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Lectio Divina: From God's Word to Our Lives
The Bible is ancient, enigmatic, and from a culture vastly different from our own. That’s why most of us find it hard to read. So how can we understand its importance in the church, and how can it enrich our lives? Central to lectio divina is the conviction that to read the Bible faithfully and prayerfully is to learn an ancient art—by entering into dialogue with the God who speaks to each of us through the biblical page. Enzo Bianchi touches on the essentials of the history of lectio, from the brilliant thinker Origen in the third century to the development of historical criticism in the modern era. He explains how to do lectio and how to understand and implement its four "moments”—lectio, meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio. This is not simply a book about how to approach the Bible, because Scripture ultimately wants to lead us beyond itself, to the truth and mystery of Christ that can never be captured fully in the written word.
"With his deep biblical wisdom, Bianchi is able to explore the whole Christian tradition of prayerful reading. St. Benedict mandates at least two hours of lectio divina a day for his monks, which is a considerable challenge for the modern person. But with Enzo as our guide, we can do it!” —Terrence G. Kardong, osb, editor of American Benedictine Review
"Enzo Bianchi was born in Castel Boglione, Piedmont, Italy, in 1943. In 1965, after graduating from the University of Turin, he founded an ecumenical monastic community—the Bose Community—of which he is still the prior. Friar Bianchi is a well-known author of books on lectio divina and the spiritual life, which have been translated into many languages. He has dedicated himself to the search for spirituality capable of giving life to Christians today and furthering communion among all people. The Bose Community now numbers over eighty brothers and sisters of various Christian traditions, and receives thousands of visitors annually.
Enzo Bianchi is one of the most significant Christian voices in Europe. He shows what can be achieved by an immersion in Scripture that involves both intellect and imagination alike, and—in common with all the most serious Christian voices of our day—he cannot be labeled as a partisan "liberal” or "traditionalist.” He offers exactly what the monastic voice at its truest has always offered: a way into the heart of our ecclesial and social questions that is honest, patient, and sensitive. His is a perspective that the English-speaking Christian world should welcome enthusiastically." —Rowan Williams, Magdalene College, Cambridge
"I hope that these pages may be heard as a simple yet faithful echo of my personal experience, my community’s path and my journey with the church. For years, I have broken the bread of the Word for the brothers and sisters in my community. Much of what I say here comes from that experience. It also comes from many years of preaching the Word to listeners from all walks of life. I would like to see this book ultimately as no more than a small gesture of gratitude to those witnesses of the Word whom the Lord has allowed me to meet, those "martyrs” of faith who have found ways to express all the richness of the Gospel in their lives. Only those people who put God’s Word into practice have really heard it. They are the ones who truly understand the biblical text, because they obey without delay the word Christ never tires of speaking to us. The sequential sancti evangelii for today—today’s Gospel—is not the product of brilliant scholarly research. It is the life and witness of God’s holy people, those who are faithful disciples of the Word made flesh, their Lord." —Enzo Bianchi
"With his deep biblical wisdom, Bianchi is able to explore the whole Christian tradition of prayerful reading. St. Benedict mandates at least two hours of lectio divina a day for his monks, which is a considerable challenge for the modern person. But with Enzo as our guide, we can do it!” —Terrence G. Kardong, osb, editor of American Benedictine Review
"Enzo Bianchi was born in Castel Boglione, Piedmont, Italy, in 1943. In 1965, after graduating from the University of Turin, he founded an ecumenical monastic community—the Bose Community—of which he is still the prior. Friar Bianchi is a well-known author of books on lectio divina and the spiritual life, which have been translated into many languages. He has dedicated himself to the search for spirituality capable of giving life to Christians today and furthering communion among all people. The Bose Community now numbers over eighty brothers and sisters of various Christian traditions, and receives thousands of visitors annually.
Enzo Bianchi is one of the most significant Christian voices in Europe. He shows what can be achieved by an immersion in Scripture that involves both intellect and imagination alike, and—in common with all the most serious Christian voices of our day—he cannot be labeled as a partisan "liberal” or "traditionalist.” He offers exactly what the monastic voice at its truest has always offered: a way into the heart of our ecclesial and social questions that is honest, patient, and sensitive. His is a perspective that the English-speaking Christian world should welcome enthusiastically." —Rowan Williams, Magdalene College, Cambridge
"I hope that these pages may be heard as a simple yet faithful echo of my personal experience, my community’s path and my journey with the church. For years, I have broken the bread of the Word for the brothers and sisters in my community. Much of what I say here comes from that experience. It also comes from many years of preaching the Word to listeners from all walks of life. I would like to see this book ultimately as no more than a small gesture of gratitude to those witnesses of the Word whom the Lord has allowed me to meet, those "martyrs” of faith who have found ways to express all the richness of the Gospel in their lives. Only those people who put God’s Word into practice have really heard it. They are the ones who truly understand the biblical text, because they obey without delay the word Christ never tires of speaking to us. The sequential sancti evangelii for today—today’s Gospel—is not the product of brilliant scholarly research. It is the life and witness of God’s holy people, those who are faithful disciples of the Word made flesh, their Lord." —Enzo Bianchi
- GenresDevotionalChristianity
88 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 19, 2015
About the author
Enzo Bianchi
233 books20 followersEnzo Bianchi è un saggista italiano, monaco laico, fondatore della Comunità monastica di Bose, a Magnano, della quale è stato anche priore dalla fondazione fino al gennaio 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 16, 2021
Picked this up in a religious bookstore while on vacation and read through (most of) it in a day or so. I skipped over a couple of the chapters as they weren't very helpful for me.
If you are new to the Spiritual practice of Lectio Divina, this book might be difficult to follow. Otherwise, there was a lot I felt was helpful and worthwhile. The author is a Roman Catholic monk which wasn't a concern for me, so all of his references were from that Tradition. This stretched me a bit, but that's part of the joy of reading!
One of his comments that I particularly appreciated: "Christians no longer form a homogeneous group, and increasingly we live in a kind of diaspora situation (p. 111)." I don't believe he means this in a derogatory way towards others; simply as a means of stating fact. I think it could be a helpful way for Believers to understand their own situation.
RECOMMEND
If you are new to the Spiritual practice of Lectio Divina, this book might be difficult to follow. Otherwise, there was a lot I felt was helpful and worthwhile. The author is a Roman Catholic monk which wasn't a concern for me, so all of his references were from that Tradition. This stretched me a bit, but that's part of the joy of reading!
One of his comments that I particularly appreciated: "Christians no longer form a homogeneous group, and increasingly we live in a kind of diaspora situation (p. 111)." I don't believe he means this in a derogatory way towards others; simply as a means of stating fact. I think it could be a helpful way for Believers to understand their own situation.
RECOMMEND
April 29, 2015
When I first picked up a book from Enzo Bianchi, I had no idea who he was. As the founder and prior of the Bose Community (a lay monastic community in the Benedictine tradition) and as consultor of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (appointed by Pope Francis in 2014), he is a major voice in monastic and Christian spirituality. Lectio Divina: From God's Word to Our Lives is now the third book I have read from him (and the third book translated to English and published by Paraclete Press). In each book, Enzo has challenged me to new depths in my spiritual life.
Bianchi's treatment of Lectio Divina was more than I expected. Most other Lectio Divina books I have read, either give simple practical guidelines and a method for the practice, or are gleanings from the author's private devotional life. Bianchi does give practical advice on how to practice (especially in part two of this book) but he also gives a fuller treatment of the hermeneutics of spiritual interpretation. He references Ratzinger, De Lubac, Urs von Balthasar and others, as well as a range of patrisitic sources (Augustine, Origen, Ambrose, etc). For Bianchi, the practice of Lectio is not a subjective, privatized word from God, but an attentive reading (attending to the Spirit, to Christ and the text). He uses critical methods; yet reading in this way, is always about spiritual encounter.
In part one, Bianchi commends spiritual interpretation. In chapter on,e he describes Origen's exegetical method. Origen is representative of the Christian biblical exegesis practiced until the sixteenth century, before the critical era began and we had 'simply one possible way of reading the Bible' (9). So chapter two explores the relevance of spiritual exegesis for today, arguing for the Bible's centrality in the life of the church, and the way it testifies about Jesus throughout the canon; however this isn't a repudiation of critical gains in reading the Bible, though historical method is dethroned of ultimate importance. In chapter three, Bianchi explores God's Word--Jesus Christ--and helps us think through how the Bible is also God's word ( both inspired and human, reflecting the incarnation). Chapter four examines the unity of scripture and the way both testaments testify about Christ its center. In chapter five, Bianchi connects spiritual interpretation with the classic four-fold sense of scripture (literal-historical, allegorical, tropological, and anagogical). He relates each of these four levels of meaning to the four stages of Lectio Divina (Lectio, Meditatio, Oratio, and Contemplatio). This was a new insight for me.
Part two is less conceptual and more practical. After giving a brief overview of the history of biblical interpretation in chapter six, Bianchi spends chapter seven walking his readers through the practice of Lectio Divina: (1) set aside a time and a place, (2) pray for the Spirit to open up the Word to us, (3) Read with an eye to the literal-historical meaning of the text, meditating and investigating the scripture to get at its deeper meaning, (4) pray and enter into the dialogue with the text in order to make more room for the Lord in your life, and finally (5) contemplate the passage and and have our gaze transformed into God's way of seeing. Chapter eight describes challenges during Lectio Divina (i.e. that Catholics have experienced a 'long estrangement from the Bible, the need for dailiness, and failure to read the Bible critically, engaged and Christologically. Finally chapter nine describes other challenges to practicing Lectio Divina (the text's otherness, the need for community, etc.).
Of the three books I have read from Bianchi, this may be my favorite. Bianchi takes us on a journey through patristics, spiritual theology, exegesis, contemporary Catholic theology and hermeneutics. Bianchi synthesizes these disciplines well and I came away with some fresh insights. I appreciate the way Bianchi connected the practice of Lectio Divina to the theology of spiritual exegesis operating in the church for centuries. I loved that he incorporated critical insights and study into meditation. In Bianchi's approach, the Lectio part of Lectio Divina involves reading with sensitivity and accuracy, discovering the intent and message of the original text (the literal-historical meaning). Meditatio involves study--checking commentaries, study notes, etc--in order to discover the theological and canonical connections. This, and Bianchi's insistence that Lectio Divina is a communal discipline, guards from its practice becoming purely subjective and private. Bianchi's approach is theologically sophisticated.
And that is perhaps the weakness of this book. I tracked my way through Bianchi's theology of scripture, Revelation, biblical exegesis, patristics and Christology. Had this been my first trek through these disciplines, I would have found this a hard read. Okay, I still found it a hard read, but I think a complete neophyte would be a little lost in places. I recommend this book highly to readers of theology and Christian spirituality, but I think Bianchi's Echoes of the Word (Paraclete, 2013) may be more accessible for the general reader. I give this book five stars!
Notice of material connection, I received this book from Paraclete Press in exchange for my honest review.
Bianchi's treatment of Lectio Divina was more than I expected. Most other Lectio Divina books I have read, either give simple practical guidelines and a method for the practice, or are gleanings from the author's private devotional life. Bianchi does give practical advice on how to practice (especially in part two of this book) but he also gives a fuller treatment of the hermeneutics of spiritual interpretation. He references Ratzinger, De Lubac, Urs von Balthasar and others, as well as a range of patrisitic sources (Augustine, Origen, Ambrose, etc). For Bianchi, the practice of Lectio is not a subjective, privatized word from God, but an attentive reading (attending to the Spirit, to Christ and the text). He uses critical methods; yet reading in this way, is always about spiritual encounter.
In part one, Bianchi commends spiritual interpretation. In chapter on,e he describes Origen's exegetical method. Origen is representative of the Christian biblical exegesis practiced until the sixteenth century, before the critical era began and we had 'simply one possible way of reading the Bible' (9). So chapter two explores the relevance of spiritual exegesis for today, arguing for the Bible's centrality in the life of the church, and the way it testifies about Jesus throughout the canon; however this isn't a repudiation of critical gains in reading the Bible, though historical method is dethroned of ultimate importance. In chapter three, Bianchi explores God's Word--Jesus Christ--and helps us think through how the Bible is also God's word ( both inspired and human, reflecting the incarnation). Chapter four examines the unity of scripture and the way both testaments testify about Christ its center. In chapter five, Bianchi connects spiritual interpretation with the classic four-fold sense of scripture (literal-historical, allegorical, tropological, and anagogical). He relates each of these four levels of meaning to the four stages of Lectio Divina (Lectio, Meditatio, Oratio, and Contemplatio). This was a new insight for me.
Part two is less conceptual and more practical. After giving a brief overview of the history of biblical interpretation in chapter six, Bianchi spends chapter seven walking his readers through the practice of Lectio Divina: (1) set aside a time and a place, (2) pray for the Spirit to open up the Word to us, (3) Read with an eye to the literal-historical meaning of the text, meditating and investigating the scripture to get at its deeper meaning, (4) pray and enter into the dialogue with the text in order to make more room for the Lord in your life, and finally (5) contemplate the passage and and have our gaze transformed into God's way of seeing. Chapter eight describes challenges during Lectio Divina (i.e. that Catholics have experienced a 'long estrangement from the Bible, the need for dailiness, and failure to read the Bible critically, engaged and Christologically. Finally chapter nine describes other challenges to practicing Lectio Divina (the text's otherness, the need for community, etc.).
Of the three books I have read from Bianchi, this may be my favorite. Bianchi takes us on a journey through patristics, spiritual theology, exegesis, contemporary Catholic theology and hermeneutics. Bianchi synthesizes these disciplines well and I came away with some fresh insights. I appreciate the way Bianchi connected the practice of Lectio Divina to the theology of spiritual exegesis operating in the church for centuries. I loved that he incorporated critical insights and study into meditation. In Bianchi's approach, the Lectio part of Lectio Divina involves reading with sensitivity and accuracy, discovering the intent and message of the original text (the literal-historical meaning). Meditatio involves study--checking commentaries, study notes, etc--in order to discover the theological and canonical connections. This, and Bianchi's insistence that Lectio Divina is a communal discipline, guards from its practice becoming purely subjective and private. Bianchi's approach is theologically sophisticated.
And that is perhaps the weakness of this book. I tracked my way through Bianchi's theology of scripture, Revelation, biblical exegesis, patristics and Christology. Had this been my first trek through these disciplines, I would have found this a hard read. Okay, I still found it a hard read, but I think a complete neophyte would be a little lost in places. I recommend this book highly to readers of theology and Christian spirituality, but I think Bianchi's Echoes of the Word (Paraclete, 2013) may be more accessible for the general reader. I give this book five stars!
Notice of material connection, I received this book from Paraclete Press in exchange for my honest review.
November 13, 2018
This is the second book I have read on the topic of Lectio Divina and by far the better one. Bianchi spends quite a lot of time building a case for the authority and value of Scripture and how it should apply to our lives. When it comes to the mysticism that is usually associated with Lectio, Bianchi basically just says "yeah, that happens to some people, but that is not the focus." Instead, he focuses on how to do Lectio Divina, specifically the reading of Scripture. He gives several ways Scripture has been interpreted throughout history but encourages understanding context for application.
March 27, 2015
“Wait a minute, ” I interrupted. “Read that again. Is that really in Deuteronomy?”
My husband and I are reading through the Bible this year — together and out loud. Aside from the challenge of actually being in the same room (or the same vehicle) at the same time for this daily discipline and delight, we are both finding that reading the text out loud is affecting the details that we notice and deepening our understanding of the passage. We hear the repetition and the rhythm of recurring phrases as our mouths form the syllables and the sounds of Hebrew names and the nomenclature of ancient Middle Eastern geography. Without even knowing it, we have been joining hands with the medieval church fathers who understood that Scripture was meant to be read out loud. We are hearing the voces paginarum (voice of the pages). God speaks. We listen.
It is this type of realization — a validation, really, of beloved practices — that made Enzo Bianchi’s book from Paraclete Press a valuable and enlightening reading experience. Lectio Divina is aptly subtitled From God’s Word to Our Lives because the focus of Lectio Divina [divine reading] is “spiritual reading of Scripture that allows the Word sent by God to accomplish its course, yielding fruit in human hearts . . .” Although Lectio Divina comprises four stages, Bianchi’s book should not be understood as an add-water-and-stir model for the devotional life. He lays theological groundwork, establishing that the basis for our communion with God is divine condescension: God shapes His communication to the limitations of human language, a beautiful picture of Christ’s incarnation. Beginning with sound hermeneutical principles, Lectio Divina promotes a high view of Scripture, its unity in Christ, its inspiration, and the importance of faith to a right understanding of biblical content.
Beginning with the Bible’s own accounts of how the Word of God was read, Bianchi traces a brief history of Biblical interpretation throughout the ages into modern times. This historical perspective is a salient reminder that “any method that achieves dominance risks becoming an idol.” For this reason, it is important to underscore the point that Lectio Divina: From God’s Word to Our Lives is not a checklist but, instead, a way of communing with God through His own Words, while practicing the obedience of faith individually and in community with the body of Christ. Differentiating among the four stages of Lectio Divina is actually misleading, for Lectio, the reading/listening/attending to the Word of God becomes Meditatio (Meditation) as the reader reflects, studies, and applies the text. Answering God’s Word with a response from the soul is dialogue, Oratio (Prayer), with the God who speaks. Then, like Mary, the reader ponders these things in the heart, opening the way to Contemplatio (Contemplation).
The intended flow is Scripture – Prayer – Life, a stream in which Truth moves “from the page to our lives.” It is this reading/listening/prayer that set Israel apart as God’s people, and Bianchi argues that it is the hallmark of God’s people today. We are the people of the Book. “We should come to the Bible as we would approach a person we want to get to know better. We listen to learn . . .” His conclusions impact very practically on both child training and personal evangelism as “passing on our faith to others means handing down the Scripture.” His clear-eyed acknowledgment that the Bible makes for challenging reading for most present-day readers is balanced with the reminder that our reward is a more active inner life and an enhanced ability to think. As the Word became flesh in Christ, may it once again find its way into our flesh as we see Christ in the Word, and the world sees the Word in us.
This book was provided by Paraclete Press in exchange for my honest review.
My husband and I are reading through the Bible this year — together and out loud. Aside from the challenge of actually being in the same room (or the same vehicle) at the same time for this daily discipline and delight, we are both finding that reading the text out loud is affecting the details that we notice and deepening our understanding of the passage. We hear the repetition and the rhythm of recurring phrases as our mouths form the syllables and the sounds of Hebrew names and the nomenclature of ancient Middle Eastern geography. Without even knowing it, we have been joining hands with the medieval church fathers who understood that Scripture was meant to be read out loud. We are hearing the voces paginarum (voice of the pages). God speaks. We listen.
It is this type of realization — a validation, really, of beloved practices — that made Enzo Bianchi’s book from Paraclete Press a valuable and enlightening reading experience. Lectio Divina is aptly subtitled From God’s Word to Our Lives because the focus of Lectio Divina [divine reading] is “spiritual reading of Scripture that allows the Word sent by God to accomplish its course, yielding fruit in human hearts . . .” Although Lectio Divina comprises four stages, Bianchi’s book should not be understood as an add-water-and-stir model for the devotional life. He lays theological groundwork, establishing that the basis for our communion with God is divine condescension: God shapes His communication to the limitations of human language, a beautiful picture of Christ’s incarnation. Beginning with sound hermeneutical principles, Lectio Divina promotes a high view of Scripture, its unity in Christ, its inspiration, and the importance of faith to a right understanding of biblical content.
Beginning with the Bible’s own accounts of how the Word of God was read, Bianchi traces a brief history of Biblical interpretation throughout the ages into modern times. This historical perspective is a salient reminder that “any method that achieves dominance risks becoming an idol.” For this reason, it is important to underscore the point that Lectio Divina: From God’s Word to Our Lives is not a checklist but, instead, a way of communing with God through His own Words, while practicing the obedience of faith individually and in community with the body of Christ. Differentiating among the four stages of Lectio Divina is actually misleading, for Lectio, the reading/listening/attending to the Word of God becomes Meditatio (Meditation) as the reader reflects, studies, and applies the text. Answering God’s Word with a response from the soul is dialogue, Oratio (Prayer), with the God who speaks. Then, like Mary, the reader ponders these things in the heart, opening the way to Contemplatio (Contemplation).
The intended flow is Scripture – Prayer – Life, a stream in which Truth moves “from the page to our lives.” It is this reading/listening/prayer that set Israel apart as God’s people, and Bianchi argues that it is the hallmark of God’s people today. We are the people of the Book. “We should come to the Bible as we would approach a person we want to get to know better. We listen to learn . . .” His conclusions impact very practically on both child training and personal evangelism as “passing on our faith to others means handing down the Scripture.” His clear-eyed acknowledgment that the Bible makes for challenging reading for most present-day readers is balanced with the reminder that our reward is a more active inner life and an enhanced ability to think. As the Word became flesh in Christ, may it once again find its way into our flesh as we see Christ in the Word, and the world sees the Word in us.
This book was provided by Paraclete Press in exchange for my honest review.
April 8, 2015
My love of scripture drew me to this book about the ancient practice that is having a resurgence in our times. I am speaking of Lectio Divina, which is a beautiful spiritual reading and praying of scripture. I am new to this practice so I wanted to read this book right away when I read the subtitle “From God’s Words to Our Lives. The original version was written in Italian in 2008. Now I have the privilege of previewing this new English translation.
According to Origen (a third century church father), “There are three senses concealed in the words of scripture-literal, moral and spiritual.” We need to draw all of this out of the Bible as we read. The author tells us “The Bible as the heart of the church was rediscovered in Vatican II’s conciliar document Dei Verbum.” I love the analogy of scripture being God incarnate not just Christ (The Word) as he descends into flesh as a baby in the manger but also as he descends into the written human words of the bible.
Lectio Divina first tells of the history of how we have read the bible, which has changed over time. Next is the importance of scripture in the church with the liturgy of the word. The unity of the scriptures is described from Old Testament to New Testament in light of our covenant relationship with God. The Bible calls us into an encounter with God. My favorite part is the description of the four parts of lectio divina: lectio, meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio. Lectio is the literal historical part. Meditatio is about discovered revelation. Oratio is prayer and dialogue with God. Contemplatio is applying what we have read to our lives. There are several examples of how to apply this to sample bible readings. I have a new reverence for the bible as relationship. It can be a vehicle to spend time with God in his word.
I have learned a lot about divine reading through this book. I would highly recommend this book for those who are already experienced readers of scriptures and for those who are new to bible reading. This is a Catholic approach to bible study and prayer but all Christians would enjoy learning about this process of divine reading started during the time of the early church fathers and the beginning years of Christianity.
According to Origen (a third century church father), “There are three senses concealed in the words of scripture-literal, moral and spiritual.” We need to draw all of this out of the Bible as we read. The author tells us “The Bible as the heart of the church was rediscovered in Vatican II’s conciliar document Dei Verbum.” I love the analogy of scripture being God incarnate not just Christ (The Word) as he descends into flesh as a baby in the manger but also as he descends into the written human words of the bible.
Lectio Divina first tells of the history of how we have read the bible, which has changed over time. Next is the importance of scripture in the church with the liturgy of the word. The unity of the scriptures is described from Old Testament to New Testament in light of our covenant relationship with God. The Bible calls us into an encounter with God. My favorite part is the description of the four parts of lectio divina: lectio, meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio. Lectio is the literal historical part. Meditatio is about discovered revelation. Oratio is prayer and dialogue with God. Contemplatio is applying what we have read to our lives. There are several examples of how to apply this to sample bible readings. I have a new reverence for the bible as relationship. It can be a vehicle to spend time with God in his word.
I have learned a lot about divine reading through this book. I would highly recommend this book for those who are already experienced readers of scriptures and for those who are new to bible reading. This is a Catholic approach to bible study and prayer but all Christians would enjoy learning about this process of divine reading started during the time of the early church fathers and the beginning years of Christianity.
August 28, 2016
An invitation into lectio divina, the reading of the Scriptures.
The author encourages a reconsideration and acceptance of the Origenist fourfold way of interpreting Scripture (literal, allegorical, moral/tropological, and analogical); writes much about encouraging the reading of Scripture both individually but especially communally; and commends lectio divina and its four steps: lectio, meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio. In this perspective one moves through the objective attempt to understand the text in context and then more subjectively to seek to apply it to one's own life and experience. The author also speaks about challenges in terms of reading and understanding Scripture and even just in reading and understanding in and of itself.
The author is Roman Catholic, writes within a Roman Catholic framework, and ostensibly primarily to Roman Catholics. Knowledge of basic Latin, and at least a bit of Greek, proves helpful in understanding him; much is left untranslated.
The book undoubtedly serves its primary purpose, but I was disappointed that very little time was spent in discussing the development of the spiritual discipline of lectio divina; this book is more about discussing issues surrounding lectio divina than lectio divina itself. Nevertheless, it has some good food for thought in terms of our relationship to the Scriptures and what we seek to get out of them.
**--galley received as part of early review program
The author encourages a reconsideration and acceptance of the Origenist fourfold way of interpreting Scripture (literal, allegorical, moral/tropological, and analogical); writes much about encouraging the reading of Scripture both individually but especially communally; and commends lectio divina and its four steps: lectio, meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio. In this perspective one moves through the objective attempt to understand the text in context and then more subjectively to seek to apply it to one's own life and experience. The author also speaks about challenges in terms of reading and understanding Scripture and even just in reading and understanding in and of itself.
The author is Roman Catholic, writes within a Roman Catholic framework, and ostensibly primarily to Roman Catholics. Knowledge of basic Latin, and at least a bit of Greek, proves helpful in understanding him; much is left untranslated.
The book undoubtedly serves its primary purpose, but I was disappointed that very little time was spent in discussing the development of the spiritual discipline of lectio divina; this book is more about discussing issues surrounding lectio divina than lectio divina itself. Nevertheless, it has some good food for thought in terms of our relationship to the Scriptures and what we seek to get out of them.
**--galley received as part of early review program
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews