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.

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 in the church, and how can it enrich our lives?

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 to the Bible, because Scripture ultimately wants to lead us beyond itself - to the truth and mystery of Christ that can never be captured fully in the written word.