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1、UnderstandingtheMedievalMeditativeAscent:Augustine,Boethius,Anselm&Dante.ByRobertMcMahon.Washington,D.C.:TheCatholicUniversityofAmericaPress,2006.Pp.xiv+284.$59.95(cloth).ISBN0-8132-1437-8."Ioftenthinkit'scomical,"PrivateWillissanginGilbertandSullivan'sIolanthe,"howNaturealwaysdo
2、escontrive,thateveryboyandeverygalthat'sbornintotheworldaliveiseitheralittleLiberalorelsealittleConservative!;"asentimentthewell-knowntheologianGeraldMcCoolonceamendedtosaythateveryboyandeverygalbornintotheworldaliveiseitheralittlePlatonistoralittleAristotelian.Andintermsofthehis
3、toryofChristianthought,theremarkisnotfarwrong.Butthenithastobeadmittedthat,despitetheprominenceThomismhasgiventoAristotle,centuryforcenturytherehasbeennoinfluenceonChristianitythatcanrivalPlato's,apointwhichRobertMcMahonmakesabundantlyclear.Thesubtitleofthebookisalittlemisleading
4、:thereareonlypassingreferencestoDante,anditisAugustinewhoreceivesbyfarthemostattention,Anselmbeingassignedtochapterfour,andBoethiustothefifthandfinalchapter.Still,asthetitleindicates,McMahon'sprimarypurposeistointroducethereadertothedistinctivestructureofamedievalliteraryformhete
5、rmsthe"meditativeascent,"usingasexamplestheConfessions,theProslogionandtheConsolationofPhilosophy;andinthishesucceedsadmirably.EarlyonMcMahonacknowledgeshisdebttoPierreHadot'sresearchontherolemeditationplayedintheancientschoolsofphilosophytobringaboutanadherent'sinteriortransform
6、ation.Hisargumentisthatthesamewastrueforthemedievals.Becauseofthelong-standingpracticeoflectiodivina,whichinvolvedaprayerfulmeditationontheseverallayersofmeaningintheScriptures,medievalreadersexpectedaphilosophicalortheologicaltexttohavethistransformativeeffect,andmedievalwriters
7、consciouslycraftedtheirworktoprovideit.Augustine,BoethiusandAnselmintendedtheirwritingstobemorethanexpositorytreatises;theyweretobespiritualexercises.Thereaderwhoreflecteduponthepatternsofmeaningembeddedintheirworkwouldrisetoadeeperunderstandingofdivinetruths,andsotoaheightenedaw
8、arenessofGod'spresence.Oneofthepatternse
