Thomas of Todi () was an Italian Austin friar and master of sacred theology active around 1380.
Thomas's (Art of Sermonizing), a Latin treatise on the technical art of preaching, is one of the longest texts in its genre. It was also widely copied, being preserved in at least 20 manuscripts, although in one it is incomplete and in another two it is anonymous. The work is dedicated to several learned lords. It is divided into seven chapters on:
division of the themaFor the five ways of treating words, see . subdivision proof of the parts (), of which there are five typse: by authority by symbolism by reason by examples by history elaboration of the parts ( and ), of which there are seven modes, lists them. order of the sermon (), which consists of eight parts: proposing the thema () reciting the Ave Maria () introducing the thema () dividing the thema () subdividing the divisions () proving the divisions and subdivisions ()
conclusion () introduction of the thema rhymes, for which there are five rules
Siegfried Wenzel notes that the chapters are not ordered logically. The fifth and sixth should be the first two. Unlike most theorists, who considered division of the thema into three to be best, Thomas considered division into four best. His emphasis on rhyme and rhythm is also unique.
The text of the was transcribed by June Babcock based on a single manuscript (Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Latin 15965) for her 1941 thesis, which has never been published., and , citing . Latin 15965 has been digitized.
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