In an unpublished master’s thesis (32) John H. 
Harrington observes that in the early Christian centuries “Both 
the book, and the written word were identified with the 
message they carried. They were considered as being magically 
potent instruments, especially against the devil and his 
snares.” Harrington has many sections that bear on the oral 
character of “reading” and on the need for memorization as 
this from the rule of Pachomius: “And if he be unwilling to read, 
he is to be forced, so that there will never be one in a 
monastery who cannot read and memorize portions of Sacred 
Scripture.” (p. 34) “Often while travelling two monks would 
read to one another, or recite from memory the Book of 
Scripture.” (p. 48)