ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at how the ancient practice of lectio, used in the monastic schools, can be re-visioned for use in a twenty-first century Humanities classroom as a method to experience wisdom hidden within a text. It reviews the ancient monastic practice of lectio including its purpose, and proposes its use as a way of reading literary works in twenty-first century Humanities classrooms. The chapter examines three elements of the ancient monastic method of lectio— listening, slow reading and performative reading. It offers some insights and challenges for instructors in the Humanities interested in incorporating the contemplative practice of lectio into their teaching. Once the students have learned the skill of lectio, they will have the foundation necessary to move into the next practice of meditatio, the skill of moving deeper into the subjective realm where they can begin to learn to interpret a text.
