Jamie Kreiner Books
Jamie Kreiner is a professor of history at the University of Georgia. Her research focuses on the early Middle Ages, particularly the cultural and intellectual history of late antiquity and early medieval Europe.
Known for: The Wandering Mind: What Medieval Monks Tell Us About Distraction
Books by Jamie Kreiner
The Wandering Mind: What Medieval Monks Tell Us About Distraction
In this original and engaging work, historian Jamie Kreiner explores how early medieval monks struggled with distraction and mental focus. Drawing on monastic writings from late antiquity through the early Middle Ages, Kreiner reveals that the problem of attention was as pressing for monks as it is for modern people. The book examines how these religious communities developed strategies to manage wandering thoughts, offering a window into the history of human cognition and discipline.
Read SummaryKey Insights from Jamie Kreiner
The Monastic Problem of Attention
When monks wrote about distraction, they didn’t think of it in terms of fleeting thoughts or lack of productivity. They saw it as a spiritual crisis. In the solitude of the monastery, the mind’s wandering was a sign that the inner self had turned away from God. John Cassian described distraction as ...
From The Wandering Mind: What Medieval Monks Tell Us About Distraction
Historical Context
The story of monastic attention unfolds within a rich intellectual lineage from late antiquity to the early Middle Ages. Augustine’s theology of the will framed thinking itself as an act of moral orientation. Cassian, the desert father whose *Conferences* supplied generations of monks with psycholog...
From The Wandering Mind: What Medieval Monks Tell Us About Distraction
About Jamie Kreiner
Jamie Kreiner is a professor of history at the University of Georgia. Her research focuses on the early Middle Ages, particularly the cultural and intellectual history of late antiquity and early medieval Europe. She is also the author of 'The Social Life of Hagiography in the Merovingian Kingdom'.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jamie Kreiner is a professor of history at the University of Georgia. Her research focuses on the early Middle Ages, particularly the cultural and intellectual history of late antiquity and early medieval Europe.
Read Jamie Kreiner's books in 15 minutes
Get AI-powered summaries with key insights from 1 book by Jamie Kreiner.