Tracing back to the third century A.D., the roots of Lectio Divina lie in early Christian practices of reading Scripture with both reverence and a longing for deeper spiritual insight. Early figures such as Origen taught that Scripture could nourish beyond its literal meaning, opening hearts to truths discerned by the Holy Spirit. While the fully developed four-step method did not yet exist, there is clear evidence in the Desert Fathers and early monastic traditions of Scripture being read aloud, meditated upon, and used in prayer.
By the 5th century, figures like Augustine and John Cassian helped carry these meditative reading practices into the Western Church, and in the 6th century, St. Benedict wove prayerful reading of Scripture into the daily rhythm of monastic life through his Rule.
The formal structure of Lectio Divina—the four movements of reading (lectio), meditation (meditatio), prayer (oratio), and contemplation (contemplatio)—was most clearly described in the 12th century by Guigo II, a Carthusian prior. Later spiritual writers, including Gerard of Zutphen and others in the Devotio Moderna movement, built on this heritage, emphasizing the ascent of the soul through Scripture and prayer.
Although Lectio Divina remained rooted in Roman Catholic monastic tradition for centuries, its spirit continued to inspire Christians in many settings. After the Protestant Reformation, the practice of Lectio Divina—the slow, prayerful reading of Scripture—was mostly preserved within Catholic monasteries, while many Protestant communities shifted toward a different focus. Protestants emphasized Bible study, preaching, and understanding Scripture through teaching and reason, rather than through the meditative or mystical approach of Lectio Divina.
Still, the Reformation’s belief that every believer should read the Bible personally helped spread one of Lectio Divina’s central ideas: that God speaks directly through Scripture. In later centuries, as Christians from many traditions began rediscovering ancient spiritual practices, Lectio Divina found new life and was embraced across denominations.
Today, it invites people everywhere to slow down, listen, and personally connect with God’s Word, revealing how both Protestant and Catholic traditions share the same longing to hear the voice of God in Scripture. While the Christian practice draws on earlier Jewish traditions of meditation and devotion, its form and rhythm are distinctly Christian. In modern times, authors and spiritual guides such as Henri Nouwen, Eugene Peterson, Dallas Willard, Jan Johnson, and David Benner have helped bring Lectio Divina to a wider audience, inviting new generations to rediscover its timeless beauty.
