Barbara Birch invites readers into an embodied, energized, whole brain, whole person engagement with sacred texts. She tells the history of scripture, which began long before religions began to shrink their approach to Bible reading to force intellectual assent to certain beliefs. The first Quakers insisted that scriptures must be read in the Spirit which brought them forth, and that doing so can open us to divine revelation. Contemporary Quakers invite us to approach biblical texts with a prophetic critique of oppressive social structures, as well with as an engagement that allows us to see the world afresh, with greater awareness and more attuned to what is holy. There are ways of engaging with sacred reading that can provide a deeper grounding for prophetic vocal ministry and our collective experiences in meeting for worship. Let this book help you explore how to chew on sacred words, phrases, and passages in creative ways that connect you more fully to God, Spirit, other people, aliveness, and the whole world. ~ Marcelle Martin, author of Our Life is Love: The Quaker Spiritual Journey

In Lectio Divina: Revelation and Prophecy, Barbara Birch takes us through a scholarly and engaging history of Lectio Divina. It has been used since words were recorded and represents a way to embody the study of words in order to enhance and strengthen our connection to the Divine. She shows how it was part of the everyday life of Benedictine monks, and that it has always been a part of Quaker practice. It describes a practice which can provide an answer to the question, “How can anyone maintain a dialogue with the Spirit while carrying on a normal life?” This book will be interesting to Friends and others who wish to live their connection to the Divine every day. ~ Kate McNally, author of A Simple Faith in a Complicated World: One Quaker's Journey through Doubt to Faith

This little book takes readers on a spacious ramble through many fields of study that engage the author – cognitive neurobiology, psycholinguistics, ecospirituality, prehistoric culture, the Torah, the historic Jesus, the origins of written language and publishing, the history of the Bible, Friends’ history with the Bible, and subversive interpretations of Scripture. Barbara Birch frankly expresses her allegiance to “right brain” encounters with sacred text, and from that orientation, ruminates on a broad spectrum of extended quotations, encountering them with probing speculation and lively imagination. She shares personal stories from her own explorations with Lectio Divina, showing that the practice holds promise for deepening an individual’s relationship with the divine, and consequently, deepening one’s responsiveness to the need in others for ministry – whether during meeting for worship or in the wider world. ~ Mary Klein, Editor and Executive Director of Western Friend and a member of Palo Alto Friends Meeting

Barbara offers a veritable feast of inspiration and a banquet of context for sacred reading as a path to deepen understanding of the material and perhaps more importantly as an experience of the Divine itself. Then she offers guidance in an approach to reading the sacred literature that can be used both in a group or alone. She traces humanity's knowing of the Word from pre-verbal culture to contemporary ecumenical dialogue. This book will be essential not only to Quakers, but to anyone approaching divine literature. ~ Margaret Kelso, Quaker writer and a teacher of theatre, film and dance

Barbara Birch takes the reader on a fascinating foray into the tradition of Lectio Divina and its relevance for Quakers, showing how it can be a vital practice for deepening our experience of Spirit and enriching our meeting for worship. ~ Rosemary Field, disciple of Centering Prayer, an Eva Koch scholar, and associate tutor at the Woodbrooke Centre, UK