digital – OralityTalks

Digital Identity & Orality

Jun Marc Dapitan and John Paul Arceno — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 05:38:53 +0000

Our webinar speakers, Jun Marc Dapitan and John Paul Arceno, explored the intersection of digitality. They acknowledged and warned of the dangers while also highlighting the opportunities and obligations for Christian ministry in the digital space.

Here are some takeaways summarized by one participant:

Digital technology is not just a tool. It has become an extension of the self.
Technological platforms, especially social media, are not merely channels for communicating information. They are powerful cultural forces that shape how we think, relate to others, and ultimately form our identity.
The church needs to understand how digital technology and digital spaces reshape human identity and how these influences can challenge the identity of believers, whose true identity is rooted in Christ.
As followers of Christ, we are called not only to use technology wisely but also to discern how it shapes our hearts, minds, and understanding of who we are in Christ.

Oral Hermeneutics in Theological Education

Laurence Gatawa — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 19:14:03 +0000

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.

Watch the related webinar presentation.

Engaging Oral People with Digital Media

William Snider and Jonah Jala — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 11:16:41 +0000

Digital media and orality go hand in hand. In this talk, Bill Snider explains how social media affects orality, using two interesting examples. Jonah Jala, in her presentation, shows how disciple-making can happen in a digital world, offering practical insights on how it works today.

Read the related journal article.

Check out further resources about orality and digital media at OralityResources.International.

Resources