In an era when many scholars and critics can't seem to see the forest of literature for the trees of theory, objective readings of texts are few and far between. In Devotions to the Text, Steven Carter seeks to counter this trend by demonstrating that Samuel Johnson's admonition to "empty your mind of cant" is still sage advice for today's readers, both private and professional. Devotions to the Text constitutes a bold act of rebellion against those who would transform texts into mirrors that reflect only their own ideas and/or ideologies.