The author takes the publication of an impressive dissertation on Thomas a Kempis’ Hortulus Rosarum and Vallis Liliorum as an opportunity to call attention to Thomas’ theology and spirituality. Rather than to put this work within the usual framework of the history of spirituality, he looks at it from the viewpoint of a scholar of monastic theology and medieval forms of pastoral theology. The last decades have seen an increase of this kind of research. He presents the contents of this (...) excellent work and discusses its most important results. (shrink)