In an attempt to connect the past to the modern day, The Wandering Mind: What Medieval Monks Tell Us About Distraction by Jamie Kreiner, draws connections between Christian monks and the world as it exists today. Pulling from primary source documentation and resources, Kreiner unveils a strong connection bridging modernity to the medieval world.
Jamie Kreiner is a history professor at the University of Georgia specializing in the politics of the Middle Ages. Kreiner has uncovered an uncanny connection between monks and today’s population during her ongoing research. Medieval Christian monks continually battled with distraction, regularly documenting their battle to defeat distraction to become closer to God. Men and women from Europe between 300 and 900 CE waged a continuous war with outside distractions attempting to achieve an other-worldly, Godly connection.
Today’s world can look closer at the monk’s efforts to avoid distraction and draw parallels with their own world. Between developing strict work schedules and changing regimens for diet, sleep, sex, and hygiene, Kreiner shows how the monks continually experimented with methods to block distraction. Kreiner successfully brings the monks to modern light while making today’s distractions simplistic and medieval. Although over 1,000 years separate the two groups, the continual battles and distraction concerns remain consistent.
Perfectly merging history with psychology in a modern format, The Wandering Mind: What Medieval Monks Tell Us About Distraction features 30 black-and-white images throughout the book. The hardcover book is 288 pages and is available for $25. A digital copy is also available for $15.
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