David Rhoades and Thomas Boomershine are examples of scholars who have widely promoted and demonstrated oral performances of books of the New Testament. Their goal has been to bridge the gap between ancient performances of Scripture and modern readings. Additionally, the seventeen volumes of “The Biblical Performance Criticism” series emphasize the orality of the biblical world and the place for an oral hermeneutic in biblical scholarship and the church.
Unfortunately, this innovative work can be “a serious threat to the guild of biblical scholars, exegetes and theologians,” as Arie Zwiep notes in a foreword to a recent book on the “detextification” of Scripture. There seems to be little evidence of the church at large being receptive to the promise and practice of oral performances of Scripture—if church leaders are even aware of the potential.
This is surprising. The overwhelming evidence throughout Scripture is that divine truth was revealed primarily by God speaking and people hearing. In addition to God himself speaking, he passed his role on to viceregents, whom he prepared, authorized, and empowered to speak on his behalf (Moses, the prophets, etc.). Their spoken words were no less authoritative and inspired than those of God himself. And as evident when the reading of the Law was heard in the days of Josiah and Ezra, it evoked tears, confession, and celebration.
Jesus likewise spoke rather than wrote, and declared that his followers should hear, remember, and tell others what he said. The book of Acts is a record of faithful messengers speaking and various audiences hearing, with no mention of written records of Jesus’ deeds and words. In Pisidian Antioch, for example, based on what the people had heard from Paul on the previous Sabbath, “on the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord” (Acts 13:44). Most people would not have been able to read, even if written accounts were available.
Now, if it’s important today to hear and understand Scripture as it was originally heard and understood, then the challenge is to reenact performances of Scripture, designed to have a similar impact on contemporary audiences. In many churches praise bands have stolen the limelight. But should not hearing Scripture be the spotlight of the worship experience?