Benedictine Roots in the Development of Deaf Education: Listening with the Heart

Examining the educational instruction of the deaf individual from its Benedictine beginnings to its present condition at Gallaudet University, this book traces the historical pedagogical affinity among Pedro Ponce de Léon, Juan Pablo Bonet, Charles Michael de l'Epée, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Edward Miner Gallaudet. The author provides the historical and philosophical basis for Jewish and Christian beliefs concerning the condition of deafness and then introduces Ponce de Léon, credited as being the first teacher of the deaf. The essence of this Spanish Benedictine monk's methods and manner of teaching have been continued by those who succeeded him. The author traces this development from Spain through France and then to the United States.

Table of Contents:
First Foreword Second Foreword Preface Jewish and Christian Beliefs Benedictine Roots and Pedro Ponce de León Juan Pablo Bonet and Simplification of the Alphabet, and the Art of Teaching Deaf Mutes Charles Michael de l'Epée and The French National Institute for the Deaf Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and The American School for the Deaf Edward Miner Gallaudet and Gallaudet University Present Pedagogy and Consonance with Benedictine Roots Bibliography Index

About the Author :
MARILYN DANIELS is Associate Professor of Speech Communication at The Pennsylvania State University. She is the author of The Dance in Christianity: A History of Religious Dance Through the Ages (1981) and numerous articles in communication education journals.

Review :
"As a Benedictine steeped in the monastic tradition of which the sixteenth century Spanish monk Pedro Ponce de Leon, first teacher of the deaf, was imbued, I "heard" many resonances between the care of the deaf through the centuries and the monastic care of persons in the Rule of Benedict, in Marilyn Daniels' book."-Sister Mary Forman, OSB President, American Benedictine Academy "I was fascinated by the scholarly care the author took to prepare the reader to understand the links she has made from the past to the present....All of us interested in sign language will find this book to be 'must' reading."-Robert M. Wilson Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Education University of Maryland "Marilyn Daniels has written a very readable history of deaf education. She has also traced an intriguing connection to the Benedictine order. Because Jewish and Christian religions are based upon God speaking, the reality of the deaf person constituted a special challenge. The Benedictine rule of life, with its times of contemplative silence and communication through gesture, led to a recognition that language could be signed as well as spoken. Daniels follows this theme through the great work of Thomas and Edward Gallaudet and the university which bears their name."-Gabriel Moran Professor, Department of Culture and Communication New York University "Marilyn Daniels' insight and fresh perspective, combined with a scholarly bent for research and her evident mastery of presenting historical information in a very readable style have resulted in an entertaining, valuable, and instructive chronicle of this unique profession. This book is one of the most important treatments of deaf education and its history to be published in my thirty-three years as an educator of the deaf."-W. Winfield McChord, Jr. Executive Director, The American School for the Deaf ?This book is very interesting, informative, organized, and well thought out. There are so many facts and people to remember that you can get lost in history!....If you are Deaf or work in the field of deafness, this historical book would be an excellent addition to your personal/professional library. It has not only expanded my knowledge of the history of deaf education, it has helped me to appreciate its origins.?-Disability Studies Quarterly "This book is very interesting, informative, organized, and well thought out. There are so many facts and people to remember that you can get lost in history!....If you are Deaf or work in the field of deafness, this historical book would be an excellent addition to your personal/professional library. It has not only expanded my knowledge of the history of deaf education, it has helped me to appreciate its origins."-Disability Studies Quarterly