Editing Devotio Moderna (section)

===Techniques for prayer===
The spiritual life of the Devotio Moderna followers was marked by focus on inner devotions and frequent short periods of meditation, especially before each new activity.<ref name= WestDict /> 
 [[File:Ludolf von Sachsen, Vita Christi Vol. 1, folio 1r.jpg|thumb|180px|''[[Vita Christi]]'' (Life of Christ) by [[Ludolph of Saxony]], Vol. 1, folio.]]
The writings of the Devotio Moderna followers such as [[Gerard of Zutphen]] and [[Jan Mombaer]], as well as Groote, introduced the tradition of "methodical prayer," which arranged exercises day by day and week by week.<ref name=Battle67 /> Groote's ''On Four Kinds of Matter for Meditation'' included mental imagery, as well as methodical approaches as an element of meditation.<ref>''Between Saint James and Erasmus: Studies in Late-medieval Religious Life'' by J. van Herwaarden 2003 {{ISBN|978-90-04-12984-9}} page 3</ref>

Centuries earlier, [[Hugh of Saint Victor]] and [[Guigo II]] had produced structured methods for [[Christian meditation]], but their approaches were less systematic.<ref name=McGinn415 >''Christian Spirituality: Origins to the Twelfth Century, Vol 1'' by Bernard McGinn 1986 {{ISBN|0-7102-0927-4}} pages 415–424</ref><ref name=Cunningham88 >''Christian Spirituality: Themes from the Tradition'' by Lawrence S. Cunningham, Keith J. Egan 1996 {{ISBN|978-0-8091-3660-5}} page 88-94</ref> The methodical approach of Devotio Moderna towards prayer and meditation found significant following within the [[Catholic Church]], as well as later Reformed communities.<ref name=Battle67 >''Blessed are the Peacemakers: a Christian Spirituality of Nonviolence'' by Michael Battle 2004 {{ISBN|0-86554-871-4}} pages 67–71</ref> The manuals for methodical prayer and meditation by [[Florens Radewyns]] and Zutphen had significant influence within Europe for over a century.<ref>''A Brief History of Spirituality'' by [[Philip Sheldrake]] 2007 {{ISBN|978-1-4051-1771-5}} pages 107–108</ref>

The concept of immersing and ''projecting'' oneself into a Biblical scene about the life of Jesus was developed by [[Ludolph of Saxony]] in his ''Vita Christi'' in 1374 and became popular among the Devotio Moderna community.<ref name=McGrath84 >''Christian Spirituality: An Introduction'' by Alister E. McGrath 1999 {{ISBN|978-0-631-21281-2}} pages 84–87</ref> The methods of methodical prayer as taught by the Devotio Moderna entered Spain and were known in the early 16th century, and influenced the approaches to [[Christian meditation]].<ref name=Carrera >''Teresa of Avila's Autobiography'' by Elena Carrera 2004 {{ISBN|1-900755-96-3}} page 28</ref>

[[Garcias de Cisneros]] the abbot of the [[abbey of Montserrat]] was influenced by the Devotio Moderna and his book ''Ejercitatorio de la vida spiritual'', i.e. "exercises for the spiritual life"  became one of the primary sources for the [[Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola]].<ref>''Christian Spirituality in the Catholic tradition'' by Jordan Aumann 1985 Ignatius Press {{ISBN|0-89870-068-X}} page 180</ref><ref>''The Study of Spirituality'' by Cheslyn Jones, Geoffrey Wainwright, Edward Yarnold 1986 {{ISBN|0-19-504169-0}}, Oxford UP page 337</ref> Ignatius used both of these techniques in his Spiritual exercises: a methodical format, as well as self-projection into a Biblical scene, e.g. starting a conversation with Christ in [[Calvary]].<ref name=McGrath84 /> Also influenced by the Devotio Moderna were [[Ludovico Barbo]], [[Lawrence Giustiniani]] and the [[Canons Regular of San Giorgio in Alga]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.augustiniancanons.org/About/houses_and_congregations_through_copy%281%29.htm#Alga|work=Augustinians Canons|title=Canons of San Giorgio in Alga|access-date=27 May 2014}}</ref>

However, the methods of "methodical prayer" taught by the Devotio Moderna and the techniques used for "self projection" into the imagery of a Biblical scene (to participate in the life of Jesus) significantly influenced the approaches to [[Christian meditation]] in the 16th century and thereafter. These methods persist in meditations such as the [[Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola|Spiritual Exercises]], which the [[Jesuit]]s continue to practice.<ref name=McGrath84 /><ref name=Carrera />