ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at how the ancient practice of oratio, used in the monastic schools, can be re-visioned for use in a twenty-first century Humanities classroom as an extended way of deepening one's understanding of and responding to a literary text. It reviews the ancient monastic practice of oratio including its purpose, and proposes its use as a personal and communal way of responding to a literary work in a contemporary college-level course. The chapter explores oratio as a movement away from the centrality of the text into the subjective realm, where the monks poured out their heartfelt response to the text. It offers some insights and challenges for instructors in the Humanities who are interested in incorporating the contemplative practice of oratio into their teaching. The students have gained experience with the practice of oratio, and the multiple skills that evoke it; they have the foundation necessary to move into the next practice of contemplation.
