Working for the Word - a Bible translation podcast Breaking the Literate Bias - Kris & Susan Toler
Last year at the Bible Translation conference Kris and Susan Toler presented a paper titled Breaking the Literate Bias: Exploring the Sufficiency of Oral Bible Translation. In it they examine Oral Bible Translation (OBT) as a rigorous and sufficient alternative to traditional written methods, specifically for oral-preference communities. They argue that a deep-seated literacy bias in missions often leads people to incorrectly view spoken Scripture as inferior to printed books. But they demonstrate that OBT utilizes the same high standards of accuracy and naturalness as written translations. The paper provides evidence that audio-based Scripture fosters better engagement, deeper comprehension, and intergenerational participation within cultures that prioritize oral communication.
Given the very nature of the topic, it would be best to present this in audio to you, the listener. Once again, because I’m a dad with babies, I’m relying more on NotebookLM to help me present some of this information, not simply because it saves incalculable hours of time, but also because it often does such a superior job, even in spite of occasional imperfections. In this particular recording there will be some pronunciation mistakes regarding the name of the Central Pame people group, but if you can overlook that, you’ll glean some very valuable insights, challenging ideas, and healthy food for thought.
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