Released on February 8, 2022, this new resource aims to introduce readers to the practice of lectio divina as a helpful form of Scripture engagement.
Carol Stream, IL. (March 3, 2022) — “Reading the Bible, if we do not do it rightly, can get us into a lot of trouble.” So wrote Eugene H. Peterson in his landmark Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading. That insight is observable across the landscape of contemporary Christianity, where “proof-texting” (removing a passage of Scripture from its context to bolster an argument) and other acts of what might be called “hermeneutical myopia” rest awkwardly alongside crimes and cover-ups in all corners of the modern church.
But if reading the Bible wrongly can get us into trouble, Peterson’s solution has never been to not read the Bible. His signature work has, since 1993, been a material appeal to the transformative potential of “just reading the Bible.” In doing so, he writes in his introduction to The Message, “we become insiders to a conversation in which God uses words to form and bless us, to teach and guide us, to forgive and save us.”
The Message Prayerful Reading Bible, which released this spring from NavPress, moves even deeper into Peterson’s vision for Scripture engagement. “Eugene wrote a whole book on the ancient practice of lectio divina,” says NavPress publisher David Zimmerman. “That’s how significant this priority of reading the Bible rightly was to him. And his Bible is distinctly compatible with lectio divina as a practice.”
Lectio divina is practiced in a variety of ways, but it has at its core a sense of process: A selected passage is read slowly, sometimes more than once; the reader then ponders the passage, turning it over and over to consider its essence and its contemporary resonance; the reader then takes time to pray through the passage and what it has evoked, inviting God to guide them in understanding; finally, the reader reflects back on the full experience, considering how this particular passage at this particular moment is touching their own life and circumstances.
The Message Prayerful Reading Bible bookends this basic structure with a moment of consecration at the beginning and a benediction at the end. Understanding that lectio divina is an unfamiliar practice for many, it includes 320 guided experiences, along with ample journaling space for the reader to use once they have assimilated to the practice.
“Eugene Peterson was one of the great modern champions of this approach,” says Pete Greig, cofounder of the 24-7 Prayer movement and author of How to Pray. “His Message translation of the Bible and the lectio divina complement one another like fish and chips!”
Available in hardcover and softcover editions, along with standalone Prayerful Reading editions of Jeremiah & Lamentations and Luke & Acts, The Message Prayerful Reading Bible takes Scripture engagement to the next level: an immersive, transformative, resonant encounter with the Bible.
Take a look inside The Message Prayerful Reading Bible by watching this video, or click here for details about the practice of lectio divina. For more information about The Message, visit NavPress.com.
For media inquiries, please contact Mariah Franklin, mariahfranklin@tyndale.com.
The Message Prayerful Reading Bible
Eugene H. Peterson
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-64158-385-5 | $29.99
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-64158-386-2 | $39.99
Release date: February 8, 2022
ALSO AVAILABLE:
The Message Prayerful Reading Bible: Jeremiah & Lamentations
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-64158-399-2 | $7.99
The Message Prayerful Reading Bible: Luke & Acts
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-64158-400-5 | $7.99
The Message Prayerful Reading Bible is a NavPress resource published in alliance with Tyndale House Publishers.
The NavPress mission is to advance the calling of The Navigators by bringing biblically rooted, culturally relevant, and highly practical products to people who want to know and love Christ more deeply. Through The Message Bible and other insightful resources, NavPress seeks to bring positive spiritual movement to peoples’ lives. In January 2014, NavPress entered into an alliance with Tyndale House Publishers to strengthen and better position NavPress and its rich content for the future. NavPress provides books and other content that bring spiritual impact, life transformation, and help lead in the mission of making disciples.
Since its founding in 1962, Tyndale House Publishers has been a voice to trust for generations of readers. Tyndale’s mission is to make the Bible accessible to as many people as possible in language that they can relate and respond to. Tyndale publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT) and also offers nonfiction books that equip readers with Christ-centered insight, counsel, and life-improving stories. In addition, Tyndale publishes fiction from fresh, new voices and celebrated authors alike, capturing the imagination of millions of readers. With a deep understanding of the importance of nurturing future generations, Tyndale also publishes children’s products that make God’s Word and wisdom come alive. Tyndale’s independent status allows it to follow its founding model, contributing a majority of annual revenue—more than $110 million dollars throughout its history—to charitable missions. With every book purchased, Tyndale readers help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world.
