*3.2. Dimensions of Reading*

When Benedict encourages the monks to read, this is more than just spiritual advice. It belongs to their duty, which becomes especially clear when the Rule talks about Lent: "During this time of Lent, each one is to receive a book from the library and is to read the whole of it straight through" (Fry 1980, vol. 48, p. 15). The book given to each individual brother is a bible book, and the time is spent continuously reading it during particular hours of the day. The reading is enacted ritually; thus, its performance is not merely functional but meditative. The form of the reading is as important as the content. Benedict wanted to ensure the discipline of reading by giving clear rules and guides, namely older brothers who control the observance: "Their duty is to see that no brother is so apathetic as to waste time or to engage in idle talk to the neglect of his reading, and so not only harm himself but also distract others" (Fry 1980, vol. 48, p. 18). Sacred reading is a collective activity, it offers a structure that can be filled with meaning, both temporally and socially.

The aim of monastic reading is not to gain information or to be entertained but to run through the classical steps of reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation (*lectio divina*). Yet, these steps are again a ritualising structure that can be helpful but can never be reduced to predictable results. Rather, the insight is received, never achieved actively, as Casey points out: "The prayer latent in meditation on Scripture is released unpredictably later when engaged in an entirely different activity. Some people combine reading, reflection, and prayer in a single 'exercise', others separate them in time and space" (Casey 1996, p. 59). This interpretation already implies some flexibility in giving form to the practice of reading. Within abbeys, how sacred reading is practiced can indeed be different. Some Trappist abbeys (who also follow the Rule of St Benedict) still have collective reading. In Benedictine houses today, monks usually practice individual reading in their cells, but they do this at fixed moments during the day for approximately one and a half hours.

As well as daily time spent on its practice, sacred reading depends on an attitude of reverence and receptiveness, as Casey describes: "It is reverence that makes us assiduous and persevering in our exposure to God's word. We recognise the limitations of an existence without God and we want to provide as many openings as possible for God to enter our life and to influence our living of it" (Casey 1996, p. 27). How can this attitude be developed if you do not live in a monastery where moments are reserved for opening up to God? Do oblates succeed in practising sacred reading daily?

Next to their own experience, they were asked about the amount of time they spend reading. 39% read 2 h or less during a week, another 39% read between 3 and 6 h, and 22% read 7 h or more. The second question asked was whether they follow a particular method when reading: 68% read without a specific method, and 32% follow a method, mostly the four steps mentioned above. What were the dimensions of reading, the respondents mostly talked about? Four dimensions were found in the respondents' answers. The following figure (Figure 2) provides illustrative quotes:


**Figure 2.** Dimensions of reading—quotes.

These dimensions are not to be understood as a conceptual structure of reading, as they clearly relate to two different areas. We present them in the same tables to get an overview over the most prominent topics in our questionnaires. The first two dimensions relate to the texts read. The most-read text is the Bible (Table 7). The respondents mainly talk about reading the lectures of the day according to the liturgical calendar, the psalms or the Gospel. The second type of text frequently mentioned is texts from monastic tradition, including the Rule of St Benedict and texts by medieval and present-day monastic writers. Related to the monastic context the oblates belong to, it is noted that at St Willibrord there is less mention of the Bible. The reason could be that there is a tradition of reading several types of spiritual texts from various sources, including texts from other religions. Another difference is that, at St Benedict, the oblates focus on the texts from monastic tradition. Probably, the climate in the abbey, which is strongly influenced by traditional monasticism, influences the way respondents enact their own reading. Concerning the time spent on sacred reading, the oblates of St Willibrord talk less about this than the two other groups. Obviously, they are less concerned about the amount of reading time. Their percentage of reading as an attitude is higher than average. The oblates of St Benedict talk less about the underlying attitude. Perhaps the strict observance of the abbey, again, makes them focus on the concrete practice.


**Table 7.** Dimensions of reading—monastic context.

n = 53; numbers: relative number of merged quotes in %.

Concerning age, oblates show a stronger interest in the Bible among the older and younger than among the middle-aged respondents (Table 8). The renewed interest among the oblates of 50 years of age or younger also applies to texts from monastic tradition. They are less focused on lectio as an attitude than average. Could this be a new generation of oblates who more consciously deal with concrete practices and texts from the Christian and monastic tradition?



n = 53; numbers: relative number of merged quotes in %.

Finally, differences revealed between respondents of different church affiliations were investigated (Table 9). They reasonably concur when indicating the texts read, but when it came to the frequency of mentioning the time for the lectio, the members of small ecclesial groups talk of their concrete practice much more frequently than the members of mainstream churches. Attitude, on the other hand, is far more often mentioned by Catholics; it is mentioned less frequently than average by Protestants. Perhaps the Catholic tradition is less exclusively scriptural and focuses more on the underlying process, whereas smaller groups with a high commitment and many common activities are more concerned with concrete practising time.

**Table 9.** Dimensions of reading—personal context—church affiliation.


n = 53; numbers: relative number of merged quotes in %.

To summarise the findings regarding dimensions of sacred reading, it can be said that the Bible forms the central source for reading, followed by texts from the monastic tradition. Generally speaking, reading as an attitude is mentioned more often than the exact time spent on it. However, the monastic context influences this; for example, when it has a stricter observance. The transfer is, again, influenced by the abbey, but also by the personal context of the oblates. Young oblates show a surprising engagement with regard to tradition. Members of small churches focus on the time spent reading, which is less the case among the members of mainline churches.
