The writings of Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) reveal how the monastic mind, oscillating between hope and despair, was absorbed in technical exercises rather than in religious emotions. Early on monasticism had developed procedures for -ruminating on- the Bible and the works of the Church Fathers. Applying the art of logic to this theme, Anselm offers a denser version of monastic meditation that constitutes a poetics of monastic literature. Before engaging Anselm's works, this book addresses texts--by Gregory the Great, Bernard of Clairvaux, Rupert of Deutz, and Richard of St. Victor--based...