Rereading

What is the value of rereading in a context that prioritises speed, efficiency, novelty and practicality?

Of course, in the asking of the question are many hidden premises.

There are some video games I love replaying. I suppose that’s due to a variety of factors. The most replayed of my games are those with substantial variety and multiple plotlines/endings. But it’s not quite the same with a book, at least in my experience. I guess that comes down to the way that I view books. Generally speaking, I view them as a one-and-done experience. A book is static and linear, at least superficially (i.e., there is only one ending). But for the astute reader, that statement is woefully inadequate and displays a kind of ignorance by the one who would say such a thing. The intricacies of a plotline, the deeper meanings that become clear only as the whole is comprehended, a poignant line at first glanced over. These are like side quests we didn’t realise existed which provide great rewards. If only we treated our books like treasured video games (am I speaking only to myself here?)

There is excellent value in rereading.

In the prior posts, we considered the importance of internalising knowledge. We also considered how contemplation plays a vital role in that process. In this post, I want to consider the value of rereading and how it likewise is a discipline worth training in. Especially as a Christian reader (with specific emphasis on rereading the scriptures).

Some people have proposed that rereading is a discipline made unattractive by the digital screen and how digital screens provoke certain habits: to scroll past, never to return. I think that this is worth keeping in mind as we consider the discipline of rereading. Rereading on paper will probably be more effective than on a digital medium for that reason, not to mention the tactile nature of paper books. Certainly, rereading on a Kindle (or some other electronic device) is possible, but it’s worth remembering there are some hidden subconscious challenges that the digital medium entails.

As we considered in the prior posts, one of the traits of a good reader is their ability to internalise knowledge, which allows them to draw more analogies and connections when confronted with more information. It provides more of the necessary basis for critical thinking. Building this internal reservoir obviously requires a certain degree of memorisation and familiarity. Rereading is key for this to take place.

If only there were a shortcut.

Well, for most of us, there isn’t. But sometimes, we mistakenly take external knowledge sources to be shortcuts. We certainly will treat them as such. But in terms of internalised knowledge which promotes critical thinking, analogous connections, and deductions, it is not. So we cant treat it like it is. We must delineate between external and internal. Knowing where to go for information is not the same as knowing the information.

If you are worried by arguments (whether professional, popular or personally made) that don’t carry with them a level of convincing critical thinking and seem to parrot some external source (which they probably haven’t read), then you have felt the effects of someone who hasn’t read and certainly then has not reread.

But in a rushed world, it’s easy to run past this discipline (much like contemplation earlier written on).

But to put this discipline into practice, one must already make the time to decide which books, articles, essays, et cetera, to read amongst the plethora of options. However, on top of that is the added burden of deciding which of these is worth rereading. That’s okay. We are only human, and in recognising as much, we are only trying to be faithful stewards of our time, attention, energy, and enthusiasm.

But one clear place in which we are already putting this into practice (I assume) is with our personal devotions in the scriptures.

Reading and rereading the Bible is something Christians have done for centuries. That is because we never move beyond it (unlike other books more generally). This practice means that our knowledge of the word of God becomes increasingly internalised. But the Bible is big. Its ideas and concepts are vast and deep. One cannot truly plumb its depths.

In reading and rereading the Bible, we are giving ourselves much opportunity to develop deeper thinking so that we might draw more connections. In this way, we are treating the Canon as a Canon, as we measure one part with another part giving clarity to both, drawing clear connections and finding deeper truths.

Keep reading and rereading the Scriptures. But also carry this practice over into our habits of reading other material. Let us shift our focus away from the finish line of the book to the internalising of the book. To that end, rereading will be of great help.