Read the Bible Like a Mystic: Contemplative Wisdom and the Word

Reading the Bible in the tradition of history’s “great mystics” can help Christians build a more expansive faith, according to this spirited guide. Inspired by such figures as early Christian theologian Origen of Alexandria, spiritual retreat leader McColman (Eternal Heart) highlights the value of reading the Bible with “spiritual imagination,” or drawing personal meaning from its stories without getting bogged down in factual specifics. For example, he suggests that it’s less important whether God actually created the world in six days than that the story has resonated with generations of readers and can spark one’s own awe at God’s power. Using their spiritual imagination can help readers to see God as “infinitely loving and compassionate rather than patriarchal and authoritarian,” enriching their faith and helping them combat the Bible’s weaponization by those who literalize the text. Elsewhere, McColman emphasizes the value of noticing how themes like justice show up in biblical stories and can be applied to readers’ lives. Such advice buttresses the author’s call for readers to engage with the Bible through a flexible method that accounts for the text’s mysteries and gaps. Believers eager to see scripture through a new lens will want to pick this up. (June)