Memorising the Scriptures

Recently in discussing her childhood, the Prime Minister has raised the practice of memorising parts of the Bible. She has even joked about challenging the Leader of the Opposition to “go head-to-head on our ability to recite sections of the Bible by rote.”

Many of us as children were taught, encouraged, challenged, bribed and coerced into memorising Bible texts. In an era when memorising times tables and poetry were a normal part of the daily routine of school, the activity of memorising verses of the Bible was not strange - though like all drills not particularly exciting or fun.

As with teaching grammar and other old fashioned views of education it was an activity that has been dropped by the wayside. The argument was simple: Just as it is more important that we use English than analyse its components, it is more important that we understand what the scripture says than reciting it off by heart. But fashions change and grammar has been reintroduced.

I haven’t noticed many churches using memorising scripture as part of adult education. There have been some para-church ministries like the Navigators who specialised in it. But their specialization in memorising scripture marked them out as different not as normal.

Some individuals have undertaken the task. One friend learnt to recite whole books off by heart. But again this is noticeable because it is so unusual.

There are some courses, such as the evangelism course Two Ways to Live, which require participants to commit some texts to memory. But the surprise with which course members meet the task indicates that memory work is not normally part of their Christian learning pattern.

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