Customer Reviews

Bible as Prayer: A Handbook for Lectio Divina

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First of all, the buyer should understand right away what this book is and is not. It is a excellently chosen series of selections from the scriptures, arranged in the proper order (that is to say, beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelation) which serve as key thoughts to reflect upon in lectio divina, meditation or prayer. It is not in any way a study Bible, it's purpose being for devotion and prayer rather than study per se. I think the author, who is also an extremely distinguished concert pianist, shows great care in chosing those quotations, kernels, nuggets of scripture which provide an adequate "hook" for the mind and soul to catch upon.
I can see how handy this would be if I were going on a trip and wanted to have a good amount of the Word at hand without carrying an entire Bible with me. The author provides an interesting and informative essay at the top of the book, explaining his intent. Mr Hough is a Roman Catholic, and I am so glad that he includes a generous selection of quotations from the Apocrypha.
I for one am going to find it quite useful. It is also nicely printed on beautiful quality, glossy paper. A lovely little gem of a book.

THE BIBLE AS PRAYER is a recommended pick for Christian libraries, offering up an anthology of short phrases and passage from the Bible designed specifically to aid in prayer. From early monk phrases taken from Scriptures for meditation purposes to the development of the Jesus Prayer in the East, THE BIBLE AS PRAYER: A HANDBOOK FOR LECTIO DIVINA offers up both useful phrases and history.

It's just a collection of Bible passages. A list of texts on a couple sheets of paper would accomplish the same thing and would add the extra benefit of sending you to your own Bible.