The therapeutic value of reading The Holy Bible at monasteries and theological seminaries

Abstract

The healing potential of books has been known since ancient times, while the term “bibliotherapy” was used for the first time in 1916. Since that time, the concept of bibliotherapy has still been developing. The goal of the article is to discover the methods of using bibliotherapy among young monks and students in theological seminaries. The author tries to explain the definition of bibliotherapy through the prism of literature — books written by the biggest Polish figures of this discipline, e.g. Irena Borecka or Wiktor Czernianin. Furthermore, some paragraphs of the text are devoted to the structure of The Holy Bible. The author highlights includes various paragraphs or scenes that might have a healing potential.
Finally, the author reveals that the answers given by young monks and students in theological seminaries leads to the clear conclusion that using bibliotherapy among them happens very gently and often inadvertently. The article presents multiple observations when the survey respondents felt better, consoled, or comforted after reading The Holy Bible. The results of the study also point to moments when they experienced katharsis. The text presents their very own observations as extraordinary material for future reference.