Ask of Old Paths: Medieval Virtues and Vices for a Whole and Holy Life

by Grace Hamman

Traditional Christian virtue and vices like abstinence, gluttony, and sloth make many of us bored or uncomfortable. At their best, these words sound dead or confusing, like incomplete fossils that belong to a distant past awkwardly enshrined in a museum. At worst, they signify a prejudiced past, when these words were wielded like weapons.

Yet in medieval writing, the language of the virtues and vices was powerful, lively, and delightfully weird. Patience is described as a peppercorn. Unicorns preach chastity. Knightly virtues fend off devious vices by throwing roses at them. In medieval books, words like avarice and meekness meant different things and carried different weight than they do today. And great medieval preachers and poets taught the virtues as crucial to what it meant to live a life of holiness, right alongside the Lord's Prayer and the Creed.

Ask of Old Paths by Grace Hamman meditates upon those strange and wonderful word-pictures and explanations of virtues and vices found in medieval traditions of poetry, sermons, and treatises long confined to dusty corners of the library. It focuses on the ancient tradition of virtue language called the Seven Capital Virtue pride and humility, envy and love, wrath and meekness, avarice and mercy, sloth and perseverance, gluttony and abstinence, lust and chastity.

In accessible and thoughtful chapters, scholar and writer Grace Hamman shows how learning about these pairs of medieval virtues and vices can help us reevaluate our own washed out and insipid moral vocabulary in modernity. Our imaginations for the good life are expanded; our longing for sanctification sharpens. Old ideas can give us new fire in our practice of the virtue--and in that practice, we imitate Jesus and become more human.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Theology, Medieval, Christian Living, Faith, History

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2025

Reviews

[Ruth]

The opening didn't really draw me, but about halfway through the book I fell into the rhythm, and now I want to quit my job and study medieval art.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enriching, edifying, stirring! So much food for thought. I’ll definitely be keeping this handy to reread as my knowledge and practice of the virtues grows, by God’s grace.

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ask of Old Paths was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025. I even wheedled a copy off the author so I could get my hands on it before release, which was after I moved overseas! I read as much of it as I could at the cathedral ruins in St Andrews, to immerse myself not only in the natural world but also in the medieval mindset (though medieval folk, enviably, had this cathedral before it was ruined).

Hamman opens the door wide to let the wind of the Spirit into the dusty, cobwebby room of how we have spoken about virtues. She peels each one back to its delicious core, showing how desirable virtue is. I also appreciated, so much, how she refused to let vice be the same old thing, either. Gluttony and abstinence--applied to things other than food, including online consumption? Whew. Now that I live in Scotland, where the national animal is the unicorn, I am never not going to think of it in the christological terms Hamman presented in the final chapter. The last two chapters, in particular, are paradigm-shifters. Not a term I use often, especially for more than one instance!

Ask of Old Paths is beautifully produced, with a lovely title page for each chapter, wonderfully reproduced images of medieval manuscripts, and footnotes (my delight). I am so glad to see Hamman's work getting the publishing treatment it deserves. (If only it were in color, but maybe her third book will be?) I needed the messages in this book and encourage you to give it a try.

As I thought and prayed about this season of life, where I'm beginning my doctoral studies, I felt convicted that I needed to intentionally cultivate my spiritual life, particularly virtue, in these years. In grad school, working as a doctoral enrollment counselor, and supporting my husband through his PhD, I saw way too many people who genuinely became worse during their studies. They were prideful, angry, unpleasant to be around, self-centered, whiny. (Obviously not all of them--or even most! Definitely not my husband, who became an even more virtuous person despite having an advisor worthy of being in R. F. Kuang's Katabasis. But I saw this so much, still.) I decided that I wanted to push myself in a different direction, to chase after virtue rather than vice. So I've chosen Ask of Old Paths as a guardrail, to keep me thinking about vice and virtue. I printed "The Heart as House" (52) to hang at my desk (also St Martha, dragon slayer, because reasons). I'll be reading Ask of Old Paths again during my studies and marking passages to return to. I wrote "Wolt thou be maad hool?" on a sticky note and put it at my desk to remind me that every day I can choose to me made whole through my studies rather than made more fragmented.

[McKinley Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written book reminding us that the Christian life is not about rules to follow but about the people we become by growing in sacred virtues each and every day.

Also a reminder that the Middle Ages was a wildly weird time.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much! What a profound little tome that shares the history of medieval virtue and so delightfully translates it into a modern day practice and reflection. I’ll be getting a physical copy asap.

[Michaela Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace is one of my favorite contemporary medievalists and this latest book is absolutely beautiful. As always, her words are rich with history yet fresh and relevant for the modern age in which she writes. In a book that could easily swing toward moralistic truisms, Ask of Old Paths is instead a spiritual refresher that takes to task our modern (and not-so-modern) misconceptions of vices and virtues. Another luminous addition to my library!

[Morgan Crandall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely ADORED this book, a spiritual look at vices and their remedies, virtues. I wish this book was longer, I was educated, informed and inspired by this read. What does it mean to live a whole and holy life as a Christian? I loved the vivid medieval imagery paired with the virtues. I left each chapter with things to ponder and appreciated how the author invited us to apply the virtues.

[Lillian McCulloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

What does it look like, practically, to live a life that is whole? To answer this question, author Grace Hamman delves deep into medieval language of vice and virtue to offer an old perspective on the moral life, complemented by her own new insights. Her writing style is succinct and refined to a beautiful clarity, and the vivid medieval imagery will last with me for a long time. A short book, but each chapter has plenty to ponder, and I enjoyed taking my time with this one. Both convicting and encouraging in the best ways.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the church historian in me, this is a fascinating read—beautifully written and I’ll give it high praise for familiarity with these medieval sources. But devoid of a gospel-centered framework, it would be easy to come away from this with a moralistic framework. As with reading many of the medieval writers, there is a lot of wise meat but you got to make sure to spit out the bones.

[Lianna Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ask of Old Paths was full of interesting information on the medieval period—a unique time indeed. I was educated and informed, especially regarding the virtues and vices. However, I came away from this book feeling rather dry. I missed any extended meditation on the empowerment of the Spirit (upon whom I am totally dependent) or on the complete sufficiency of Christ for my very merit, He having accomplished all these virtues for me.

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have followed medievalist Hamman on Substack for awhile now and this – her second book – incorporates healing the vices through the virtues with a medieval lens. Loved getting to read a bit at a time (toothbrush book) and contemplate throughout the day. My heart-takeaway will always be the hedgehog bringing apples home in their spikes.

[Matthew Benzing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of the best Christian books I’ve read in a long time. So many books on the Christian life seem stale and cliched. By reaching back into the past Grace Hannam is able to discover a new perspective that seems more contemporary and original than spiritual guides written in the past couple years.

[Barbara Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The medieval imagery sparked something in me, and now I want to learn more. I listened to the audiobook, and I think I will get a physical copy as well, as it would make a good devotional book. Very thought provoking.

[Brianna Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful book that I have started to reread it. I loved the way Grace has brought back up the wisdom of the Middle Ages and showed us how applicable these truths are for us today. I learned much and so many of the citations she included have worked their beauty on my heart.

[Justin Scherrer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe the best book I've ever read!

[Anna H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely little book!

[Joel Wentz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful and inviting intro to the medieval virtues and vices. Amazingly well-researched.

Video review here: https://youtu.be/-sTtiX5_9RM

[Amber Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning. Much needed for this modern world. Highly recommend

[Selena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gently convicted and inspired. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by the author. I loved it so much that I will purchase a printed copy so I can highlight and ponder it more deeply.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting perspective on the virtues and vices from a medieval standpoint, with suggestions on applying the virtues today. The chapter on mercy was the most practical for me.

[Amber Huston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting read.

[Alana Puskarich · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this and learned to much!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a gift, both encouraging and convicting. It’s full of hope and beauty, a well-curated picture of the virtues lived out in our regular lives.