I think Maximus the Confessor has stated very plainly a theory of reading that I have been struggling to express in words for some time, he wrote:
If anything in these chapters should prove useful to the soul, it will be revealed to the reader by the grace of God, provided that he reads, not out of curiosity, but in the fear and love of God. If a man reads this or any other work not to gain spiritual benefit, but to track down matter with which to abuse the author, so that in his conceit he can show himself to be the more learned, nothing profitable will ever be revealed to him in anything.
I certainly couldn’t put it any better than that!
