Scholarly Reflections
Botha, P.J.J. "Chapter Two: Living Voice and Lifeless Letters." Orality and Literacy in Early Christianity. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2013, 34-51.
Writing, re-introduced into the Greek world about the 8th century B.C., was seen by the Greeks as foundational to their preservation of knowledge (Botha 2013,34). The use of a fully alphabetic means of writing with recognizable letters made writing well known. However, comfort with books and reading remained relatively scarce (Botha 2013,35). The culture, as a whole, remained one of orality. Through the Hellenistic period, including the time period in which the New Testament arose, composition remained oral in nature, written works were produced to be read aloud, and learning focused on memorization (Botha 2013,36). Botha describes this in terms of classical literature, intended to be spoken.
Botha observes that a variety of factors influenced maintenance of an oral culture (Botha 2013, 38). Ranging from eye care to industrial conditions to the availability and difficulty level of education, many factors limited the population of fluent readers. The use of more literate persons to assist less literate ones was common throughout the period (Botha 2013, 39).
Plato's attitude toward writing may be instructive. Botha illustrates numerous passages in which it is clear that writing is limited in that a written work cannot explain itself and may equally be used by those with a good or an inferior understanding of it (Botha 2013, 40). A written text was inferior to the testimony of an expert who could explain, illustrating and answering questions.
Botha further adduces Papias' desire, quoted in Eusebius, that living testimony be relied on for ascertaining truth (Botha 2013, 42). The "living voice" is also considered by Galen, Quintilian, and Pliny to be the pinnacle of communication. Clement of Alexandria, moreover, described his writing as that which would guard him against future forgetfulness (Botha 2013, 43). This indicates that he considered his writing to serve as his personal notes which could guide his real communication.
Botha does observe that there were voices in antiquity who expressed negativity toward oral tradition. Cicero spoke favorably of written records, as did Seneca (Botha 2013, 46).