"He that studies only men, will get the body of knowledge with out the soul; and he that studies only books, the soul with out the body. He that to what he sees, adds observation, and to what he reads, reflection, is in the right road to knowledge, provided that in scrutinizing the hearts of others, he neglects not his own."
-Caleb Colton
I knew the Bible study post was coming up next. I honestly wanted someone else to write it. For as much of a nerd as I am and however studious I was in college, Bible study has always eluded me. Every time I set out to study, it always turns in to meditation. Foster makes the distinction between the two by saying, "Meditation is devotional; study is analytical. Meditation will relish a word; study will explicate it." At the end of the day, when it comes to reading the Word, I just want to sit at the feet of Jesus so to speak, not dissect it.
Earlier in the week I was asking the Lord about why there was still doubt sometimes, especially after all I've been through with him. I don't mean doubt about his love or if he'll provide; I mean doubt about his existence. Pretty bad, huh? These thought come and go in a flash and are provoked by the enemy, but they always come in an intellectual form and on the heals of reading a scientific report. (I do want to state that I believe science and faith actually compliment each other.) When this happens I get annoyed about it because I know, that I know, that I know God is real. There has been too much that has happened in my life for me to believe otherwise. As I had just finished bringing my question to the Lord, his response was clear and immediate, "You've neglected study." This one hurt; this answer hurt and it hit me hard. I can't believe that I've neglected the very Word that I love so much. The burden it left on my heart felt the same as when I've disappoint a loved one. You see, Ephesians 6, talks about the Armor of God; "14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." I have neglected to put on part of the armor, Truth. I hadn't realized this because as far as I was concerned, I knew God's word. What I'm coming to grips with is that it's one thing to know what the Word says, and a completely different matter to dig as deep as you can, continually renewing your mind with newly discovered truth. If I was in the habit of digging and not just reading, then when those intellectual attacks come, doubt would have no way of entering because the 'armor of truth' would be my defense. With my new found appreciation for the importance of study, I no longer dread the idea of cracking open a concordance; but I still, really, have no idea what I'm doing. Reading Foster's chapter on study was really good for me. On pages 62 and 63, he say:
"The purpose of the Spiritual Disciplines is the total transformation of the person. They aim at
replacing old destructive habits of thought with new life-giving habits. Nowhere is this purpose
more clearly seen than in the Discipline of study. The apostle Paul tells us that we are
transformed by the renewal of the mind (Rom. 12:2). . . Jesus made it unmistakably clear that
the truth will set us free. 'You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free' (John 8:12).
Good feelings will not free us. Getting "high on Jesus" will not free us. Without a knowledge
of the truth, we will not be free."
Foster lays down some really basic things to help you get started. He talks about there being four steps: repetition, concentration, comprehension and reflection. The simple act of repetition "ingrains habits of thought . . . it trains the inner mind." Concentration centers the mind. When you block out distraction it frees your mind to focus and go deep into your subject of study. Comprehension then takes the download of information provided by repetition and concentration and turns it into what Foster calls the "'eureka' experience of understanding" that "catapults us into a new level of growth and freedom. It leads to insight and discernment. It provides the basis for a true perception of reality." Lastly, there is reflection. Reflection keeps you from mistaking the accumulation of information for knowledge. It helps you to understand yourself as well as the subject and also to see things from God's perspective. "Jesus speaks often of ears that do not hear and eyes that do not see. When we ponder the meaning of what we study, we come to hear and see in a new way."
Foster goes on to talk about three intrinsic and three extrinsic rules to follow. He says that in the beginning, until you are experienced in study, you may want to give each rule a reading of its own. The intrinsic rules are, "understanding: what is the author saying? Interpreting: what does the author mean? Evaluating: is the author right or wrong?" The extrinsic rules are experience, other books, and live discussion. These are somewhat self-explanatory. For example, with the experience rule, if you've run a marathon then clearly you'll understand the article about races better than a non-runner. Other Books can be any other complimentary text; a concordance, dictionary, related pieces of literature (see Foster's suggested reading list at the bottom of the post). When it comes to the Bible, if you are reading the New Testament book of Hebrews, it will only make sense if you have an understanding of the Old Testament. As for live discussion, it's always good to get another person's perspective. This is especially useful if you process verbally. There have been so many times when I haven't fully comprehended something until I've hashed it out with Adam.
Finally, Foster gives some suggestions. He recommends reading large chunks of text in one sitting. I would even go one step further and say to read large chunks out loud, since the Word says that faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). Foster says that when you do this you are better able to see overarching themes through out the book and even Scripture as a whole. You get a different picture of what the author is trying to say. He even says to take one of the smaller books and read the entire text everyday for a period of time. One thing that he does regularly is to go away for a few days to study. A mini retreat. He finds it much easier to study when he is away from the distractions of home. One point that Foster makes over and over again through out the chapter is that studying books is only half of the discipline. The other half is comprised of studying nature, past and current events, ourselves, and interactions with others. There is much to learn about God when we study the world around us and those in it. Foster ends the chapter by saying, "Study produces joy. Like any novice, we will find it hard work in the beginning. But the greater our proficiency, the greater our joy. Alexander Pope says, 'There is no study that is not capable of delighting us after a little application to it.' Study is well worth our most serious effort."
*If you are into podcasts, Chuck Missler is great. God has seriously touched this guy's brain. When you listen to him you quickly realize that he has an amazing gift for study. Keep in mind though, if you are listening to one of his geopolitical podcasts, that he is very right-leaning. This would be a good opportunity to use the intrinsic rule of evaluating to decide if he is right or wrong.
Foster's suggested reading:
The Confessions of St. Augustine
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
The Little Flowers of St. Francis by Brother Ugolino
Table Talks by Martin Luther
Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin
The Journal of George Fox
Journal of John Wesley
A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life by William Law
A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly
The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Revelations of Divine Love by Juliana of Norwich
Introduction to the Devout Life by Francis de Sales
The Journal of John Woolman
"Thinkers" from other walks of life that Foster recommends who have an "unusual perception into the human predicament."
Lao-tse of China
Zarathustra of Persia
Shakespeare
Milton
Cervantes
Dante
Tolstoy
Dostoevski
Dag Hammarskjöld