Oral hermeneutics provides an important framework for theological education by emphasizing the oral foundations of Scripture and their relevance in contemporary interpretation. The transmission of the Gospel began in oral form before it was written, shaping the way early communities understood and communicated biblical narratives. While Walter Ong’s Great Divide Theory distinguishes between orality and literacy, recent scholarship argues for an orality-literacy continuum, recognizing the interplay between spoken and written traditions. An oral-aural hermeneutic, informed by narrative criticism and social memory, highlights the communal and dynamic nature of interpretation. Oral performance further deepens engagement with Scripture, making its message more vivid and participatory. In the digital age, oral hermeneutics bridges traditional oral cultures with emerging technologies, enriching theological education and fostering a more rounded understanding of Scripture.
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Laurence Gatawa is president at PTS College and Advanced Studies (formerly Presbyterian Theological Seminary) and chairman of the board of Trustees for Asia Graduate School of Theology Philippines. He is also an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church of the Philippines assigned at Emmanuel Christian Church Cavite. He received his PhD at Middlesex University London via the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, with a dissertation related to the Gospel of Mark.
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