Very Low Orality Reliance ■□□□□ – OralityTalks

Emotion Exegesis for Faithful Oral Bible Translation: Understanding the Emotional Dynamics of Scripture (Part 1)

Joshua C. Frost — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:35:28 +0000

While methods for tackling many of the issues that Bible translators commonly faced have already been refined over the decades, Bible translators have, by and large, not needed to translate the emotional dynamics of Scripture that could only be captured by voice. All of that is changing now that oral Bible translation has come onto the scene. In the last decade, oral Bible translation has grown from translation projects in a few dozen languages to translations in around a thousand languages. This 2-part paper presents a summary of my thesis findings on the topic of emotion exegesis for Bible translation. In the first part of the paper, I present three theoretical perspectives that Bible translators need to understand emotions in light of recent scientific discoveries.

Watch the related webinar presentation.

Check out further resources about orality in holistic hermeneutics at OralityResources.International.

Resources

A Theology of Orality for the Global Church: Recovering God’s Narrative Revelation

Cleber Paula Santos — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:45:26 +0000

In many parts of the world, people engage in the truth primarily through story, relationship, and shared experience rather than through abstract concepts or written texts. Yet much of Christian theology and discipleship continues to rely on frameworks shaped by Western, text-centered assumptions. This creates a growing gap between how the gospel is communicated and how it is understood and lived in oral-preference and hybrid contexts.

This article argues that orality should not be treated merely as a communication strategy, but as a theological reality rooted in the nature of divine revelation. Drawing from biblical theology, narrative epistemology, and intercultural missiology, it demonstrates that God reveals Himself through story, relational interaction, and communal participation.

Grounded in a recent discipleship experience with an Indigenous community in the Xingu region of Brazil, this study shows how engaging Scripture through chronological storytelling and repeated reflection can lead to deep theological understanding. In this context, the doctrine of the Trinity was not received as abstract information but as lived and meaningful truth expressed within the community’s own cultural framework.

The article concludes by exploring practical implications for discipleship, Bible translation, and theological formation. It suggests that when theology is communicated in ways that align with oral patterns of knowing, it becomes more easily remembered, embodied, and shared. Recovering a theology of orality enables the church to participate more faithfully in God’s ongoing work of forming and sending His people.

Summary: The Prospects of Bible Translation in the Ijebu Dialect for Motivating Christian Discipleship

Gabriel Oludele Adeloye — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:52:56 +0000

This is a summary of the capstone project, The Prospects of Bible Translation in the Ijebu Dialect for Motivating Christian Discipleship. The study used surveys and observations with 25 participants to compare their motivation to read and share Scripture before and after exposure to Bible portions in the Ijebu dialect. The findings show that engagement and willingness to share increased significantly when Scripture was presented in their heart language, highlighting the strong potential of Bible translation to motivate discipleship among Ijebu speakers.

Narrative Preaching

Ezekiel A. Ajibade — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 01:33:34 +0000

Narrative preaching connects deeply with people because everyone loves a story. Life itself unfolds through stories, and the Bible is filled with them. Ezekiel Ajibade explores how preachers can communicate God’s truth through storytelling that is artistic, rhetorical, and theological. By praying, selecting complete plots, using imagination, and structuring sermons inductively, preachers can engage listeners’ hearts and minds. Narrative preaching helps people not just hear Scripture but experience its transforming power.

Watch the related webinar presentation.

Mobility, Identity, and Mission: Rethinking the Role of NOMADs in Global Christianity

David Gargule — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 01:31:30 +0000

Nomadic communities represent a distinctive social and cultural identity built on mobility, kinship, and autonomy. While often marginalized or misunderstood by sedentary populations, nomads embody resilience, adaptability, and deep relational networks. This article examines the socio-cultural and spiritual dimensions of nomadic life through the lens of the NOMAD acronym: Not individualistic, Organized as clans, valuing Mobility, prioritizing Autonomy, and maintaining Distinctiveness. Drawing from discussions with nomadic communities, the article explores five key areas: the NOMAD/NO-AD distinction, the challenge of mobility, leadership and honor-shame dynamics, the role of digital and oral strategies, and the theological resonance of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. The findings highlight that contextual engagement, oral and digital communication, and indigenous faith expressions are vital for effective mission among nomadic peoples. The article concludes that global mission must embrace nomadic wisdom and prioritize intercultural dialogue to foster authentic and sustainable faith communities.

The Logic of Retribution and Biblical Forgiveness Among the Wore People of Papua New Guinea: A Battle for Peace

Jennifer Belcher — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 01:30:40 +0000

This article is an adaptation of Dr. Belcher’s doctoral dissertation, the purpose of which was to research the Logic of Retribution and the response to teachings about biblical forgiveness after implementation of Story-Based Trauma Healing (SBTH) lesson seven, How Can We Forgive Others in the Wore people group of the Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea (PNG). In PNG, there exists a cultural norm of paying back offenses that can be violent and escalating. Though the Wore have a system in place for bringing about peace when a grievance has occurred, after implementation of the SBTH course, the Wore reasoned that their cultural road to peace lacked a personal encounter with Jesus and true forgiveness.

Connecting Points: Bridging the Orality Gap to Minds and 💞

Tara Rye — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 01:28:34 +0000

Madinger, C., & Qalb, D. (Eds.). (2025). Connecting points: Bridging the orality gap to minds and (Vol. 1). OralityResources.International. ISBN 978 621 96888 3 3.

Reading the Environment: Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Communicating in Context (Part 2)

Jay Mātenga — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 01:26:16 +0000

Together with around 20 experts and practitioners in orality, theological education, anthropology, and missiology, editors Danyal Qalb and Charles Madinger are developing a three-volume book series. The project explores orality from multiple angles while offering diverse insights from both research and practice. The first volume was released in the fall of 2025 as a free eBook by OralityResources.International under the title Connecting Points: Bridging the Orality Gap to Minds and . The following article the second part of Jay Mātenga’s chapter, which explores the intersection of orality and a people’s seen and unseen world.

Gospel Joy International’s Audio Bible Study Distribution Model

Emily Pohl — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 03:13:00 +0000

Gospel Joy International produces audio Bible studies for rural African women. It has developed a distribution model that capitalizes on denominational networks and relationships to disseminate its materials and disciple women in rural villages. This paper explains its distribution model and how it has created a network of leaders across rural Africa in its effort to support the church’s mission to disciple its flock.

The Bible in Culture: Reading the Bible With All the World Using Ethnohermeneutics

Josafá Correia — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 03:09:59 +0000

Ethnohermeneutics is a discipline born of necessity as Caldwell’s students in the Philippines struggled to grasp the Western grammatic-historical method of Bible interpretation. This book is the result of more than four decades of experience, including teaching hermeneutics and Caldwell’s research at Fuller Theological Seminary, where he earned his PhD in 1990. It addresses the challenge of interpreting the Bible while respecting the diverse cultures of the world and raises a critical question: Why can we no longer assume that our way is the best or only way?

Caldwell, L. (2025). The Bible in Culture: Reading the Bible With All the World Using Ethnohermeneutics. William Carey Publishing. ISBN 978 1 6450 8658 1.

Reading the Environment: Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Communicating in Context (Part 1)

Jay Mātenga — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 03:08:24 +0000

Together with around 20 experts and practitioners in orality, theological education, anthropology, and missiology, editors Danyal Qalb and Charles Madinger are developing a three-volume book series. The project explores orality from multiple angles while offering diverse insights from both research and practice. The first volume is scheduled for release in the fall of 2025 as a free eBook by OralityResources.International under the title Connected Communication: Bridging the Orality Gap. It follows a preview that features the first part of Jay Mātenga’s chapter, which explores the intersection of orality and a people’s seen and unseen world.

Rethinking the Old Wineskins of “Academic” for the New Wine of Oral and Oral-Preference Learners

Larry W. Caldwell — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 20:11:33 +0000

For too long, the West has dominated theological education worldwide. This reality is primarily due to the West’s past centuries of colonization of the non-Western world, which has ramifications for theological education even today. In light of this continuing Western theological dominance, it is critical that the “old wineskins” of the Western academy and what it considers to be “academic” be rethought today, especially in light of the new wine of oral and oral-preference learners. This article explores such necessary rethinking in four parts. First, examining the West’s hegemony of what is considered academic today and the implications of this for theological education in the non-Western world. Second, exploring the new concept of “theological intelligence” (TQ) and its implications for other understanding of what is considered academic, especially for more orally-based pedagogical models. Third, looking at how one theological institution—Kairos University—is using Competency-Based Theological Education (CBTE) to help bridge the gap between readers and non-readers in the academy. Finally, the article concludes with recommendations for theological institutions and educators. It is hoped that this rethinking of what academics is will help theological institutions worldwide better meet the training needs of the Christian constituencies that they serve, including oral and oral-preference learners.

Watch the related webinar presentation.