What Do I Mean by "Religious Reading"?


7:56 AM Saturday.

I set out shortly before 7 AM this morning with a plan to define exactly what I mean when I think and make decisions about my "Religious Reading" project. I started with some brainstorming. Then I fell asleep for a few hours, completely absorbed by the question "What do I mean by 'religious reading'?" When I woke up, a thin ray of sunlight was piercing my loft window from the direction of the midheaven. This ray of light fell exactly on top of The Study Quran next to my meditation cushion. It felt like a sign. I returned to my desktop and doubled down on my brainstorming. Here is what I eventually came up with. It's a list of things that I am tempted to idealize as religious reading from now through the 2026 calendar year: 

  • Reading in hardcopy and Kindle Paperwhite in my smartphone-free meditation and sleeping area
  • Analytical reading of one great book at a time (starting with How to Read a Book on November 7)
  • Native American Heritage Month reading for two hours a day (starting November 8)
  • Introductory reading in Islamic studies for an hour a day (starting November 9)
  • Seven-Week Advent and Christmas Retreat on the Mystery and Meaning of the Incarnation (starting mid-November 2025)
  • Daily reading in 365 Days of Walking the Red Road (starting Jan 1)
  • Chronological study of the Quran and associated commentary for an hour a day (starting Jan 1)
  • Daily reading in a 1-year NLT Chronological Study Bible (starting Jan 1)
  • Daily reading in a 1-year ESV Daily Devotional New Testament (starting Jan 1)
  • Daily reading in The Divine Code: The Guide to Observing the Noahide Code (starting Jan 1)
  • Systematic and proactive deep dives into Google Gemini
  • Systematic and proactive YouTube viewing and listening
  • Systematic and proactive news briefings

It doesn't feel like there is any way I can do all of this. If the past repeats itself, the reality is that my religious reading program from now through 2026 will look far more chaotic than this. But I am determined to adhere to my Seven-Week Advent and Christmas retreat with Duffy Gardner in Vermont, and I want to give as much of this a try as I can.

I took two AI dives into Google Gemini as I prepared this post.

Question 1 Thread: "Is there any benefit to learning the Quran in chronological order?"


Question 2 Thread: "Is the New Living Translation appropriate for a 1-year devotional Bible reading plan at the university level?"


I am definitely leaning toward the NLT over the ESV.

There is still a good chunk of time between now and 1 January 2026 for me to make some important decisions about just what I mean by the next stage of my "Religious Reading" project. I don't want to bite off more than I can chew, but I do want to have the proper resources on hand for whatever Hashem calls my attention to.

It's entirely possible I will decide on a much simpler and more flexible program before the turn of the calendar year.

End 3:00 PM.

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