Edgework

In this essay I will discuss two ways of reading the Bible, the strengths and weaknesses of each especially when used exclusively, and how they can work together to enliven Bible reading in our contemporary context. The first is devotional reading and the second is theological reading. Although I have given a lot of thought to how these two ways of reading have operated in my life, I have not frequently found much written about the subject. However, just recently I stumbled upon an excellent article written by Kurt Willems on his blog site, “The Pangea Blog,” entitled, Stop Turning “Devotions” into Dogma: reflections on how we read the bible. So I will mostly be leaning on Kurt and my own experiences for what I have to say below.

As for Kurt, my first experiences with reading the Bible were basically devotional. I remember clearly how the Bible came alive for me in the wake of a dramatic conversion experience at the age of sixteen. I looked to the “Word of God” for encouragement, guidance, and growth as a new believer. My church community strongly encouraged having regular “devotions” or “quiet times” in which one read various biblical texts carefully and expectantly, knowing that God could speak to us through them. These devotional times played a large role in my growth as a Christian.

It was only later in life that I came to realize that such biblical readings were the evangelical version of an old church tradition known as lectio divina, the roots of which go all the way back to Origen in the 3rd century. The practice was formalized by St. Benedictine in the 6th century and is still popular in many religious orders and movements today. Lectio divina is based on the affirmation in Romans 10:8 that “…the word of God is near you, on your lips and in your hearts.” It treats Scripture as a Living Word in which Christ, who is the Word of God, connects with the Word of God already written in your heart.

Lectio divina consists of four movements:

• Reading a biblical text slowly several times.
• Meditating on what you have read, expecting the Holy Spirit to illuminate your mind.
• Entering into prayer as a loving conversation with God.
• Contemplating in silence how the Spirit wishes to impact your life through this passage.

After practicing devotions for some time, I became somewhat disenchanted with this way of reading the Bible. I began to wonder how it could be that any and all biblical passages had amazing potential to aid in personal growth. Did that include David’s rants against his enemies and Paul’s racist evaluation of all Cretans, for example? I also noticed that devotional “aids” like the Daily Bread booklet served to bring all “devotional” readers to the same conclusions – leaving little room for the work of the Spirit in the process. Then it became apparent to me that quite regularly an insight that had been gleaned during a devotional time got constructed into dogma – a Truth that had universal application. I even noted that a good deal of preaching I heard was reports on the “devotional insights” of church leaders which were then touted as basic biblical doctrine. In my estimation, something was missing.

Theological Bible reading is quite different from devotional reading. First in Bible School, and later in Seminary, I was introduced to what might be referred to as “hardcore biblical studies and reflection.” This included:

• Studying the historical situation into which the writer speaks.
• Identifying how a particular text fits into the larger biblical narrative or the theme of a particular book of the Bible.
• Determining the genre the text falls into – historical narrative, didactic teaching, wisdom literature, prophetic literature, apocalyptic literature, poetry, etc.
• Noticing creative usages of words and phrases like metaphors, word-pictures, hyperbole, humor, etc.
• Attempting to construct theological bridges across time and varying cultures.
• Testing understandings discovered in the context of the larger church community.

How well I remember the “Eureka” moments that came to me in the context of such more intense Bible study. It seemed at the time that such revelations were much superior to those gleaned in personal devotions and, increasingly, this is where I directed my energy. And I became convinced that reading the Bible theologically was actually available to anyone who was willing to invest the time and energy it takes. But I also began to take note that for some persons such Bible study ended up being mostly an academic pursuit with minimal application evident in life. And, furthermore, those who remained with the devotional readings approach often looked with suspicion upon those who invested time and energy in theological reading of the Bible. I think it was based on a fear that such in-depth study might rein in their propensity to turn devotional insights into dogma applicable everywhere and for all time.

Kurt Willems suggests that there is room and a necessity to emphasize both devotional and theological readings of the Bible. “Both benefit a person individually and the church corporately… We need to allow these two ways of reading the Scriptures to complement each other appropriately while simultaneously emphasizing the ways in which they are distinct. Then, when a person hears from the Lord in their devotional reading time, we can affirm it while cautioning that such a word differs from the art of biblical interpretation. This keeps the church intellectually honest and engaged while guarding the church from spiritually draining intellectualism. Thus the head and the heart work together.”

So the challenge goes two ways: People like myself who have discovered the delight and even ecstasy of a theological reading of the biblical text, will do well to focus more time and attention on devotional reading, especially following the four steps of lectio divina. And those who have only experienced Bible reading in a devotional context will do well to discipline themselves to do at least some theological Bible reading