Spiritual Reading: A Study of the Christian Practice of Reading Scripture

by Angela Lou Harvey

Reading Scripture is a spiritual practice at the very heart of the Christian faith. But how is it possible to encounter God in reading the words of the Bible? Does reading the Christian Bible require a different approach from how one may read other texts or writings? What is required of the spiritual reader to read well? Seeking to answer such questions, Angela Lou Harvey provides a theological exploration of the idea of “spiritual reading” in the context of the western church today. Drawing upon insights of theologians such as Karl Barth, Henri de Lubac, and Ellen F. Davis, the author suggests that the particulars of Christian belief profoundly shape the distinctive practice of the spiritual reading of the Bible.

Table of Contents

Foreword by R. W. L. Moberly
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
chapter 1: Introduction
chapter 2: Spiritual Reading and the Church
chapter 3: Reading Well
chapter 4: Karl Barth and the Reality of God in Scripture
chapter 5: Henri de Lubac and the Spiritual Sense of Scripture
chapter 6: An Artful Ellen Davis
chapter 7: Ellen Davis’s Art in Practice
Conclusion
Bibliography

248 pages, Paperback

Published November 29, 2016

Reviews

[Marylou]

Very good

This book offers a deep look at what we mean when we speak of spiritual reading, in particular of the Christian scriptures. It is best read slowly, as it also proposes we read the Bible. It is a very interesting book.

[Beverly Roberts]

Very good read. Certain chapters can be used for instruction in a classroom. I enjoyed reading the interplay between both authors. Very well researched. Room for growth personal well as academically.