The Bible is an ancient, enigmatic text from a culture vastly different from our own, and most of us find it hard to read. How then can we understand its importance to 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 art. It is also to be in community, and to enter into dialogue with the God who speaks to each of us through the biblical page. In this inspiring volume, Enzo Bianchi touches on some of the key insights in the history of Christian biblical interpretation – from the brilliant thinker Origen in the third century to the development and refinement of historical criticism and related approaches in the modern era. He explains how to do lectio divina and understand its four ‘moments’ – lectio, meditatio, oratio, contemplatio.

This is not simply a book about how to approach the Bible because Scripture ultimately leads us beyond itself – to the truth and mystery of Christ that can never be captured fully in the written word.