Author Hans Boersma Retrieves Ancient Meditative Practices to Engage with the Living Word in a Fresh Way
BELLINGHAM, Wash., April 17, 2023 — Inviting Christians to a fresh encounter with the Bible based on an ancient way of reading the Scriptures, experienced preacher, theologian and author, Hans Boersma, has written “Pierced by Love: Divine Reading with the Christian Tradition,” available April 19, 2023 from Lexham Press.
Scripture engagement in America is at an all-time low. While 77% of U.S. adults own a Bible, only 39% are classified as active “Bible Users.” According to a report by State of the Bible, nearly 26 million Americans decreased or stopped interacting with Scripture in 2022, 11% lower than the previous year.
“Pierced by Love,” encourages Christians to intimately engage with God’s Word to experience a personal, spiritual encounter with Him. Affirming that the Bible is not a human book, but rather Holy text, Boersma asserts it must be approached with Holy-minded reading, something the ancient church demonstrated for us which we can adopt and benefit from today.
Christians read Scripture to encounter Christ and be conformed to his image. So how should we read it? For Christians throughout the centuries, the answer has been Lectio Divina, or “divine reading.”
In “Pierced by Love: Divine Reading with the Christian Tradition,” Boersma encourages Christians to read the Bible using this meditative and deliberate approach, which aims to take us more deeply into the life of God.
“The Scriptures are holy – set aside for a unique purpose,” writes Boersma. “Scripture is divine in that it has a special place within the Church. Lectio Divina simply means reading the Bible the way it’s supposed to be read – as divine Scripture.”
Through practicing the four movements of Lectio Divina — attentive reading, extended meditation, prayerful reflection, and silent resting — we have a structured and mindful way to focus on Christ, listen to the Spirit and rest in God’s love.
Drawing insights from our forefathers, such as Augustine, Anselm of Canterbury and Bernard of Clairvaux, “Pierced by Love” inspires Christians to join the Church’s rich heritage of transformative reading.
“Of course, God can reveal himself however, whenever and to whomever he wants, no matter the path we ourselves have taken,” notes Boersma. “But our job is to turn back, time and again, to the regular practices of reading, meditation and prayer. It is in the incarnate Christ, made known in biblical words, that we witness the self-revelation of God’s love.”
“Pierced by Love: Divine Reading with the Christian Tradition” is available April 19 from Lexham Press. For more information, visit https://lexhampress.com/product/229469/pierced-by-love-divine-reading-with-the-christian-tradition.
About Lexham Press
Lexham Press seeks to increase biblical literacy, thoughtful Christian reflection, and faithful action around the world by publishing a range of Bible study materials, scholarly works, and pastoral resources. For information, visit lexhampress.com.
About Hans Boersma
Hans Boersma is the Saint Benedict Servants of Christ Chair in Ascetical Theology at Nashotah House in Wisconsin, a priest in the Anglican Church in North America, and the author of numerous books, including “Seeing God,” “Heavenly Participation,” and “Five Things Theologians Wish Biblical Scholars Knew.”