I'm working on a religion writing question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.

The paper is due Wednesday, Dec 15th, 2021, 11:59pm (PST) on Canvas.

For your passage: You may choose any passage from the Old Testament. You need a passage that works as a unit (not a string of different texts). You should choose a unit/passage that is about 10-12 verses in length as a whole. I encourage you to choose a passage that will challenge you: one with which you are unfamiliar, or find difficult, or is part of a book or genre that is more foreign to you. You will learn and grow the most this way. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about choosing a passage (appropriate length, etc.).

Background on Lectio Divina: Throughout the history of the Christian tradition, in addition to (and as a supplement to) reading the OT with the methods of modern critical scholarship, Christian readers have engaged in a reading practice known as “Lectio Divina” (Latin for “divine reading”). The practice stems from the fourth century CE, when early Christians used it as a means of meditating upon the scriptures.

This is a way of reading scripture not only for its literary and historical meanings, but also as a form of prayer, calling one to ponder, listen, and study the scriptures as a kind of spiritual practice—something akin to “feasting on the word” (taking a bite, chewing it, savoring it, and finally digesting it)—in order to encounter God through these ancient texts. Even though we often refer to the Bible as the “Word of God,” in the act of Lectio Divina we might think about the “Word” of God (that is, the revelation of God) coming through these ancient texts to encounter us as we read them.

There are four classically identified steps to the practice of Lectio Divina on a text (for your paper, we will add a couple more):

1. Lectio: “reading” (or more appropriately, “listening”)
2. Meditatio: “meditation” (or reflecting/pondering)—ruminating over the text being read
3. Oratio: “response” (especially, our response in prayer)—allowing the “word” that has come through the text to touch, challenge, and change us
4. Contemplatio: “to rest” in God—contemplating or resting in the presence of the One whose “word” has encountered us through these ancient texts

Instructions for Your Paper: Choose an Old Testament passage (approximately 10-12 verses in length), work through the steps of lectio divina given below, and then submit a paper that reports your study and insights gained throughout the process. The paper should be about 10 pages in length, typed, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins on all sides. Note that the paper will be evaluated for its quality. To get an "A," a paper must not merely complete the steps below, but should also demonstrate clarity of thought, organization, and expression (click here for rubric Download click here for rubric). Though the paper may be composed piece-by-piece over four weeks, the final product you turn in should be a single, cohesive, well-integrated paper, not four separate papers pasted together.