Knowra Lectio Divina Lectio Divina Lectio Divina is a Christian practice of prayerful Scripture reading traditionally moving through reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation. It treats biblical text as a focus for attentive listening and response.
Lectio : The attentive reading of a sacred text, traditionally the first movement of Lectio Divina. The practice begins by receiving a passage through slow, repeated reading.
Origen : An early Christian theologian whose biblical interpretation joined close reading with spiritual understanding. His approach helped shape Christian traditions of reading Scripture for spiritual meaning.
Christian prayer : Communication with God in Christian life, expressed through words, silence, ritual, and inward attention. Lectio Divina is a form of prayer grounded in engagement with Scripture.
Ignatian spirituality : A Christian tradition of prayer and discernment shaped by the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. It offers a distinct method of imaginative engagement with Scripture alongside Lectio Divina.
Divine revelation : The disclosure of knowledge about God, understood in Christianity through Scripture, tradition, and events. The practice assumes Scripture can mediate an encounter with God.
Meditatio : The reflective consideration of a sacred text, traditionally the second movement of Lectio Divina. Meditation attends to words or phrases that stand out during reading.
John Cassian : A fifth-century Christian monk whose writings transmitted Egyptian monastic teaching to the Latin West. His account of prayer and Scripture shaped later Western monastic practice.
Biblical exegesis : The critical interpretation of biblical texts through their language, history, literary forms, and contexts. The practice engages Scripture, though its purpose differs from academic interpretation.
Bible study : The organized examination of biblical texts, often using historical, literary, or theological methods. Bible study commonly emphasizes explanation, while Lectio Divina emphasizes prayerful response.
Spiritual formation : The process by which beliefs, habits, and relationships shape a person's spiritual life. Repeated prayerful reading aims to shape life as well as understanding.
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