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Memorize the Faith! (and Most Anything Else): Using the Methods of the Great Catholic Medieval Memory Masters
Yes, I know that memorizing the Faith is no substitute for living a holy life, but even devout people can t live by truths and precepts they don t remember. That s why, over 700 years ago, St. Thomas Aquinas perfected an easy method for his students to memorize most any information, but especially the truths taught by Christ and His Church. As the years passed, our need for this ancient art of memorization grew, yet somehow our culture largely forgot it . . . which is why today, when you and I try to remember a list of things, we have to repeat their names over and over. Or, to remember to call the dentist, we tie a string on our finger. And we clutch at any means whatsoever to recall our passwords for ATMs, credit cards, and voicemail, our login names for Yahoo, eBay, and Amazon, and the host of other names and numbers that clog our minds and clutter our days. Now, thanks to the delightful pages of Memorize the Faith! , you can easily keep all these in mind and learn the Faith! by tapping into the power of the classical memory system that helped St. Thomas become the Church s preeminent theologian, and made it easier for him to become one of its greatest saints. Here, Catholic scholar Kevin Vost makes available again Aquinas s easy-to-learn method the method Dr. Vost himself has used for decades to recall names, dates, phone numbers, the first dozen digits of pi (3.141592653589) and even whether, when his wife called him at work today, she asked him to bring home ice cream and toffee . . . or was it truffles and coffee? Indeed, Dr. Vost will teach you to remember virtually anything, but he devotes most of his book to showing you how to improve your memory of Catholic truths so you can live the Faith better. By the time you finish this book, you will have memorized dozens of key teachings of the Church, along with hundreds of precepts, traditions, theological terms, Scripture verses, and other elements of the Faith that every good Catholic needs to know by heart. Memory is the foundation of wisdom. It makes holiness easier. To grow wiser in the Faith . . . and holier . . . turn to Memorize the Faith! today.
250 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2006
150 people are currently reading
636 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Vost
39 books51 followersKevin Vost, Psy. D. (b. 1961) has taught psychology at the University of Illinois at Springfield, Lincoln Land Community College, and MacMurray College. He is a Research Review Committee Member for American Mensa, which promotes the scientific study of human intelligence.
He enjoys reading the Classics (especially Aristotle and the Stoics) and St. Thomas Aquinas in his spare time.
He enjoys reading the Classics (especially Aristotle and the Stoics) and St. Thomas Aquinas in his spare time.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 26, 2020
3.5 stars.
This book is about using a memorising technique to remember keys things, teachings of Faith, or to remember important points when making a speech, and so on; the technique used by St Thomas Aquinas, who was considered a 'memory master'. The point is to create a memory-mansion with rooms (incl. a cathedral-room; all are pictures in this book) to remember key things on a list like Rosary mysteries, the Ten Commandments, sins and virtues, and points of history of the Catholic Church. The author is a psychology teacher (college/university).
At the beginning is a note to readers - adults, younger ones, homeschoolers; and at the end are more guidance and even more suggestions to homeschooling (10+ years old). Each chapter ends with a Q&A related to memorising. In certain chapters one gets to do the locations/images yourself, which may be fun.
Memorising things can be useful to grow in faith, to remember the things essential to faith so one can practice it better, to be a more virtuous person, and to be able to answer questions and criticisms. The key is to remember things in the room, what odd events happen at each place these things are, and both are connected to things we want to remember. It's probably better to read it yourself; I don't know if I describe it well here.
The rooms are used to remember various things repeatedly, sometimes the groupings may even start in a previous room, or end in another. It pay off, too, to repeat what one has learned to remember, just to keep things fresh.
There were some book recommendations within that I might list here: the Catechism of the Catholic Church, St Thomas Aquinas - "Summa Theologica" (or if you just want the best bits, read Kreeft's "Summa Of The Summa"), CS Lewis - "The Great Divorce", Kempis - "Imitation of Christ", and of non-Christian books, a good book on Greek myths, and some Aristotle.
Some things made this more of a 3.5 star read for me. Things that felt American, like the gun rack, the baseball reminders; and the bowling spare things was a bit ??? for me. You might want to change some images in rooms to your taste.
Later in the book the author introduces bigger groupings and some other memorisation tools, which may be a bit too challenging sometimes for some to understand, at least for me.
But anyway, one can choose what to start memorising from these here, and others that can come to mind; and one can also make one's own rooms, images, things to remember. I think the earlier chapters and groupings look more appealing than some later ones. A little frustrating to read at times, but also inspiring and motivating when it's good. And of course one could use this method to more secular lists and life situations, too.
This book is about using a memorising technique to remember keys things, teachings of Faith, or to remember important points when making a speech, and so on; the technique used by St Thomas Aquinas, who was considered a 'memory master'. The point is to create a memory-mansion with rooms (incl. a cathedral-room; all are pictures in this book) to remember key things on a list like Rosary mysteries, the Ten Commandments, sins and virtues, and points of history of the Catholic Church. The author is a psychology teacher (college/university).
At the beginning is a note to readers - adults, younger ones, homeschoolers; and at the end are more guidance and even more suggestions to homeschooling (10+ years old). Each chapter ends with a Q&A related to memorising. In certain chapters one gets to do the locations/images yourself, which may be fun.
Memorising things can be useful to grow in faith, to remember the things essential to faith so one can practice it better, to be a more virtuous person, and to be able to answer questions and criticisms. The key is to remember things in the room, what odd events happen at each place these things are, and both are connected to things we want to remember. It's probably better to read it yourself; I don't know if I describe it well here.
The rooms are used to remember various things repeatedly, sometimes the groupings may even start in a previous room, or end in another. It pay off, too, to repeat what one has learned to remember, just to keep things fresh.
There were some book recommendations within that I might list here: the Catechism of the Catholic Church, St Thomas Aquinas - "Summa Theologica" (or if you just want the best bits, read Kreeft's "Summa Of The Summa"), CS Lewis - "The Great Divorce", Kempis - "Imitation of Christ", and of non-Christian books, a good book on Greek myths, and some Aristotle.
Some things made this more of a 3.5 star read for me. Things that felt American, like the gun rack, the baseball reminders; and the bowling spare things was a bit ??? for me. You might want to change some images in rooms to your taste.
Later in the book the author introduces bigger groupings and some other memorisation tools, which may be a bit too challenging sometimes for some to understand, at least for me.
But anyway, one can choose what to start memorising from these here, and others that can come to mind; and one can also make one's own rooms, images, things to remember. I think the earlier chapters and groupings look more appealing than some later ones. A little frustrating to read at times, but also inspiring and motivating when it's good. And of course one could use this method to more secular lists and life situations, too.
May 6, 2013
This book was incredibly motivating to me after years of feeling discouraged by my seemingly weakening ability to memorize. Kevin Vost explains and guides readers through the loci memorization technique. I memorized his lists quite quickly and am able to still recite them forward and backward today. It is written to Catholics, so I highly recommend it to that audience. However, any reader interested in memorization will find this helpful. As I read, I simply filtered out any information I didn't feel applied to me.
June 9, 2017
Very interesting book. I should have read it when I was a student.
June 22, 2012
A great instruction on the method of loci, with lots of examples rooted in the Catholic faith. Most of the book is very useful for memorizing lists of things, and even though it touches on memorization of texts (scripture verses) a little bit, that is really covered in a cursory fashion. Whether you use the house described in the book, or your own house as your keyword/location trigger, the method can be used for any list of things. I'll be working through the examples again with my own locations, rather than the book's house.
January 29, 2021
I now know more than I ever thought I would about Catholicism.
Memorize the Faith is primarily a memory palace tutorial with a Catholic agenda. It spends a bit of time teaching about the concept, but the bulk of book is dedicated to application, memorizing saints, virtues, apostles, the books of the Bible, etc. It also *briefly* covers the major system for memorizing numbers and a basic keyword associating method.
Learning about Catholicism was fascinating, although some chapters are merely dry lists of things to memorize (I skipped a couple of those). The real value, though, is that this book is perfect for getting the reps in with memory palaces. I've definitely noticed an huge uptick in speed and retention (starting from almost zero at least).
The book has you use a 67ish location memory palace that's been invaluable. When trying to use my own house, I struggle to consistently pick ordered loci out of the complexity and chaos of a lived in home (This House Has People in It). The simplified, illustrated house from the book provides a good amount of mostly distinctive loci per room. I'll probably keep it in the rotation for some time, with graduating to my own locations as a goal.
I was a little wary this book would be too watered down or useful only to the religious, but it's been worth my time and a half!
Memorize the Faith is primarily a memory palace tutorial with a Catholic agenda. It spends a bit of time teaching about the concept, but the bulk of book is dedicated to application, memorizing saints, virtues, apostles, the books of the Bible, etc. It also *briefly* covers the major system for memorizing numbers and a basic keyword associating method.
Learning about Catholicism was fascinating, although some chapters are merely dry lists of things to memorize (I skipped a couple of those). The real value, though, is that this book is perfect for getting the reps in with memory palaces. I've definitely noticed an huge uptick in speed and retention (starting from almost zero at least).
The book has you use a 67ish location memory palace that's been invaluable. When trying to use my own house, I struggle to consistently pick ordered loci out of the complexity and chaos of a lived in home (This House Has People in It). The simplified, illustrated house from the book provides a good amount of mostly distinctive loci per room. I'll probably keep it in the rotation for some time, with graduating to my own locations as a goal.
I was a little wary this book would be too watered down or useful only to the religious, but it's been worth my time and a half!
August 16, 2012
Very interesting book so far. Combines the method of loci with Catholic theology, particularly that of Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274).
Not really essential to the book, but I found the Thomasian idea of the 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy and the 7 Corporal Works of Mercy (Summa Theologica, II-II, 32) very interesting. In Chapter 14, the author quotes James 2:20 and then essentially asks the question, "So what are good works?" Good question. At one end of the spectrum, I suppose, someone might say that to do a "good work," according to the New Testament, is to do anything, whether eating or drinking, in faith--perhaps even consecrating the action by prayer or something like that. But what Aquinas presents are 14 distinct "works of mercy" that, in his mind, flesh out a good deal of what the New Testament means when it speaks of "good works," at least toward our fellow man (which indeed seems to be the bent of New Testament good works):
7 Spiritual Works of Mercy:
1. Instructing the Ignorant
2. Counseling the Doubtful
3. Comforting the Sorrowful
4. Reproving the Sinner
5. Forgiving Injuries
6. Bearing Wrongs Patiently
7. Praying for the Living and the Dead (eek)
7 Corporal Works of Mercy:
1. Feeding the Hungry
2. Giving Drink to the Thirsty
3. Clothing the Naked
4. Harboring the Harborless
5. Visiting the Sick
6. Ransoming the Captive
7. Burying the Dead
I don't think Aquinas intended for these 14 works to cover every possible "good work," but I find that such a list (or a similar one) may be helpful for Protestants, for whom the concept of individual, specific "good works" may often be blurred into just "living a moral life" by faith. To be fair, though, it seems that Scripture does present both: it's about specific, individual, particularly faith-induced acts and words, like offering acceptable sacrifices and building arks and keeping Passovers (Hebrews 11:4, 7, 28), and also about that continual manner of life in which everything we do and say "make[s] it clear that [we] are seeking a homeland...a better country" (11:14, 16).
This is not in the book, but I note that Methodists have their 6 Works of Piety:
1. Prayer
2. Searching the Scriptures
3. Holy Communion
4. Fasting
5. Christian Community
6. Holy Living
Not really essential to the book, but I found the Thomasian idea of the 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy and the 7 Corporal Works of Mercy (Summa Theologica, II-II, 32) very interesting. In Chapter 14, the author quotes James 2:20 and then essentially asks the question, "So what are good works?" Good question. At one end of the spectrum, I suppose, someone might say that to do a "good work," according to the New Testament, is to do anything, whether eating or drinking, in faith--perhaps even consecrating the action by prayer or something like that. But what Aquinas presents are 14 distinct "works of mercy" that, in his mind, flesh out a good deal of what the New Testament means when it speaks of "good works," at least toward our fellow man (which indeed seems to be the bent of New Testament good works):
7 Spiritual Works of Mercy:
1. Instructing the Ignorant
2. Counseling the Doubtful
3. Comforting the Sorrowful
4. Reproving the Sinner
5. Forgiving Injuries
6. Bearing Wrongs Patiently
7. Praying for the Living and the Dead (eek)
7 Corporal Works of Mercy:
1. Feeding the Hungry
2. Giving Drink to the Thirsty
3. Clothing the Naked
4. Harboring the Harborless
5. Visiting the Sick
6. Ransoming the Captive
7. Burying the Dead
I don't think Aquinas intended for these 14 works to cover every possible "good work," but I find that such a list (or a similar one) may be helpful for Protestants, for whom the concept of individual, specific "good works" may often be blurred into just "living a moral life" by faith. To be fair, though, it seems that Scripture does present both: it's about specific, individual, particularly faith-induced acts and words, like offering acceptable sacrifices and building arks and keeping Passovers (Hebrews 11:4, 7, 28), and also about that continual manner of life in which everything we do and say "make[s] it clear that [we] are seeking a homeland...a better country" (11:14, 16).
This is not in the book, but I note that Methodists have their 6 Works of Piety:
1. Prayer
2. Searching the Scriptures
3. Holy Communion
4. Fasting
5. Christian Community
6. Holy Living
February 20, 2015
Well organized book describing the method of loci, or memory mansion, technique of memorization. Vost is obviously well-versed in memory techniques, throwing in many references (always in separate boxes so as not to detract from the teaching :) He is also very Catholic, as every chapter takes some example of Christian, often Catholic, teaching and shows us how to memorize it for easy recall. Start slowly with the Ten Commandments and the Seven Deadly sins, but soon you will tackle the 47 books of the Old Testament and the 44 daughters of the seven deadly sins. It will take study, but I think I am far more likely to remember these things this way than any other. Finally, Vost is very frank about what memorization gets us. It is not the end game. He hopes we will memorize so we can use this knowledge, teach this knowledge, and maybe live it. He wraps up quoting the letter of James on works.
January 20, 2013
Nice, very specific book on mnemotechnics and Catholic religious education. Kevin Vost presents the art of memory in a catechetical context. The art of memory consists not of "drill-and-kill" rote repetition, but rather, of techniques of lively creativity and vivid imagination. For anyone interested in opening his mind and allowing it to reflect on the ideas, beliefs, experiences, and reflections of those who came before us, as well as those who are with us, holding the world and making it vivid in our mind's eye, this is book is a good resource.
June 18, 2012
The entire book is a detailed illustration of the loci method of memorization, using Catholic theology. Very good if you want a complete walk through this method, are a Catholic student, or are homeschooling a Catholic education. If you'd rather not endure a religion lesson, another book would be better for you. I did appreciate the way this book walks the reader through the method using a variety of different examples.
June 22, 2019
an ancient method for remembering the things that are important to you
Catholics will love this book. But members of other Christian denominations will gain a great deal from reading.
You will earn the most amazing way of remembering the elements of your faith as well as scriptural verses. You will be amazed that you can remember things after spending a few minutes thinking about them in a certain way.
The application of the skill you will learn just from reading this book will find use on all the areas of you life.
What you don’t know is that your mind knows how to permanently remember things after reviewing them for just a few minutes every few days.
This is actually an amazing book which passes on to you an ancient method for remembering the things that are important to you. Remembering truly is the beginning of understanding.
Don’t miss out on learning this skill.
Catholics will love this book. But members of other Christian denominations will gain a great deal from reading.
You will earn the most amazing way of remembering the elements of your faith as well as scriptural verses. You will be amazed that you can remember things after spending a few minutes thinking about them in a certain way.
The application of the skill you will learn just from reading this book will find use on all the areas of you life.
What you don’t know is that your mind knows how to permanently remember things after reviewing them for just a few minutes every few days.
This is actually an amazing book which passes on to you an ancient method for remembering the things that are important to you. Remembering truly is the beginning of understanding.
Don’t miss out on learning this skill.
April 26, 2020
Great book for memorizing anything. It is an interesting concept using rooms for identification. I finished it last year but just posting today. I would recommend this method and book.
August 23, 2025
I wish I had know these techniques years ago ! Great overall book on how memory works !
January 6, 2023
Some books are great because of the quality of the writing. Some books are great because of the content or message they convey. Some books are great because of the reputation they garner, and over time, come to be considered classics. Dr. Kevin Vost has written a book that fits the first two categories and only time will tell about the third. The author, who has done both graduate work and doctorate work on memory, has written this book as a tool to help Catholics memorize their faith. However, it is also so much more than that. It can be a tool used by any serious academic to help them memorize, learn to think more creatively, plan and execute research and papers. If you read the book for the techniques taught alone, it will be an invaluable asset to any intentional student.
Dr. Vost states "The text and illustrations have been structured in such a way that, if you read slowly and carefully, look at the pictures, and follow the instructions, by the time you finish, you'll be able to remember and name the Ten Commandments, the seven capital sins, the seven virtues, the nine Beatitudes, the seven sacraments, the twenty mysteries of the Rosary, and yes, if you are ambitious enough, even the names of the forty-six books of the Old Testament and the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. And all of these in order, both forward and backward!" Through the processes, he uses a method of memorization that traces its roots and origins to the ancient Greek poet Simonides and the philosopher Aristotle, and to Marcus Tullius Cicero. These techniques were then taught and practiced by the Doctors of the Catholic Church, St. Albert the Great (the "Universal Doctor") and St. Thomas Aquinas. These techniques are collectively known as mnemonics.
Through the progression of learning the memorization skills you will develop greater abilities and strengths in these areas: organization, imagination and concentration. There is so much we still do not understand about the human brain, but we do know from much research, including some of Dr. Vost's, that the more we use the brain, the more we can use it. It can be retrained after injury. Studies that have been done on surgery patients, Alzheimer's patients and others all show that working the brain can help fight diseases. Vost's techniques will help the reader to learn to organize thoughts and thought processes more clearly, use the imagination to stretch the brain and work it out in new and different ways. Then the concentration involved in the first two activities, combined with repetition, can lead to memory skills that will serve you for a lifetime.
Vost writes in a fun and engaging manner. This book is written with many target groups in mind. He writes for the practitioner of the Catholic Faith that wants to be able to answer the lists he gives above, and many, many more. He writes for a younger audience who wish to understand their faith. He writes for all students who need the skills presented in this book to help them learn to be better students and scholars.
The greatest strength of this book is Dr. Vost's background in research, and practice in implementing these systems in the field of Psychology, and his love for his religious tradition. The weakness of the book is the memorization techniques. Tips and tricks are so great you will have to study Catholicism to learn them. An added bonus is that at the end of each chapter is a toolbox called 'Memory Master Tips and Facts'. These boxes help you apply the material in an easier fashion.
Therefore I would declare that this is a great book, for the old and for the young in the faith. It is also a good resource for any academic or lifelong learner. This is a great book - plain and simple.
(First Published in Imprint 2008-01-11.)
Dr. Vost states "The text and illustrations have been structured in such a way that, if you read slowly and carefully, look at the pictures, and follow the instructions, by the time you finish, you'll be able to remember and name the Ten Commandments, the seven capital sins, the seven virtues, the nine Beatitudes, the seven sacraments, the twenty mysteries of the Rosary, and yes, if you are ambitious enough, even the names of the forty-six books of the Old Testament and the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. And all of these in order, both forward and backward!" Through the processes, he uses a method of memorization that traces its roots and origins to the ancient Greek poet Simonides and the philosopher Aristotle, and to Marcus Tullius Cicero. These techniques were then taught and practiced by the Doctors of the Catholic Church, St. Albert the Great (the "Universal Doctor") and St. Thomas Aquinas. These techniques are collectively known as mnemonics.
Through the progression of learning the memorization skills you will develop greater abilities and strengths in these areas: organization, imagination and concentration. There is so much we still do not understand about the human brain, but we do know from much research, including some of Dr. Vost's, that the more we use the brain, the more we can use it. It can be retrained after injury. Studies that have been done on surgery patients, Alzheimer's patients and others all show that working the brain can help fight diseases. Vost's techniques will help the reader to learn to organize thoughts and thought processes more clearly, use the imagination to stretch the brain and work it out in new and different ways. Then the concentration involved in the first two activities, combined with repetition, can lead to memory skills that will serve you for a lifetime.
Vost writes in a fun and engaging manner. This book is written with many target groups in mind. He writes for the practitioner of the Catholic Faith that wants to be able to answer the lists he gives above, and many, many more. He writes for a younger audience who wish to understand their faith. He writes for all students who need the skills presented in this book to help them learn to be better students and scholars.
The greatest strength of this book is Dr. Vost's background in research, and practice in implementing these systems in the field of Psychology, and his love for his religious tradition. The weakness of the book is the memorization techniques. Tips and tricks are so great you will have to study Catholicism to learn them. An added bonus is that at the end of each chapter is a toolbox called 'Memory Master Tips and Facts'. These boxes help you apply the material in an easier fashion.
Therefore I would declare that this is a great book, for the old and for the young in the faith. It is also a good resource for any academic or lifelong learner. This is a great book - plain and simple.
(First Published in Imprint 2008-01-11.)
October 8, 2012
I bought this so I could return to it. This is not a book that can be digested in a single reading; rather, it rewards rereading and actually doing the exercises described. I am slowly (but hopefully surely) doing this.
Vost describes the Art of Memory as the skill of trained recall, focusing on the Method of Loci, but alluding to other means. The rest of the book is a series of directed exercises in building a "memory palace" to hold various memories.
As Vost notes, the method is not limited to the content of the book. His first example is a memorization of the Ten Commandments; I used it to first memorize another list of 10 items I wanted to recall.
Of course, as you might guess from the book's title, Vost is writing as a Catholic and for Catholics. Protestants like myself need to mentally edit a few details. :) (His Ten Commandments list follows the Catholic division of the Commandments; the list of canonical books includes the deuterocanon, etc.) Grownups should be able to cope.
I was also very intrigued by his discussion of the vices and virtues and their parts, derived from Aquinas. This is developed further in his next book, Unearthing Your Ten Talents: A Thomistic Guide to Spiritual Growth Through the Virtues and the Gifts.
Vost describes the Art of Memory as the skill of trained recall, focusing on the Method of Loci, but alluding to other means. The rest of the book is a series of directed exercises in building a "memory palace" to hold various memories.
As Vost notes, the method is not limited to the content of the book. His first example is a memorization of the Ten Commandments; I used it to first memorize another list of 10 items I wanted to recall.
Of course, as you might guess from the book's title, Vost is writing as a Catholic and for Catholics. Protestants like myself need to mentally edit a few details. :) (His Ten Commandments list follows the Catholic division of the Commandments; the list of canonical books includes the deuterocanon, etc.) Grownups should be able to cope.
I was also very intrigued by his discussion of the vices and virtues and their parts, derived from Aquinas. This is developed further in his next book, Unearthing Your Ten Talents: A Thomistic Guide to Spiritual Growth Through the Virtues and the Gifts.
February 13, 2016
You knew there had to be a better memory method out there...well this is it! This book is fun, interesting and to the point. It shows you right away how to begin creating an easily accessible memory of the Faith. And it can be applied to anything you need to memorize!
April 18, 2017
Wonderful book! Kevin Vost clearly lays out his house and then fills it with great things to remember. His teaching style is to start simple and build up. After explaining what the memory palace method entails and its history especially as it pertains to St Thomas Aquinas, we enter the house we will use for the whole book. Starting in the foyer, we begin with the Ten Commandments. This is a great place to start as you will be familiar if not quite memorized in order the topics you are trying to store. As you build up the rooms in the house the first go round, the topics are familiar - 7 deadly sins, sacraments, mysteries of the rosary. As you start to reuse the loci, you are less concerned with learning the layout so the things stored become more unfamiliar to the average Catholic. Vost really does a great job in teaching both the method and selecting what parts of the faith he has selected as well as great ideas for expanding on your own.
Want to read
August 6, 2017August 6, 2017 - I'm not Catholic - but would still love to read this for the methodology of memorizing Scripture.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews