"They laughed when I said I could name all 27 books of the New Testament ...but after I named them all in order, plus the 46 books of the Old Testament, they begged me to show them how I did it." Yes, I know that memorizing the Faith is no substitute for living a holy life, but even devout people can't live by truths and precepts they don't remember. That's why, over 700 years ago, St. Thomas Aquinas perfected an easy method for his students to memorize most any information, but especially the truths taught by Christ and His Church. As the years passed, our need for this ancient art of memorization grew, yet somehow our culture largely forgot it . . . which is why today, when you and I try to remember a list of things, we have to repeat their names over and over. Or, to remember to call the dentist, we tie a string on our finger. And we clutch at any means whatsoever to recall our passwords for ATMs, credit cards, and voicemail, our login names for Yahoo, eBay, and Amazon, and the host of other names and numbers that clog our minds and clutter our days. Now, thanks to the delightful pages of Memorize the Faith!, you can easily keep all these in mind - and learn the Faith! - by tapping into the power of the classical memory system that helped St. Thomas become the Church's preeminent theologian, and made it easier for him to become one of its greatest saints. Here, Catholic scholar Kevin Vost makes available again Aquinas's easy-to-learn method - the method Dr. Vost himself has used for decades to recall names, dates, phone numbers, the first dozen digits of pi (3.141592653589) and even whether, when his wife called him at work today, she asked him to bring home ice cream and toffee . . . or was it truffles and coffee? Indeed, Dr. Vost will teach you to remember virtually anything, but he devotes most of his book to showing you how to improve your memory of Catholic truths so you can live the Faith better. By the time you finish this book, you will have memorized dozens of key teachings of the Church, along with hundreds of precepts, traditions, theological terms, Scripture verses, and other elements of the Faith that every good Catholic needs to know by heart. Memory is the foundation of wisdom. It makes holiness easier. To grow wiser in the Faith . . . and holier . . . turn to Memorize the Faith! today.
Kevin Vost, Psy.D. (b. 1961) has taught psychology at the University of Illinois at Springfield, Lincoln Land Community College, and MacMurray College. A former powerlifter and Highland Games Heavy Events competitor, Dr. Vost has also served as a weightlifting instructor, fitness writer for the International Association of Resistance Trainers, Research Review Committee Member for American Mensa (the high IQ society), lector for St. Agnes Catholic Church, and fast food fries and drink man (a few decades back). His voice (and sometimes the rest of him) travel the globe sharing themes of faith, philosophy, and fitness on radio, television, and in live presentations.
Dr. Vost's latest book is Three Irish Saints: A Guide to Finding Your Spiritual Style (TAN, 2012). Other recent books are St. Albert the Great: Champion of Faith and Reason (TAN, 2011) and with the help of co-authors Shane Kapler, Peggy Bowes, and some special guests including author and Son Rise Morning Show producer Matt Swaim -- Tending the Temple: 365 Days of Spiritual and Physical Devotions (Bezalel Books). On the plate for Fall 2012 for Catholic Answers is Memorize the Reasons! The Catholic Art of Memory for Apologetics.
A self-styled Aristotelian/Stoic/Albertine/Thomist, this author lives with his wife, two sons, and their dog Mindy (who makes a cameo appearance in Chapter 1 of Unearthing Your Ten Talents).
