Oral Residue

Definition: As used herein, Oral Residue refers to elements of oral culture found in the Circumstances of otherwise Technological Culture. Commentary Let me explain Oral Residue by giving you an example that is familiar to millions of people – Jesus lived, according to my special definition, in Technological Culture simply because the alphabet existed and was used. However, the Oral Residue of his Circumstances was massive. I'd say it was dominant. Consider this – Jesus, although he could read and write, did not bother to write down his message. Why was that? He didn’t bother because everyone Understood that the spoken word was the powerful Event – Not dead written records! Prophecy happens! Prophecy is not media Content! Writing – the objectification of the word – simply was not that important in the Circumstances of Jesus’ time. It was useful for tax collectors who needed to keep detailed records. But for Jesus and everyone else, memorizing what was important was the rule of the day. To illustrate this, read aloud the Sermon on the Mount. Notice its sing-song quality. That sing-song quality is a memorization aid. It is an element of Oral Residue in what I am calling the Technological Circumstances of Jesus' day - “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Today, there is little Oral Residue left. A few surviving aphorisms are examples of Oral Residue such as – “Feed a cold - starve a fever.” “A stitch in time saves nine.” “Step on a crack, break your mother’s back.” You probably learned a few aphorisms orally (that is - you never read them) from your parents, siblings, and play-mates. You memorized them and now recall them just as our ancestors memorized and recalled 50,000 years ago. Such purely oral techniques of memorization were how all human knowledge was stored prior to the invention of writing.