It is in the light of Hajnal’s presentation of medieval 
writing that we can make more sense of the view of Aquinas 
that Socrates and Christ, being teachers, did not connect their 
teachings to writing. It is in question 42 of the third part of the 
Summa Theologica  (that is, textbook of theology) that 
Aquinas asks: “Utrum Christus debuerit doctrinam Suam 
Scripto tradere?” Aquinas rejects the idea of the learner as a 
page that is to be written on—a tabula rasa.  He says:

     I answer by saying that it is fitting that Christ did not 
     commit his teaching to writing. First on account of his 
     own dignity; for the more excellent the teacher, the more 
     excellent his manner of teaching ought to be. And 
     therefore it was fitting that Christ, as the most excellent 
     of teachers, should adopt that manner of teaching 
     whereby his doctrine would be imprinted on the hearts of