“Many Seeds: I Am” ~ Sacred Alphabetical Contemplations ~ English and Hebrew
Twenty-Six Contextual Meditations in Song, Poetry, Prayer, and Reflective Examination
Contemplative Templates:
Generating Questions and The Five-Common-Topic Questions
Literary Questions
L-How does the setting or location influence the story?
L-How is character X like and different from characterY?
L-What problem does the main character(s) wrestle with?
L-What previous actions or events complicate the problem?
L-What will he decide? L-What will he decide?
L-What will affect this decision?
L-What are the results of his decision?
L-What literary devices does the author use?
L-What themes does the author develop and how does he embody them?
L-What motifs flow through the book?
L-How much of the backstory do we learn and what is it?
L-Compare any two characters, settings, or actions (or anything else).
Rhetorical/Normative Questions
R/N-Should character X have done Z?
R/N-What should X do?
R/N-Was his decision wise?
R/N-Is he acting honorably?
R/N-Is this cause noble?
R/N-Is this war just?
R/N-Is this action consistent with the character’s beliefs?
Advanced Philosophical/ Theological Questions
P/T-What does this tell me about mankind?
P/T-What does this tell me about creation?
P/T-What does this tell me about God?
P/T-In light of this, how should I live or what should I do?
Definition–What can be “mined” using the Common Topic of Definition?
D-Genus: What kind of thing is X? To what group does it belong?
D-Species: What sets X apart from other members of the group?
Comparison–What can be “mined” using the Common Topic of Comparison?
Com.-Similarity: How is X similar to Y?
Com.-Difference: How is X different from Y?
Com.-Similarity: How is X similar to Y?
Com.-Degree: How similar or different are these two things?
Relationship–What can be “mined” using the Common Topic of Relationship?
R-Cause/Effect: Did X cause Y?
R-Antecedent/Consequence: What happened immediately before and after X?
R-Contraries: If X is true, what cannot be true?
R-Contradictories: Are X and Y mutually exclusive ideas, or can both be true?
Circumstance-What can be “mined” using the Common Topic of Circumstance?
Cir.-Contraries: If X is true, what cannot be true?
Cir.-Past Fact/Future Fact: Has X happened before? Is it likely to recur?
Testimony–What can be “mined” using the Common Topic of Testimony?
T.-Authorities: What are this authority’s biases? Do they invalidate the argument?
T.-Testimonials: What do eyewitnesses say? What assumptions do they make?
T.-Statistics: How were they gathered? Who gathered them? How recent are they?
T.-Laws: What laws (natural or manmade) govern this topic?
T.-Maxims: What proverbs relate to this topic? Should we trust popular wisdom?
T.-Precedent: Do examples from the past support this idea?
?’s from A CiRCE Guide to Reading AND The Classical Conversations Rhetoric Trivium Table
| DEFINITION | COMPARISON | RELATIONSHIP | CIRCUMSTANCE | TESTIMONY |
| 1. Define terms. | 1. What ARE both terms? | 1. What was happening at the same place/time? | 1. What led to the situation in which the decision needs to be made? | 1. Who is the authority on this? |
| 2, Identify categories to which the terms belong. | 2. What do both HAVE? | 2. What was happening at the same time but in a different place? | 2. What followed this decision? What were the effects? | 2. AUTHORITY: What does the “author” say regarding this character, his actions, the issue, or the situation? |
| 3. What other things belong in the same category/categories? | 3. What do both DO? | 3. If the issue/situation is possible, then what else is possible/impossible? | 3. What actions/events followed, or will likely follow, the Affirmative/Negative decision? | 3. TESTIMONIAL: What do other characters say about the character and his actions, the issue, and/or the situation? |
| 4. Identify common characteristics of all category members. | 4. How is one DIFFERENT from the other? | 4. If the issue/situation occurs, what else will happen? | (EYEWITNESSES) What do they witness? How reliable is the witness? | |
| 5. Identify characteristics of the term distinguishing it as different from other category members. | 5. How is one better or worse that the other? | How do the witnesses’ observations impact the issue/situation? Do these observations offer insight for the character? |
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16