St. Benedict lived 30 miles East of Rome from 480-547. He discipled Pope Gregory 1st and is considered to be the founder of monasticism in the Western Church.
Benedict established a school of the Lord’s service and recommended,
dividing time (8 hrs sleep), 5-6 hours in prayer, 5-6 hours in work, and 4 hrs in study of scripture, reading religious philosophy, church father's writings and other study.
My focus here is on studying the scriptures. I have discipled people for over 30 years. One challenge I consistently encounter is encouraging those who I am mentoring to study The Bible. I find that the average Evangelical has some knowledge of scripture and occasionally will read outside of church, but has never studied it one time in their lives.
By "Study" I mean exegete what the passage meant to the original audience, and then ask how, if at all, it might apply to us as Christians? Later we get into Biblical theology and systematic theology.
When I show men I'm discipling, how to determine date, author, audience, occasion for writing, followed by developing an outline of the book, the looks on their faces is of pure astonishment.
It takes about 10-12 45-minute lessons to get people introduced to the skills required to study and apply the Bible. That is the english translation of the Bible. Including some introduction to textual criticism, perspectives on inerrancy and canonization.
For Protestants, do you study regularly? If scripture, rather than church authority reigns supreme, do you rely on your Pastor to tell you what to believe, or do you investigate the Pastor's view with skepticism, checking everything against a close study of the scriptures like the Berean Jews in Acts 17?
I have spent my life with Catholics. Many of my friends, my wife until she graduated from college, and in-laws are/were Catholic and attend church regularly. However, many have never read their Bible outside of church one time in their lives. As poorly as my Evangelical peers do studying, my Catholic friends don't even read it. And give me great reasons why they don't feel they have to.
Instead of engaging that argument I will just defer to Pope Francis.
Recently, in a German-language Catholic study guide, the Pope Francis quoted Mahatma Gandhi, who said, "You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilization to pieces, turn the world upside down and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature."
"God speaks through the Bible," the Pope wrote. "It is not a book designed for the shelves, but for the hands."
Pope Francis went on to encourage all Catholics to read and study their Bible daily.
What role does Bible study play in your lives as Catholics?
Do you study, just read, or neither?
Secondly, as Church Tradition plays an important role what resources do you use to study tradition?
