Making Disciples of Oral Learners
From SPARK
Recent decades have witnessed dramatic changes in the political and economic landscape of the world. These changes have had a significant impact on the Church’s worldwide practice of sharing the good news of Christ.
In response, the Lausanne International Committee has identified 31 of today’s “most significant issues. They identified issues which are of concern in [the Church’s] task to take the good news to the world.” They range from HIV/AIDS to terrorism to urbanisation[#fn1 1]. Their Forum met in Pattaya, Thailand, in 2004. It involved 1500 participants from 130 countries. It addressed these 31 issues.
Then, they produced a paper summarizing its findings, conclusions and recommendations for each issue. The present paper reflects the consensus of the group. It tackles the vital, but often neglected, subject of “Making disciples of oral learners”.
Around 70 percent of the world’s population are “oral communicators”, and they are found in every cultural group in the world. Whether by choice or necessity, they communicate using the familiar methods of oral cultures. They use methods such as stories, proverbs, drama, songs, chants and poetry. All of these take place in a relational, face-to-face context.
In contrast, the literate approach to learning means little to them. It uses lists, outlines, word studies and analytical presentations. This is also the approach used by nine out of ten Christian workers. More Christian communication takes place today than ever before. Yet, relatively few are truly hearing the message.
The Church must learn a new method of communication. It must adapt to oral learning styles and preferences. Not just adapt in its evangelism, but in the whole process of making disciples and leaders. This means much more than using the spoken rather than written word. A talk on CD or audio cassette can be just as literate in style as a printed sermon. It can also be just as meaningless to an oral learner. Long exposure to literacy has changed the way literates think. They must learn a new way and a new approach. In order to reach oral communities they must learn the oral way.
Jesus’ use of parables points the way to one important approach in reaching oral learners. That approach is, namely, the use of stories which convey the essential biblical message. Chronological Bible Storying and Storytelling can craft culturally relevant stories. The stories, based on appropriate Bible passages, are presented in a sequential pattern. This pattern builds a persons Christian understanding step by step. Discussion or interaction with the story is initiated by the storyteller. Storytellers help listeners grasp and apply the truths of Scripture within their own cultural setting. Experience shows the importance of focusing these stories on the audience’s unique cultural perspective.
From the start we must address basic worldview issues such as who created the world and the nature of spirits. None of this is to underplay the importance of literacy and Bible reading. Indeed, as the Lausanne Paper on orality states, “a Bible translation program that begins with the oral presentation of the Bible through storying and continues with a translation and literacy program is the most comprehensive strategy for communicating the word of God”. However there is little prospect Bible translation alone will be able to reach the world's illiterate speakers. Our world has 4000 languages that still do not contain a single portion of Scripture. Storytelling provides a powerful alternative which has been proven to work[#fn2 2].
There is not a simple black and white division between “literates” and “illiterates.” It is rather, a continuum that reflects varying levels of literacy. Nor is the division as simple as developed versus developing world. Many in the developing world are highly literate. Whereas, studies in the United States, for example, revealed half the population had poor literacy skills. Of course, literacy skills can vary greatly between groups, even within a single nation or region.
Claims to high levels of literacy by governments and international bodies certainly need to be treated with caution. Especially since the criteria for literacy are sometimes misleading. For example, defining literacy as the ability to write one’s name and read a simple sentence. In practice two-thirds of the world’s population function without literature within oral cultures. Therefore, missionaries and mission agencies must develop a basic understanding of orality. If they are to reach the world for Christ they must learn effective oral communication styles[#fn3 3].
There are additional benefits in using these oral communication styles to reach oral communities. Orality helps them avoid syncretism. Syncretism is mixing Christian assumptions with other worldview assumptions that are incompatible with Christianity. Stories play an important role in forming every person’s worldview. They tackle basic worldview assumptions. Christian stories presented in culturally relevant ways, often replace or revise the hearers’ existing worldview. Their worldview is learned through their culture’s shared stories. This is specially so if the stories are in the listeners’ mother tongue.
Christian teaching is often in a regional language, such as a trade language. That is because this is the language of (literate!) theological learning. But such usage produces questionable believers who retain their non-Christian worldview. True faith can be learned through the more powerful medium of storytelling.
There are of course important questions to be asked about an oral teaching approach. Most important is whether it is sustainable beyond initial evangelistic contact. More precisely, is it adequate for sustained discipleship? Is it sustainable discipleship among second, third and successive generations? Is it sustainable for leadership development in the church? Reports from those working in the field confirm it is. They confirm that it is not only a viable approach but the preferred approach. They feel it is equipping indigenous believers to reproduce their faith. It is even facilitating rapid and sustained church growth. In fact, pastors in oral societies that were trained orally have been shown to be more orthodox. More so than those trained through a literate approach. This is because they could more easily access and integrate what they were taught.
However, personal mentoring is crucial in discipleship. Because oral societies are very relational, oral learners tend to believe persons more than abstract truths. Therefore the spiritual life and example of the messenger are vital. A ten-step process of discipleship for primary oral learners is available. It includes the important principle of accountability of disciples to their mentors. It is reproduced in the CD series Following Jesus: Making Disciples of Oral Learners .
We have made our point. Orality is not just a phenomenon of the developing world. But what is specially interesting is the newest form of orality. It is often termed the “secondary orality.” It has grown up in recent decades in the developed world. It came with the advent of telephones, radio, television, and other electronic devices for communication. Huge numbers of people have grown up in the “media age,” in the developed world. Although literate, they actually communicate in ways that closely resemble oral communities. The Church among these people must engage with this sea-change in communication. It is essential if they are to reach the next generation for Christ. Orality is a growing phenomenon.
In the light of all we have said, we are not surprised. It is no surprise that there is an ever-growing engagement with orality issues. Some of the largest and most reputable international mission agencies have issues with it. There is still a long way to go. The Lausanne Paper, however, makes practical and significant proposals to help this process go forward. It points to further resources. It helps those who want to get further involved. It helps them effectively bring God’s word to the world’s four billion oral communicators.
Further details on orality and its place in world mission can be found at www.oralbible.com. This is the website of International Orality Network, whose substantial contribution to the Lausanne Paper on orality is gratefully acknowledged.
