Four Cultures of the WestHarvard University Press, 2009 M06 30 - 272 pages The workings of Western intelligence in our day--whether in politics or the arts, in the humanities or the church--are as troubling as they are mysterious, leading to the questions: Where are we going? What in the world were we thinking? By exploring the history of four "cultures" so deeply embedded in Western history that we rarely see their instrumental role in politics, religion, education, and the arts, this timely book provides a broad framework for addressing these questions in a fresh way. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 31
Page 1
... never studied in any depth, but I believe they will profit from the book. Among other things, it provides a framework of in- terpretive categories. Moreover, the book is straightforward and it- erative. Issues and persons keep ...
... never studied in any depth, but I believe they will profit from the book. Among other things, it provides a framework of in- terpretive categories. Moreover, the book is straightforward and it- erative. Issues and persons keep ...
Page 2
... never be neatly separated. When I began to study the Reformation, I was struck by the same thing. In the famous debate between Erasmus and Luther on free will, the difference seemed to me more profound and far- reaching than their ...
... never be neatly separated. When I began to study the Reformation, I was struck by the same thing. In the famous debate between Erasmus and Luther on free will, the difference seemed to me more profound and far- reaching than their ...
Page 7
... never! If this culture must decry its times, it must also hold out prom- ise of better times to come: “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you and his glory will be ...
... never! If this culture must decry its times, it must also hold out prom- ise of better times to come: “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you and his glory will be ...
Page 9
... never been heard of before. The “Gregorian Reform” that bears his name, that great up- heaval also known as the “Investiture Controversy,” is a specially defining moment for the prophetic culture in the West. Gregory and his entourage ...
... never been heard of before. The “Gregorian Reform” that bears his name, that great up- heaval also known as the “Investiture Controversy,” is a specially defining moment for the prophetic culture in the West. Gregory and his entourage ...
Page 11
... never satisfied, that is critical of every wisdom, that is insatiably eager to ask the further question, and that is ever ready to propose yet another perspective. It is the style of learning that is almost by definition agonistic and ...
... never satisfied, that is critical of every wisdom, that is insatiably eager to ask the further question, and that is ever ready to propose yet another perspective. It is the style of learning that is almost by definition agonistic and ...
Contents
1 | |
culture one Prophecy and Reform | 37 |
culture two The Academy and the Professions | 77 |
culture three Poetry Rhetoric and the Common Good | 127 |
culture four Art and Performance | 179 |
epilogue The Book of Our Experience | 235 |
Notes | 241 |
Further Reading | 249 |
Acknowledgments | 255 |
Index | 257 |
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Common terms and phrases
academic ancient Aquinas Aristotle Aristotle’s artists aspect Athens basic beauty became began Bernard Bible bishops Boethius cathedral Catholic Christ Christian church Cicero Cistercians classical council Council of Nicaea Council of Trent course culture four culture three curriculum decree doctrine early Erasmus especially faculties faith four cultures Garrison genre Golden Legend Greek Gregorian Reform Gregorians Gregory holy human humanists ideal images important institutions Isocrates issue Jerusalem Jesuits justice Karlstadt large number later Latin literary literature liturgy Luther manifested medieval ment Middle Ages one’s Origen pagan paintings Perpetua and Felicity Petrarch philosophy Plato poetry preaching prophetic culture Protestant question reform religious Renaissance rhetoric ritual Roman Rome sacred saints Scholastic schools Scripture seventeenth century sixteenth century society sometimes style of discourse Summa teaching Tertullian texts theologians theology tion took tradition Trent trivium truth ture twelfth century universities vernacular West words worship