Ignatian Meditation vs. Lectio Divina: Are They the Same?

So often in Bible study we can get stuck academically analyzing a passage while neglecting spiritual transformation and personal application. Contemplative practices like Lectio Divina and Ignatian meditation can help remedy that.

Lectio Divina and Ignatian Meditation are not the same thing. While both are contemplative practices, Lectio Divina is a prayerful reading of the Scripture that seeks to hear from God, whereas Ignatian meditation is an imaginative reading of Scripture that visualizes the reader in the text.

Contemplative practices can enrich our Bible study habits. So, let’s look at both Lectio Divina and Ignatian meditation to see how they differ and enrich our experience of the Bible.

The Practice of Lectio Divina

Lectio Divina is an ancient method of Bible study that seeks to bring you closer to God through a prayerful reading of the Bible. It has its roots in Catholic monasteries, especially prominent in the RUlte of St. Benedict. Though, it has been embraced by many traditions, including some protestants.

There are four steps to Lectio Divina, they are:

• Read: Lectio Divina starts with selecting a passage of Scripture from the Bible and reading it slowly and methodically. When a word or phrase stands out to you, you’ll move on to the next step.
• Meditate: Lectio Divina continues with meditation. You’ll ponder what the word or phrase means, how it fits into the story of the Bible, and how it relates to your situation. This will lead naturally into the next step.
• Pray: As you meditate you can begin talking to God about what He seems to be saying to you. This a time to respond to what God is saying to you through His word. It can done through prayers of praise, worship, or requests.
• Rest: Lectio Divina ends in a time of rest. Rest and contemplation of who God is and He’s taught you. It’s a time to be still and know God.

As you can see, the goal of Lectio Divina is to listen to what God is saying through His word through a time of deep reflection. If you want to know how to practice Lectio Divina, then this article will walk you through the steps of Lectio Divina with an example to help you get started right.

Lectio Divina is a good way to enrich your Bible study time, especially if you are looking for a personal, unique, and intimate time with the Lord. It’s perfect for meditative quiet times in the mornings or evenings if you want to be still and meditate on who God is through His word.

The Practice of Ignatian Meditation

Ignatian meditation is similar to Lectio Divina in that it seeks to lead to an encounter with God through the Bible. But how it approaches this goal is different.

Ignatian meditation was created by Ignatius in the 16th century as a prayer method in his Spiritual Exercises. Ignatius is the founder of the Jesuit order of Catholic monks. It is his Spiritual Exercises that are the foundation for Jesuit spirituality.

Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercises are a series of prayers, meditations, and contemplative exercises that seek to help individuals grow in their relationship with God. They are divided into four seasons called “weeks” of varying time to spend contemplating the life of Jesus.

The first week focuses on our need for Jesus. The second, His birth and life. The third, His death. And the fourth week, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Throughout all these exercises we grow both in our understanding of God’s love toward us and our love toward Him.

Ignatian meditation is unique in that it encourages practitioners to use their imagination by placing themselves into a chosen passage of Scripture. You are imagining it as if you are actually there, interacting with characters and seeking personal insights.

This use of imagination and visualization helps make the Bible more personal and engage our feelings and senses. The aim of Ignatian meditation is to discern God’s will or gain insights into our lives and decisions through an imaginative exploration and experience of the Bible.

Like Lectio Divina, Ignatian meditation can be divided into steps. They are:

• Preparation: A short prayer asking for God’s guidance.
• Select and Read a passage of Scripture: Typically, these passages are stories from the gospel, a parable, or an encounter someone had with Jesus in the Bible.
• Imagine: Next, you’ll close your eyes and set the scene. Try to create a rich mental image. Then you’ll want to engage with the characters. You can pretend to be an observer or one of the characters in the story. What would it be like? Then begin to talk to Jesus or one of the other characters.
• Reflect: As you meditate in this way pay attention to the emotions and thoughts that arise as you interact with Jesus or other characters. Reflect on how Jesus’ words impact your own life. Look for insights or lessons that may emerge and offer thanks for them.
• Pray: Conclude in a time of prayer. Offer thanks for the things you may have learned while meditating and ask for help to carry what you learned into your everyday life.

Ignatian meditation can be beneficial to experience the Bible in a new way. It can help deepen a personal relationship with Jesus and gain insights on how to live Biblically every day. So, while there is benefit in Ignatian meditation there are also some very real dangers.

These dangers may include: spiritual pride, spiritual confusion, overemphasis on experience, and can lead to a neglect of orthodoxy. Because of these dangers. I would not recommend a new believer practice Ignatian meditation.

That said, for those who have a strong understanding of Biblical theology and a good Bible study habit using the SOAP Bible Study Method or Inductive Bible Study Method, Ignatian meditation can enrich your Bible study time and help you experience the Bible in a new way.

Overall, Lectio Divina and Ignatian meditation are different. Though they are both contemplative practices that seek to encounter God through unique experiences of the Bible, it is those experiences that make them differ.

Ignatian meditation seeks to experience the Bible through an imaginative reading of a passage, typically a gospel story. The reader places themselves into the story and seeks to gain spiritual insight and understanding.

In Lectio Divina, however a person will read a passage of Scripture over and over until they hear God speak through the text. As such, Lectio Divina is better suited for new Christians than Ignatian meditation. Though, both should be a supplement with other Bible study methods and not a replacement for them.