I am constantly amazing by Jesus the teacher. I see him using Bruner’s three learning modes in his interaction with Thomas. Think about how the parables of Jesus draw you in and get you thinking, actively trying to unravel the meaning of his brief engaging stories.
Christian mandalas enable Christians, together with the Holy Spirit, to learn Scripture through multiple learning modes as well.
You draw in a special way as you study Scripture. The visual component gives you a deeper engagement with the Bible.
The physical act of drawing is Enactive.
You create summarizing images for a passage of Scripture. This is the Iconic learning mode. People who create Christian mandalas find that the image they draw acts as a summary for the passage of Scripture, helping them to recall the text throughout the day.
The summarizing images you create will have a deeper conceptual aspect. Scripture is full of symbolic language. The Christian tradition is full of symbols which help capture that language. Incorporating these elements helps us connect to Scripture on the conceptual level that is present in the text. This is the Symbolic learning mode.
You are actively participating, reading Scripture, reading commentaries, discovering, and learning. Christian Mandalas Studies are the best way of engaging with Scripture that I know of.
As a thank-you for following my blogs I will be sending out free samples of the Christian Mandalas Study Books. They are intended for individual study with small group sharing. Just send me a note and I will get materials out to you as long as I have inventory this summer.
–Kerry