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Inviting Intervention: Spiritual reading practices. The practice of spiritual reading among monastics in the Roman Catholic tradition

Holt, Maja LU (2026) LIVR07 20261
Master's Programme: Literature - Culture - Media
Abstract (Swedish)
This thesis examines spiritual reading practices among Catholic monastics and asks the question what characterises spiritual reading and makes it different from “regular” reading. A qualitative method is used to answer the research questions through semi-structured interviews with six respondents who belong to Catholic monasticism, and a comparative analysis of three works of spiritual literature. Reader-response theorists such as Wolfgang Iser, Stanley Fish, Rita Felski, and Louise M. Rosenblatt are used to interpret and analyse the material. In the interviews and the three books, several themes are common: authority and trust, prayer in reading, solitude and silence, supernatural intervention, and intensive reading. These themes are... (More)
This thesis examines spiritual reading practices among Catholic monastics and asks the question what characterises spiritual reading and makes it different from “regular” reading. A qualitative method is used to answer the research questions through semi-structured interviews with six respondents who belong to Catholic monasticism, and a comparative analysis of three works of spiritual literature. Reader-response theorists such as Wolfgang Iser, Stanley Fish, Rita Felski, and Louise M. Rosenblatt are used to interpret and analyse the material. In the interviews and the three books, several themes are common: authority and trust, prayer in reading, solitude and silence, supernatural intervention, and intensive reading. These themes are analysed in conversation with the theorists. As a result of the analysis, a communication model based on Shannon & Weaver’s classic model of communication is proposed as an illustration of the special ritualised reading situation and reading practices that are activated during spiritual reading. According to the interviews, this reading situation includes the view of the author and the reader both inviting the intervention of God in reading and writing. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Holt, Maja LU
supervisor
organization
course
LIVR07 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
spiritual reading, reading practices, spiritual reading practices, lectio divina, spiritual literature, reader response theory
language
English
id
9236486
date added to LUP
2026-08-20 08:24:18
date last changed
2026-08-20 08:24:18
@misc{9236486,
  abstract     = {{This thesis examines spiritual reading practices among Catholic monastics and asks the question what characterises spiritual reading and makes it different from “regular” reading. A qualitative method is used to answer the research questions through semi-structured interviews with six respondents who belong to Catholic monasticism, and a comparative analysis of three works of spiritual literature. Reader-response theorists such as Wolfgang Iser, Stanley Fish, Rita Felski, and Louise M. Rosenblatt are used to interpret and analyse the material. In the interviews and the three books, several themes are common: authority and trust, prayer in reading, solitude and silence, supernatural intervention, and intensive reading. These themes are analysed in conversation with the theorists. As a result of the analysis, a communication model based on Shannon & Weaver’s classic model of communication is proposed as an illustration of the special ritualised reading situation and reading practices that are activated during spiritual reading. According to the interviews, this reading situation includes the view of the author and the reader both inviting the intervention of God in reading and writing.}},
  author       = {{Holt, Maja}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Inviting Intervention: Spiritual reading practices. The practice of spiritual reading among monastics in the Roman Catholic tradition}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}