Bible engagement and orality …
According to the International Orality Network, 80% of people in the world don’t understand God’s Word when it’s delivered to them by literate means because they’re oral preference learners. Even in literate cultures, many people won’t read God’s Word or prefer oral ways of connecting with God’s Word.
Strangely, even though most local churches are comprised of people who favour listening to the Word, the chosen approach is to ask people to read the Word. In a world that depends mainly on verbal communication, shouldn’t the primary approach to Bible engagement be oral?
Before people connected with the Bible as a book that was read, it was shared from mouth to ear (2 Peter 1:21). For centuries, most people heard it. Maybe that’s why 80% of the Bible is narrative. God gave us a Story composed of many stories because stories are well-suited for people who favour speaking and listening.
Biblical considerations.
Interestingly, on the occasions when the Bible mentions the Scriptures being read, the greater context is usually about people listening attentively (e.g. Nehemiah 8:3, 2 Kings 23:2). In fact, when reading and listening are compared, there are far more texts that speak about listening than about reading (e.g. Psalm 85:8, Matthew 7:24, Luke 11:28, John 8:47, Romans 10:17, Hebrews 2:1).
I’m a prolific reader and love writing. That makes me different from most people. When it comes to Bible engagement, I don’t assume that others will enjoy reading the Bible as I do. Unfortunately, the readers and writers of the world, in large part, haven’t seen it this way. Since Gutenberg’s Press started printing Bibles, reading has been the go-to Bible engagement method.
To see literacy as somehow superior to orality is problematic. Speaking and listening are ingrained in us. Even in the most literate cultures, orality is an enormous and inescapable part of human life. We should, therefore, see orality for what it is and make the best use of it for Jesus and His kingdom.
Equipping people to listen to the Word.
In both pre-literate and post-literate cultures, rather than placing an emphasis on empowering people to read God’s Word, we should place the emphasis on empowering people to listen to God’s Word. There are many ways to do this. Consider the following:
- Bible videos or movies
- Podcasts
- Social networks
- Songs
- Audio Bibles
- Drama
- Storying Scripture
Promoting an emphasis on listening to the Word doesn’t suggest dismissing the reading of the Word. But it is an acknowledgment that reading, in and of itself, isn’t the holy grail of Bible engagement.
The reality is many people have difficulty with reading or dislike reading. Equipping them to listen to the Word expresses love and common sense. We should meet people where they are, not expect them to meet us where we are. So, if you tend to equate Bible engagement with Bible reading, it’s time to change your outlook. Bible engagement is multi-faceted. In a world where most people are oral preference learners, we should focus on helping people effectively listen to the Word in ways that edify, inform and inspire them to live for Jesus.
Your thoughts …
Recommended Resource
Bible Audio App – https://www.biblegateway.com/bible-audio-app/
Related Article
Summary
Bible engagement should adapt to the fact that most people, especially in oral preference cultures, connect better with spoken words than written ones. Despite this, many churches prioritize reading the Bible, neglecting the effectiveness of oral methods like listening to audio Bibles, podcasts, and storytelling. Historically, people shared the Bible through oral communication, and even when they read it, they often listened attentively. To engage people more effectively with God’s Word, we should empower them to listen and meet them where they are rather than expecting everyone to read the Bible traditionally.
© Scripture Union Canada
