Emblem Books and Internet Lectio

Cultivating a Devotional Mind and Heart, through Words and Images

While an English graduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I had the opportunity to study under a wonderful professor, Dr. Les Whipp. He introduced me to emblem books, an art/literature form popular in the 16th century.

For the people of that time, emblem books were a way to read the world into their hearts. An image (usually a woodcut or engraving), a title and a poem or verse formed a triad of moral and spiritual meaning for the reader. (For more information on emblems and emblem books, here is a place to begin:)

Glasgow University Emblem Website

Remembering my research on emblems (which was far more tedious in the pre-internet days) gave me an idea for how to support lectio in my own distracted life, and on this blog for any interested readers. At least for a while, given feedback, I'm going to offer a daily lectio emblem. It will consist of a visual image, a caption for the image, and a brief "word" of scripture or devotional reading. Why the visual component? For the same reason that the medieval emblem writers/artists included it--our hearts ponder what we see in light of the words, creating a devotional dynamic.

So I float it out there, for myself and for you. May God bless our quiet efforts to make room for Him in our hearts.