“For it is not the deed itself, but the intention of the doer, that makes the sin.” —Peter Abelard (1079 -1142) Source: Peter Abelard, Ethics (Scito te ipsum), trans. D. E. Luscombe (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1971), 6. Reflection: How might examining my intentions before I speak help me communicate with greater integrity, charity, or clarity?
A Prayer for Seeking God, from Anselm of Canterbury, 12th Century
“Teach me to seek You, and reveal Yourself to me as I seek; for I cannot seek You unless You teach me, nor find You unless You reveal Yourself.” —Anselm of Canterbury (1033 – 1109) Source: Anselm of Canterbury, Proslogion, trans. Thomas Williams (Indianapolis: Hackett, 1995), 82. Reflection: How might seeking God first reshape the way I speak, teach, or communicate …
Quote of the week, A Call to Integrity of Speech, by Bede the Venerable, 8th Century
“If you would be perfect, strive to have no word in your mouth which is not in your heart.” — Bede the Venerable (c. 672 – 735) Source: Bede the Venerable, Homilies on the Gospels, trans. Lawrence T. Martin and David Hurst, C.S.B., Cistercian Studies 110 (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1991), 2:14. Reflection: Where might I be tempted to let …
A Prayer for Guarded Speech, John of Damascus, 8th Century
“Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and a door of enclosure round about my lips. Bend not my heart to words of evil.” — John of Damascus (c. 675 – 749) Source: John of Damascus, On the Virtues and the Vices, in St. John Damascene: Writings, trans. Frederic H. Chase, Jr., Fathers of the Church 37 (Washington, DC: …
Quote of the Week, Calmness in Communication, by John Wesley, 18th Century
*“Though I am always in haste, I am never in a hurry, because I never undertake more work than I can go through with perfect calmness of spirit.” –John Wesley (1703-1791) Source: John Wesley, The Letters of the Rev. John Wesley, A.M., ed. John Telford, vol. 6 (London: Epworth Press, 1931), 127. Reflection: How might cultivating calmness of spirit in our …
A Prayer for Words of Witness, by Evelyn Underhill, 20th Century
“Lord, let my words carry Your reality. May my speech not be empty or self‑serving, but a witness to Your living presence. Teach me to communicate with humility, clarity, and love, so that others may encounter You through what I say and how I listen. Amen.” –Evelyn Underhill (1875 – 1941) Source: Evelyn Underhill, quoted in Jane Williams, “Theologians of …
Quote of the week, A Consecrated Tongue, by Irenaeus, 2nd Century
“For the tongue, which is our instrument of speech, should be consecrated to truth, not to error.” —Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 120/140 – c. 203) Source: Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, in Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, ed. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885), 455. Reflective Question: How does Irenaeus’s insistence that speech be “consecrated …
A Prayer for True and Gentle Speech, by Athenagoras of Athens, 2nd Century
“Grant, O Lord, that our words may be seasoned with truth and gentleness, that in speaking we may neither wound nor deceive, but bear witness to Your wisdom. May our tongues be instruments of peace, and our speech a mirror of the Word made flesh, so that in all discourse we glorify You.” –Athenagoras of Athens (c. 133 – 190) …
Quote of the Week, Teaching, Not Wounding, by Isidore of Seville, 7th Century
“Let your speech be patient and your silence thoughtful, for the wise man speaks so as to teach, not to wound.” —Isidore of Seville (c. 560–636) Source: Isidore of Seville, Sententiae, trans. Thomas L. Knoebel, in Isidore of Seville: Sententiae, vol. 3 of Ancient Christian Writers: The Works of the Fathers in Translation, ed. Thomas C. Oden (New York: Newman …
Coming Soon from Integratio Press, Devotionals on the Teaching Life, by John Dunaway
Minding Our Hearts: Devotionals on the Teaching Life for Christian Professors Available 2026 Editor: John Marson Dunaway Total pages: 240 [View book on Integratio Press website] Description This collection of 52 devotionals is designed for college or university professors, so all entries are connected to some aspect of faculty life: the classroom experience, research, or participation in the …
