin's Press' newsletter, Murder at the Flatiron Building. HarperCollins will also feature information about the Sayers' backlist on its web page.

Dorothy L. Sayers died in 1957, but her books continue to enthrall readers today. Please help us celebrate the doyenne of the Golden Age of the Mystery, Dorothy L. Sayers.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks (June 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786102195
• ISBN-13: 978-0786102198
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,967,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mind-Blowing, October 17, 2004

By 

C. T. Mikesell (near Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mind of the Maker (Paperback)

In Dorothy L. Sayers' book, The Mind of the Maker, between a fantastic discussion on creative writing (detective fiction, primarily) the author addresses two of the biggest sociological questions: "Who am I?" and "Why am I here?"

The answer to the first question is simply: a human created in God's image. The answer to the second question is a bit more complex, as Sayers first explores what God's image is, particularly the triune nature of the Christian deity. By comparing The Creator to an artist (primarily a creative writer, Sayers' forte), Sayers shows the purpose of life to be that of a creator as well.

While Sayers' analogy works best for those with an already artistic temperament, in her final chapters she addresses the question of what happens if you work on a toilet assembly line or some equally unglamorous profession. In the case of the toilet assembler, Sayers suggests that while he or she may simply be turning a screw, what's really being created is a more sanitary and hygienic world. She observes that individuals need to separate the value of money from the value of the work (why both capitalism and communism are, she says, ultimately dehumanizing) and find a higher purpose in one's occupation instead.

While rethinking one's purpose may be the over-all goal of the book, it certainly isn't the only subject addressed. The origin of evil, the difference between human and universal laws, free will, and some of the ancient creeds come up for discussion. If you've been confused by the topic of the Trinity, Sayers provides one of the best analogies I've ever read. If you've been stymied by skeptics accusing the church of casting God in man's image (instead of the other way 'round), Sayers' response alone is worth the purchase price of the book.

This is the first of Dorothy Sayers' theological books I've read. I've been a fan of her Lord Peter Wimsey detective novels, and read about this book in one of her biographies. I began reading the book expecting a treatise on creative writing, but was pleased to find so much more.

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! Amazing discussion of the creative process., August 3, 1999

By 

A. Doug Floyd "pilgrim" (Louisville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Mind of the Maker (Paperback)

Sayers' uses the analogy of the creative process to explore the trinity, transcendence vs immanence of God, and other diffucult theological concepts. Her discussion not only enlightens our understanding of God, it has interesting implications for the creative process in general.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, May 16, 2004

By 

Brandon Colas (Cedarville, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mind of the Maker (Paperback)

Although some would say this is more of a theological work than literary criticism, I believe it functions as a blend between the two.

Sayers' main thesis is that spiritual metaphors, such as the Trinity, are facts which explain how the world functions. Sayers then shows how spiritual metaphors can be understood as metaphors of the artist's creative activity.

Of special note: her theodicy is one of the strongest I've read, and her suggestions for the redemptive value of art (at the end of the book) are superb. If you're a Christian, this is worth your time. If you're not, but are willing to be challenged, you'll probably like this book too.