Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading

by Eugene H. Peterson

Overview

Eat This Book challenges us to read the Scriptures on their own terms, as God’s revelation, and to live them as we read them. With warmth and wisdom Peterson offers greatly needed, down-to-earth counsel on spiritual reading. In these pages he draws readers into a fascinating conversation on the nature of language, the ancient practice of lectio divina, and the role of Scripture translations; included here is the “inside story” behind Peterson’s own popular Bible translation, The Message.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467418430
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	07/29/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	200
Sales rank:	471,214
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Eugene H. Peterson (1932–2018) was a longtime pastor and professor of spiritual theology at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia. His many acclaimed books include Tell It Slant, The Jesus Way, Eat This Book, and the contemporary translation of the Bible titled The Message.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Preface x

1 "The Forbidding Discipline of Spiritual Reading" 1

I Eat This Book 13

2 The Holy Family at Table with Holy Scripture 15

3 Scripture As Text: Learning what God Reveals 23

The Revealing and Revealed God 24

The Holy Trinity: Keeping It Personal 25

Depersonalizing the Text 28

The Replacement Trinity 31

Hoshia 35

4 Scripture As Form: Following the Way of Jesus 37

The Story 40

The Sentence 49

5 Scripture As Script: Playing Our Part in the Spirit 59

The Uncongenial Bible 63

The Immense World of the Bible 67

Obedience 69

Reading Scripture Liturgically 72

Virtuoso Spirituality 76

II Lectio Divina 79

6 Caveat Lector 81

7 "Ears Thou Hast Dug for Me" 90

Lectio 92

Meditation 98

Oratio 103

Contemplatio 109

III The Company of Translators 119

8 God's Secretaries 121

Translation into Aramaic 122

Translation into Greek 126

Translation into American 130

9 The Message 137

Oxyrhynchus and Ugarit 141

Lost in Translation 167

Appendix: Some Writers on Spiritual Reading 177

Index of Subjects and Names 181

Index of Scripture References 185

Editorial Reviews

Pastor-poet Eugene H. Peterson is best known as the translator of the contemporary-language Bible called The Message and as the author of Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places. In this accessible book, he continues the informal conversation on faith that he began in the latter book, in an attempt to rescue theology from the twin threats of dogma and degradation.

Christianity Today, Award of Merit, Spirituality (2007)

Lauren F. Winner
— author of Girl Meets God and Real Sex
"Deep, stirring, luminous, even profound — if you are going to read one book about reading Scripture, it should be this one."

Gerald Sittser
— author of A Grace Disguised
"Eugene Peterson has written a magnificent book about how to read the Bible. As any editor would say, a book must 'show,' not just 'tell.' Peterson's book does exactly that. The book itself has a biblical quality to it. Peterson uses vivid language; he tells and then reflects on wonderful stories; he invites readers to read their own stories in light of the story. This book is the fruit of decades of reading, pondering, conversing about, praying over, and living this story. Peterson encourages us to read the Bible as if we were dogs gnawing on a bone. Eat This Book made me lick my chops."

Church & Synagogue Libraries
"Peterson explores the ancient discipline of lectio divina and how its elements of reading, meditating, praying, and living can help us receive Scripture as 'formative for the way we live our lives, not merely making an impression on our minds or feelings. ' . . . Recommended."

Publishers Weekly
"Peterson's exposition of lectio divina is one of the fullest to appear in recent years. . . A worthy sequel to his 2004 hit Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places."

From the Publisher

Grover Gardner's precise narration conveys Peterson's somewhat redundant message on spiritual reading. Using the examples of the angel speaking to John, the Revelator, from the Book of Revelation, and Ezekiel, the biblical prophet, Gardner captures the metaphor in ringing tones, when he says, "Eat the Book." Spiritual reading can be likened to a dog chewing on a succulent, juicy bone. Just as the dog chews, savors, and lingers over its bone, Peterson recommends that Christians chew and savor and linger over Holy Scripture. Gardner’s gentle vocal personality lends itself well to persuasion as he gives full value to the details of spiritual reading and encourages listeners to regain the lost art of biblical meditation. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

OCT/NOV 07 - AudioFile