Monks' God-given Gift

--Trithemius, "In Praise of Scribes" in Writing Material

Even though I learned about the monasteries' role in recording history prior to the invention of the printing press. I just think it's incredible that the church was so adamant about recording history. It make sense that the monks saw the urgency in writing down the Bible, among other scriptures. 

Like Megan, I was surprised to think of the written word as a God-given asset. If you even look at the way in which the bible was written, you can see the love for God written into those words.  I may not be the most religious person, but I see the value in keeping a record of the scriptures. I never took writing as a message from God, but it makes sense, considering how much writing goes into the celebration of God and Jesus' life. Look at a basic hymnal--it's jammed packed with songs, prayers and inspirational messages, all written for the glory of God.

I just find it so interesting that the monks of old saw writing as a necessity for their way of life. It seems like it was almost a sin to not partake in that activity. I've read in WCT I that the monks lived very structured lives, focusing on manual labor, prayer and writing. Before writing became popular, it was reserved for the monks of the monasteries, who would spend their entire lives transcribing the same information over and over again.