When studying the Scriptures, I often employ the method of ‘Biblical Spiritual Theology’, which approaches the biblical text with a direct concern for spiritual formation. As a theological method it remains in its infancy within the Church. Throughout the Church’s two-thousand-year history one finds a rich and diverse tradition of spiritual commentators on Scripture. Even today, many approach Scripture through lectio divina, often understood primarily as a form of personal spiritual meditation, even though lectio divina in its authentic tradition is far more than a private devotional exercise and belongs to the Church’s living and ecclesial way of receiving the Word of God. The decisive question at this moment in the life of the Church is methodological and theological: are we simply employing a devotional practice that lacks a clear theological status and is shaped primarily by individual spiritual subjectivity, or can we speak of a fully theological method of scriptural interpretation that integrates spiritual transformation without sacrificing doctrinal and exegetical rigour?
This question was reopened most fruitfully in the twentieth century with the rediscovery and publication of the patristic tradition. The work of Henri de Lubac on the spiritual exegesis of the Fathers demonstrated that spiritual interpretation was not a peripheral practice but a constitutive dimension of early Christian theology. The recovery of this tradition raised again the question of the status, meaning, and place of spiritual exegesis within theology, especially in relation to historical-critical exegesis and biblical theology.
Over the last century, the Church’s understanding of sacred Scripture has deepened significantly. The Second Vatican Council explicitly taught that Scripture must be read not only according to the literal sense established by sound exegesis, but “in the light of the same Spirit by whom it was written” and within the unity of the whole Bible and the living Tradition of the Church (Dei Verbum §§12, 24). This teaching affirms the legitimacy of spiritual readings while safeguarding them from arbitrariness by anchoring them in the literal sense and ecclesial faith.
Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini (2010) confirms this teaching and highlights the performative capacity of Scripture in the life of the believer. Benedict insists that sacred Scripture is not simply information about God, but an encounter with the living Word. He teaches that the Christian faith is not a “religion of a written and mute word, but of the incarnate and living Word”, and that the Church must enable people to encounter Christ, “the Word of life made visible”, so that the divine life of communion may grow in the world. Scripture, in this sense, is to be “proclaimed, heard, read, received and experienced as the word of God, in the stream of the apostolic Tradition from which it is inseparable.” (Verbum Domini §§6–7)
Benedict affirms that this encounter with the Word is not just cognitive but transformative. Scripture does not merely inform; it effects real change in the believer who encounters Christ. As he states in Verbum Domini, the Christian life is fundamentally “marked by an encounter with Jesus Christ, who calls us to follow him” and Scripture deepens this personal relationship with Jesus when it is read prayerfully and in faith, leading the reader into dialogue with Christ through the Holy Spirit (Verbum Domini §72).
The performative dimension Benedict highlights resonates with his broader theological vision: Scripture is not inert text but the living Word of God addressing us here and now. It makes present the reality it signifies. Quoting from Hebrews, Benedict recalls that Scripture as the word of God is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Verbum Domini§72).
This performative quality of Scripture undergirds the affirmation that Scripture truly functions as formative of spiritual life rather than merely informative. In Benedict’s account, the Word spoken, proclaimed, listened to, and received produces transformation in the faithful. It creates and sustains faith, deepens communion with Christ, and shapes moral and spiritual life. As he writes, “by approaching the altar and partaking in the Eucharistic banquet we truly share in the body and blood of Christ…the proclamation of God’s word at the celebration entails an acknowledgment that Christ himself is present, that he speaks to us, and that he wishes to be heard.” (Verbum Domini §§50, 72)
In light of this magisterial teaching, Biblical Spiritual Theology can be understood as a legitimate theological method because it recognises the performative capacity of Scripture: Scripture not only conveys doctrine but shapes the believer’s relationship with Christ and his Spirit. It does so in a manner that is fully coherent with the Church’s understanding of revelation — as both event and word — and with the normative theological principle that doctrine must lead to transformation in the life of the faithful. This confirms that a theological method rooted in Scripture and attentive to spiritual transformation is not only possible but necessary for the future of Catholic theology.
Theological Criteria that Distinguish Biblical Spiritual Theology
I will now articulate the key theological criteria that distinguish Biblical Spiritual Theology methodologically, showing how it differs both from purely devotional reading and from classical biblical theology.
The first decisive criterion is the primacy of the literal sense as established by sound exegesis. Biblical Spiritual Theology is not free spiritual association, nor is it a reading driven by interior resonance alone. It begins where all serious theological interpretation must begin: with the literal sense of the text, carefully discerned through historical, literary, and contextual analysis. This criterion clearly distinguishes it from purely devotional reading, where the text may function as a trigger for personal prayer but is not necessarily respected in its concrete meaning. The Church has repeatedly affirmed that “all senses of Sacred Scripture are based on the literal” and that any spiritual interpretation detached from the literal sense loses theological legitimacy. Biblical Spiritual Theology therefore presupposes exegetical competence and accepts exegetical results as normative, even when they are demanding or unsettling.
Source: Pontifical Biblical Commission, The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church, I.A.1.
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/pcb_documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19930415_interpretation_en.html
A second criterion is ecclesial normativity rather than individual subjectivity. Devotional reading, including personal lectio divina, is rightly ordered to the spiritual good of the individual, and its fruitfulness is often judged by interior consolation or affective resonance. Biblical Spiritual Theology, by contrast, operates within the public space of theology. Its readings must be communicable, accountable, and verifiable within the Church’s faith. It is governed by the rule of faith, by the unity of Scripture, and by Tradition. This aligns it with the patristic understanding of spiritual exegesis, which was never a private exercise but an ecclesial act ordered to the building up of the Church. Vatican II explicitly situates scriptural interpretation within this ecclesial horizon, insisting that Scripture must be read “within the living Tradition of the whole Church”.
Source: Vatican II, Dei Verbum, §12. https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html
A third criterion is the adoption of spiritual transformation as a formal horizon of interpretation. Classical biblical theology primarily asks how revelation unfolds historically and canonically, tracing themes, covenants, promises, and fulfilments across time. Biblical Spiritual Theology does not deny this approach but introduces another formal object: the progressive transformation of the believer by grace. The text is read in relation to stages of purification, illumination, transformation, and union with Christ. This criterion distinguishes Biblical Spiritual Theology from Biblical Theology as it is commonly practised today. The difference is not one of content but of perspective. A change of angle produces a change in intelligibility, not a change in truth. This approach is deeply rooted in the tradition, particularly in Origen and Gregory of Nyssa, for whom Scripture mirrors the soul’s ascent to God.
Sources: Origen, Homilies on Leviticus; Gregory of Nyssa, The Life of Moses.
Modern synthesis: Henri de Lubac, Medieval Exegesis, vol. I.
https://archive.org/details/medievalexegesis
A fourth criterion is the explicit recognition of the performative capacity of Scripture. Biblical Spiritual Theology takes seriously Pope Benedict XVI’s insistence that the Word of God is not merely informative but performative: it accomplishes what it signifies in those who receive it in faith. This criterion decisively separates Biblical Spiritual Theology from approaches that treat Scripture primarily as an object of historical or conceptual analysis. According to Benedict, the Word of God “brings about what it says” and creates a real encounter with the living Christ. Scripture, when read in faith and within the Church, acts upon the believer, shaping faith, purifying desire, and drawing the person into communion with Christ. Biblical Spiritual Theology therefore treats spiritual transformation not as an external application of the text, but as an intrinsic dimension of its meaning.
Source: Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, §§6, 86–87.
A fifth criterion is the coherence of interpretation across the whole of Scripture and across the stages of spiritual life. Devotional reading often remains fragmentary, focusing on isolated verses that speak to a particular moment. Biblical Spiritual Theology, by contrast, seeks a global coherence. It asks how a given text fits within the whole of Scripture and how it resonates with the overall logic of spiritual growth revealed in Scripture itself. This coherence is not imposed but discovered through sustained engagement. As you have emphasised, when this coherence appears, it does so without forcing the text or importing foreign elements. The pieces of the puzzle fit because the framework and the light have changed, not because the text has been manipulated. This criterion guards against both arbitrariness and reductionism.
Source: Vatican II, Dei Verbum, §12; Henri de Lubac, Histoire et Esprit.
https://www.communio-icr.com/articles/view/exegesis-and-theology-henri-de-lubac
A sixth criterion is the intrinsically sapiential orientation of the method. Biblical Spiritual Theology understands theology not only as scientia but as sapientia, ordered to wisdom and transformation. This criterion distinguishes it from approaches that remain primarily analytical or descriptive. Thomas Aquinas already affirmed that sacred doctrine is ordered not merely to knowledge but to salvation, because it proceeds from divine revelation and leads back to God. Biblical Spiritual Theology retrieves this classical insight and applies it concretely to scriptural interpretation. The truth of Scripture is not fully grasped until it becomes formative of life.
Source: Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I, q.1, a.6.
https://www.newadvent.org/summa/1001.htm
Finally, a seventh criterion is verification through lived practice rather than purely theoretical demonstration. Biblical Spiritual Theology cannot be fully assessed from the outside, because its coherence emerges through sustained practice, discernment, and formation. This does not weaken its theological status; rather, it corresponds to the nature of spiritual knowledge as understood in the tradition. St John of the Cross insists that certain forms of knowledge of God are onlyaccessible through transformation and love, not through conceptual analysis alone. Biblical Spiritual Theology therefore requires time, discipline, and ecclesial formation. Its truth is recognised when Scripture effectively becomes “food” and “power” for spiritual growth, without ever ceasing to be true to its literal meaning.
Source: St John of the Cross, Living Flame of Love, stanza 1. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/john_cross/living_flame.html
Taken together, these criteria show that Biblical Spiritual Theology is neither devotional subjectivism nor a competitor to biblical theology. It is a distinct theological method that integrates exegesis, biblical theology, and spiritual transformation within a single coherent framework, fully aligned with the Church’s magisterial teaching and deeply rooted in her living tradition.
Explaining the Method of Biblical Spiritual Theology
Even though I have distinguished above what I call “Biblical Spiritual Theology”, one might gain the impression that such an approach is already integrated into, and commonly practised within, contemporary theological studies. This is far from being the case. It is therefore necessary to explain the method I use to read the New Testament, particularly the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John. This method fully takes into account the approaches currently employed by the Church, uniting respect for the letter of the text through exegesis with respect for faith as articulated in biblical theology, within the living Tradition of the Church and under the guidance of the Magisterium. On this basis, it proposes a deeper level of reflection within biblical theology itself, which may be described as “Biblical Spiritual Theology”. Despite what has been exposed above, this method remains in its infancy: it is not yet fully developed nor clearly defined. I have, however, worked extensively on its articulation and practice.
The difference between the two levels of work, biblical theology and biblical spiritual theology, may be described as follows. Biblical spiritual theology is situated entirely within the framework of biblical theology. It is fully coherent with it and, of course, with exegesis, that is, with the letter of the text. Its major advantage lies in its angle of approach and its perspective. Whereas biblical theology generally works within the framework of the history of salvation, following the development or unfolding of God’s revelation from the Old Testament to the New Testament, through the Fathers, the Middle Ages, and into modern times, biblical spiritual theology follows the line of the believer and his or her spiritual life. In this approach, the line of growth in the spiritual life, which unfolds through stages of purification and transformation until reaching union with Jesus and a loving participation in his redemptive mission, becomes the guiding line for reading and discerning what the text says. This focus is globally new and essential. Indeed, the perspective and focus one adopts necessarily change the outcome.
Today, the dominant focus in theology, and in biblical theology in particular, remains largely historical: it concentrates on development, on the unfolding in time of God’s revelation and action. This strongly influences what we are able to see in the text.
By way of example, one may ask: what is understood today, in much of contemporary theology, as the goal of God’s revelation? What, consequently, is taken to be the goal of theology itself? It is primarily to understand our faith: Jesus’ message, his death and resurrection, redemption, the identity of God as the triune God, salvation history, the Old Testament as preparation and the New Testament as the definitive covenant, the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the sacraments (fides quaerens intellectum). Very little attention is given to the action of the Holy Spirit in the faithful. That very limited attention constitutes the starting point of biblical spiritual theology, which then expands it. This expansion allows us to see elements in the sacred text that we were not seeing before. Would this lead to outcomes different from those of exegesis or biblical theology? Not at all. It is comparable to moving from seeing something with binoculars, then with a magnifying glass, and finally under a microscope. We are clearly looking at the same object, namely Scripture, but the distance, the angle, the light, and the power of magnification are entirely different. Under the microscope, one can observe a cell in the body, something impossible to see with a magnifying glass, which at best leads to conjecture, or even more so with binoculars.
Seen in this way, both the method and its use are altogether new and, on one hand, unsettling, but on the other hand interesting and coherent, in the sense that they make real sense. One might object by saying that this is precisely the aim: Scripture should nourish our spiritual life and deepen our relationship with Jesus. Certainly, biblical theology achieves this, but only to a certain extent, tending to be more intellectual and informative than truly performative in its transformative effect.
Note: Theology is still defined: fides quaerens Intellectum (faith seeking understanding and intelligibility) while Spiritual Theology could be seen as fides quaerens unionem (“faith seeking union” or guiding to Union). (See: Reforming Theology: A Call for Deeper Engagement)
As can be seen, the fact that spiritual theology remains underdeveloped today seriously hampers this new perspective. It prevents us from grasping its meaning and its relevance.
The method of biblical spiritual theology for reading and studying Scripture fully respects the best and most secure findings of exegesis. This is an absolute necessity. The sacred text cannot be twisted in its letter, its context, or its literal meaning. One must work exegetically on the text, seeking its meaning and, as far as possible, the intention of the human author, even though, at times, this may remain difficult, rather like looking through binoculars. This constitutes the cornerstone of sound work. One must then have a fair understanding of what biblical theology says about each book of the Bible. All these elements are fundamental pieces of the “puzzle”.
It is only when one moves to the microscope that the framework of the work assumes a properly personal, human dimension, and that the outcome truly becomes nourishment for the person, a force capable of fostering spiritual growth, while also revealing the goal or goals of the spiritual life. Because the framework of the puzzle is different and the light is different, all the elements that have been gathered suddenly seem to fit together and make sense. Many of the obscurities and uncertainties encountered by exegesis and many of the stumbling blocks of biblical theology become clearer under this deeper light. We remain before the same text, yet, through the light of spiritual theology, we are enabled to see with greater clarity a new coherence within the text of a given book and between that text and other books. When the pieces of the puzzle fit together, they give real satisfaction to the eye. No piece is forced into an incorrect place, nor is a piece taken from another puzzle and imposed upon the text. Almost miraculously, the letter of the text is fully respected and comes to make sense, a sense that previously remained unseen because of our distance from the object and the light under which we were viewing it. Only through practice does the coherence I am describing truly appear and become intelligible.
The Major elements of the Method of Biblical Spiritual Theology
I will identify the major elements of the method of Biblical Spiritual Theology as they emerge from my description and then comment on each of them, situating them within recognised ecclesial and scholarly sources. I will do so discursively rather than schematically.
The first fundamental element is the full and non-negotiable grounding of Biblical Spiritual Theology in sound exegesis. This means respect for the letter of the text, its literary form, historical context, and the intention of the human author. This element corresponds directly to the Church’s teaching that Scripture must first be interpreted according to the rules of historical-critical and literary analysis. The Pontifical Biblical Commission insists that “the literal sense of Scripture is the foundation of all interpretation” and that spiritual readings which are not rooted in the literal sense risk arbitrariness and distortion. Biblical Spiritual Theology does not bypass exegesis; it presupposes it and depends upon it. Without this foundation, the method would lose all ecclesial credibility and theological seriousness.
Primary source: Pontifical Biblical Commission, The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church (1993), I.A.1.
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/pcb_documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19930415_interpretation_en.html
Closely linked to this is the second element: the full reception of biblical theology as developed by the Church. Biblical Spiritual Theology is not an alternative to biblical theology but operates entirely within its framework. It receives the canonical unity of Scripture, the history of salvation, typology, and the Christological centre of revelation. Vatican II explicitly teaches that Scripture must be read “in the light of the same Spirit by whom it was written” and within the unity of the whole Bible and the living Tradition of the Church. Biblical Spiritual Theology assumes all of this as given. What distinguishes it is not a different doctrine of Scripture but a different operative perspective.
Primary source: Vatican II, Dei Verbum, §§12–13.
The third major element is the deliberate shift of perspective from the historical unfolding of revelation to the existential and spiritual journey of the believer. Classical biblical theology primarily follows the diachronic line of revelation: promise, fulfilment, covenant, fulfilment in Christ, and ecclesial reception through history. Biblical Spiritual Theology, while fully accepting this, adopts another axis of reading: the progressive transformation of the faithful through grace. The text is read according to the stages of spiritual growth, purification, illumination, transformation, and union with Christ. This approach has deep roots in the patristic tradition, especially in Origen and Gregory of Nyssa, for whom Scripture mirrors the soul’s ascent to God. What is new is not the intuition itself but its systematic and methodical application within modern biblical theology.
Primary sources: Origen, Homilies on Leviticus, and Gregory of Nyssa, Life of Moses.
Modern synthesis: Henri de Lubac, Medieval Exegesis, vol. I.
https://archive.org/details/medievalexegesis
A fourth essential element is the central role given to the action of the Holy Spirit in the faithful as a hermeneutical key. While contemporary theology speaks extensively about the Holy Spirit in salvation history, ecclesiology, and sacramental theology, comparatively little attention is given to the Spirit’s concrete, transformative action within the interior life of the believer. Biblical Spiritual Theology takes this neglected dimension as a primary lens of reading. It assumes that Scripture not only reveals truths about God but also describes, evokes, and effects the Spirit’s work in the soul. This approach is strongly supported by magisterial teaching, particularly in Verbum Domini, where Benedict XVI insists that Scripture must be read in a way that leads to “a real encounter with Christ” and genuine spiritual transformation.
Primary source: Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, §§86–87.
A fifth element is the analogy of vision that governs the method: binoculars, magnifying glass, and microscope. This is not a mere pedagogical image but expresses a genuine epistemological claim. Biblical Spiritual Theology asserts that the same text can yield deeper intelligibility when examined at a different “distance” and under a different “light”. Exegesis and biblical theology are not contradicted or surpassed but intensified. The method claims continuity of object and discontinuity of perspective. This corresponds to a classical theological principle: truth is one, but it can be known according to different formal objects. Thomas Aquinas already distinguished between knowledge of divine realities as objects of faith and as principles of spiritual life. Biblical Spiritual Theology applies this distinction to scriptural interpretation.
Primary source: Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, I, q.1, a.2.
https://www.newadvent.org/summa/1001.htm
A sixth and decisive element is the practical and transformative orientation of the method. Biblical Spiritual Theology explicitly aims at spiritual growth, nourishment of the believer, and progress towards union with Christ. This does not reduce theology to spirituality, but it restores theology to its original vocation as sapientia, ordered not only to understanding but to transformation. The Fathers consistently understood Scripture as food for the soul, and Vatican II reaffirms that Scripture must become “the soul of sacred theology”. Biblical Spiritual Theology radicalises this insight by making transformation itself a criterion of interpretation, without compromising doctrinal rigour.
Primary source: Vatican II, Dei Verbum, §24.
Finally, an essential methodological element is verification through practice. The coherence claimed by Biblical Spiritual Theology is not primarily demonstrable in abstract theory but becomes evident through sustained engagement with the text according to this perspective. This is consistent with the nature of spiritual knowledge as understood in the Christian tradition, particularly in authors such as St John of the Cross, for whom experiential knowledge (notitia amoris) confirms doctrinal truth without replacing it. The method therefore requires formation, discernment, and time; it cannot be judged adequately from a purely external standpoint.
Primary source: St John of the Cross, Living Flame of Love, stanza 1. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/john_cross/living_flame.html
Taken together, these elements show that Biblical Spiritual Theology is neither a rupture with modern biblical scholarship nor a return to pre-critical readings. It is a coherent deepening of biblical theology, rooted in the Church’s tradition, attentive to the human subject of revelation, and ordered towards the ultimate goal of Scripture itself: communion with the living Christ.
Conclusion
In conclusion, what has been presented here demonstrates that Biblical Spiritual Theology, while still in its infancy, offers a coherent and deeply necessary method for reading Scripture. It respects the letter of the text through exegesis, remains fully anchored in biblical theology and the living Tradition of the Church, and yet introduces a perspective centred on the spiritual transformation of the believer. By attending to the performative capacity of Scripture and following the stages of spiritual growth, this approach allows the faithful not only to understand the Word of God but to be nourished, formed, and drawn more deeply into union with Christ.
Despite the novelty of this method, its theological significance is clear: it integrates doctrinal fidelity with a genuine concern for the formation of the human person, offering a lens through which Scripture becomes both intelligible and transformative. The framework outlined here sets the stage for practical application, which is essential to fully grasp the method’s potential and fruitfulness.
It goes without saying that the daily practice of true Lectio Divina—not merely what some today call “spiritual meditation”—is central to Biblical Spiritual Theology. This practice is the art of listening attentively to the Risen Lord, the Living Word of God present among us in the Liturgy of the Word, discerning what He wants to say to us, and putting His words into practice. Here, the Word of God is experienced as genuinely transformative. Word by word, Jesus teaches us His new language. Day by day, as we live out His Word, He grows within us, and our eyes begin to perceive this Biblical theology in action. We start to see the Gospels and the rest of Scripture unfold before us in a nourishing and living way, not as a mere intellectual exercise, but as a guide for the formation of our hearts, minds, and entire being.
The next step, which will be the subject of a forthcoming article, is to move from theory to practice by examining concrete examples, such as a spiritual reading of the Gospel of St. Luke. This will allow the principles of Biblical Spiritual Theology to be seen in action and their formative power for the spiritual life to be experienced directly.
Read Also
- Reforming Theology: A Call for Deeper Engagement
- Lectio Divina & Theology (Handout and video)
- On The Method in Theology
- Word of God and Prophecy
- The Central Method of Integral Theology: Lectio Divina. (Video)
- Rethinking Theological Method and Theology
- In the Beginning Was the Word
Biblical Spiritual Theology and the Spiritual Senses of Scripture
Question: After learning about Biblical Spiritual Theology, a spontaneous question arises: is it primarily concerned with the spiritual senses of Scripture? What is the relationship between Biblical Spiritual Theology and the doctrine of the Spiritual Senses? The Fathers of the Church, and later medieval theologians, identified four senses of Scripture: the literal (or historical) sense, and three spiritual senses—allegorical (or typological), moral (or tropological), and anagogical. The allegorical sense reveals Christ and the Church; the moral sense instructs on how to live; the anagogical sense directs the soul toward its ultimate destiny (cf. Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana 2.7–8; Hugh of St Victor, De Sacramentis I.3; Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I, q.1, a.10).
Answer: Biblical Spiritual Theology builds upon the framework of the spiritual senses but goes a step further. While the spiritual senses—allegorical, moral, and anagogical—offer a way of reading Scripture that discerns Christ, moral guidance, and ultimate destiny, Biblical Spiritual Theology is less about classifying senses and more about exploring how Scripture forms the soul in its journey toward God. It seeks to understand how the biblical text, through its narrative, promises, and portrayal of God’s action, shapes the believer’s interior life, virtues, and union with God.
In this way, the spiritual senses can be seen as tools or entry points: the allegorical sense helps the mind see Christ and salvation history; the moral sense engages the will in ethical transformation; the anagogical sense lifts the heart toward heavenly realities. Biblical Spiritual Theology integrates these dimensions to focus directly on spiritual formation, examining how Scripture reveals the goal of the spiritual life—union with Christ, whether expressed as reaching the fullness of his stature (Paul) or, as in Thomas, placing one’s hands in Jesus’ side to share in his divinity. It shows how Scripture cultivates faith—for example, how Matthew presents Baptism in a Trinitarian light across the three chapters of the Sermon on the Mount, how Luke illuminates the act of faith, and how John traces the journey of growth in faith—while also nurturing hope and love. In doing so, it guides the believer in concrete practices of prayer, discernment, and interior transformation.
References for further reading include Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana 2.7–8; Hugh of St Victor, De Sacramentis I.3; Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I, q.1, a.10; and more recent treatments in spiritual theology, such as Jean Galot, Spiritual Theology, chapters on Scripture and spiritual formation.
Let us begin by noting how Origen interprets the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land as a symbol of the entire span of spiritual growth, from Baptism to union with God. He demonstrates a parallel between the stages of the Israelites’ journey through the desert and the different stages of the soul’s development (cf. Homilies on Numbers 14). In other writings, Origen presents Scripture itself as resembling Christ: it possesses a “letter” corresponding to Jesus’ body and garments, a soul and spirit reflecting Jesus’ own, and a divinity analogous to His divine nature. This anthropological and Christological reading draws us closer both to our humanity and to what the Lord—who assumed our human nature—offers us: His body purifies our body and senses, His soul our soul, and His divinity our spirit (cf. De Principiis II.1.6).
This insight aligns with the teaching of other Church Fathers, such as Gregory the Great: Scripture accompanies the believer throughout all stages of growth (Scriptures Grow With Us), providing the nourishment appropriate to each stage. It prepares the soul for deeper encounters with God, just as Christ guides us progressively toward union with Himself.
This perspective also sets the stage for the profound reflections of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, who, at the outset of his major work Mystical Theology, offers the key to understanding all his exegetical writings: the ascent to God is a progressive, transformative journey, in which Scripture, symbols, and divine mysteries guide the soul toward the ineffable and the wholly transcendent.
“In the Theological Outlines [lost work] we have set forth the principal affirmative expressions concerning God, and have shown in what sense God’s Holy Nature is One, and in what sense Three; what is within It which is called Paternity, what Filiation, and what is signified by the name Spirit; how from the uncreated and indivisible Good, the blessed and perfect Rays of its Goodness proceed, and yet abide immutably one both within their Origin and within themselves and each other, co-eternal with the act by which they spring from it; how the superessential Jesus enters in essential state in which the truths of human nature meet; and other matters made known by the Oracles are expounded in the same place.
Again, in the treatise on Divine Names, we have considered the meaning, as concerning God, of the titles of Good, of Being, of Life, of Wisdom, of Power, and of such other names as are applied to it; further, in Symbolical Theology we have considered what are the metaphorical titles drawn from the world of sense and applied to the nature of God; what is meant by the material and intellectual images we form of it, or the functions and instruments of activity attributed to it; what are the places where it dwells and the raiment in which it is adorned; what is meant by God’s anger, grief and indignation, or the divine inebriation; what is meant by God’s oaths and threats, by Its slumber and waking; and all sacred and symbolical representations. And it will be observed how far more copious and diffused are the last terms than the first, for the theological doctrine and the exposition of the Divine Names are necessarily more brief than the Symbolical Theology.
For the higher we soar in contemplation the more limited become our expressions of that which is purely intelligible; even as now, when plunging into the Darkness that is above the intellect, we pass not merely into brevity of speech, but even into absolute silence of thoughts and of words. Thus, in the former discourse, our contemplations descended from the highest to the lowest, embracing an ever-widening number of conceptions, which increased at each stage of the descent; but in the present discourse [Mystical Theology] we mount upwards from below to that which is the highest, and, according to the degree of transcendence, so our speech is restrained until, the entire ascent being accomplished, we become wholly voiceless, inasmuch as we are absorbed in it that is totally ineffable.” (Mystical Theology, Chapter 3)
To each stage of spiritual growth corresponds a distinct theological form and content (see the following article: Dionysius the Areopagite and Scripture). Among the Fathers of the Church, it is common to distinguish different forms of contemplation, each suited to a particular stage of the soul’s journey: affirmative, negative, and apophatic. Affirmative contemplation begins with meditation on the truths revealed by God, using concepts, images, and Scripture to draw the mind and heart toward God. Negative contemplation moves beyond images and concepts, focusing on detachment from created things and the renunciation of imperfections and distractions, often described as “negating” the limits of human understanding. Apophatic contemplation, or the “negation of negation,” leads the soul beyond all forms of expression and conceptualisation, guiding it into the direct, ineffable experience of God, in which words and thoughts fall silent.
This progression—affirmative to negative to apophatic—is closely linked to spiritual formation, as it mirrors the soul’s growth from initial understanding and moral formation, to purification, and finally to union with the divine mystery. Authors such as Gregory of Nyssa, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, and later mystical writers like The Cloud of Unknowing emphasise that these forms of contemplation are not abstract exercises, but correspond to concrete stages in the life of grace, each drawing the believer deeper into God’s transformative presence.
With all this in mind, we can perceive how Scripture, while nourishing us along the journey and accompanying us every step of the way, seems to unfold continuously, revealing ever-deeper dimensions—just as Christ, our Saviour and Master, continually reveals new depths of Himself. In this way, spiritual life and the nourishment of the Word of God advance together: the different levels of Scripture move in harmony with the soul’s growth, and its meanings and depths gradually unfold before us, guiding us ever closer to the divine mystery.
With all this in mind, we can perceive how Scripture, while nourishing us along the journey and accompanying us every step of the way, unfolds continuously, revealing ever-deeper dimensions—just as Christ, our Saviour and Master, continually reveals new depths of Himself. In this way, spiritual life and the nourishment of the Word of God advance together: the different levels of Scripture move in harmony with the soul’s growth, and its meanings and depths gradually unfold before us, guiding us ever closer to the divine mystery.
Conclusion
As we can see, the spiritual senses—presented masterfully by Henri de Lubac (Medieval Exegesis) and other authors—constitute the theological perspective of the Bible, offering a profound framework for understanding its divine meaning. Yet, a spiritual Biblical theology goes further: it shows that Scripture itself, in its divine economy, is a book of Spiritual Theology. When approached with the correct method of reading and exploration, it forms the soul, guides moral and contemplative growth, and illuminates the path to union with God. The examples given to us by the Fathers of the Church, the mystics, and spiritual masters across twenty centuries serve as the prolegomena of this Spiritual Biblical Theology, providing both inspiration and guidance for a reading that is alive, transformative, and oriented toward the fullness of life in Christ.
Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite: Mystical Theology
Dionysius the Areopagite and Scripture
A Concise Historical Survey of the Stages of Spiritual Growth