Religious traditions tend to consider a purely cognitive understanding of their holy scriptures as being insufficient. Different spiritual exercises function as preparation for grasping the deeper meaning of the texts. The oldest forms of interpretation are connected to ritual, meditation and prayer.On the other hand, quite early on, a process of differentiation began to separate interpretation and spiritual practice. Important sections of the explanation of authoritative texts were being relocated within institutions of higher education. This resulted in a tension between religious reading and scientific reading.This volume brings together an array of specialists who analyze the relation between spiritual practice and the scientific reading of holy texts in Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. In addition to detailed historical analyses, particular attention is paid to the significance of contemplative exegesis in contemporary Christian theology.

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