april 2015 - Wycliffe Global Alliance

The Journey
A publication of the Wycliffe Global Alliance
APRIL 2015
introduction to this issue
Bible Translation in the Wycliffe Global Alliance —
A Brief Review
1942—William Cameron Townsend and L.L. Legters founded Wycliffe
Bible Translators eight years after the founding of the Summer Institute
of Linguistics (now SIL International). Wycliffe began as a resource
organization for SIL, supporting and promoting the work of SIL in
linguistics, translation and literacy on behalf of minority language groups.
Mid 1970s—by this time, there were a number of National Bible
Translation Organizations (NBTOs), primarily established by SIL. NBTOs
worked in Bible translation projects in their own countries and served as
advocates for Bible translation.
By 1991—NBTOs became a part of Wycliffe International (the
predecessor of the Alliance). Their category name changed from NBTO to
‘Wycliffe Affiliate Organization’ and later to ‘Wycliffe Organizations with
Language Programs’.
Since 2011—The Alliance has identified all Wycliffe organizations’
involvement in Bible translation movements according to various
“Participation Streams”. Forty-two Alliance Organizations, engaged in
more than 970 Bible translation projects, now participate in the Bible
Translation Program Stream.
2012 Wycliffe Global Gathering—During a meeting of Alliance
Organizations serving in the Bible Translation Program Stream, I
committed the Alliance leadership to address concerns voiced by these
organizations. As a result, we began an 18-month process with a task
force led by Dr. Michel Kenmogne. This resulted in the Alliance’s Bible
Translation Programs Philosophy Statement.
This issue features Michel’s article about the significance of this Statement.
Also included is “Thinking Theologically About Translation,” written by
Dr. Bryan Harmelink, the Alliance’s newest leadership team member.
Bryan approaches this important and sometimes controversial subject
with careful thought and reflection.
We trust you will appreciate the interconnectedness of these two articles
and hope they will stimulate more discussion on these foundational topics.
— Kirk Franklin, Executive Director
The Wycliffe Global Alliance
Bible Translation Programs
Philosophy Statement
by Dr. Michel Kenmogne
Background
In 2006, I was in my third year as Director of the Cameroon
Association for Bible Translation & Literacy (CABTAL), a
Wycliffe organization that was earnestly seeking to establish
the relevance of its ministry in the Church in Cameroon,
while embedding the work of language development and Bible
translation in the context of local communities.
I started to wonder how a missiological reflective process
could lay a more solid foundation—both theological and
missiological—to our commitment in Bible translation. From
a strategic point of view, we understood the value and the
effectiveness of using the mother tongue to help ensure a better
reception of translated Scripture. But we lacked the theological
and missiological perspectives to back and support our activity.
Hence, I developed the conviction that missiological reflection
should be able to inform and shape the practice of Bible
translation—and that in itself would be a worthy goal.
This article seeks to capture in broad strokes the attempts of the
Wycliffe Global Alliance (the Alliance) to meet this goal. In this
regard, I will recount the journey leading to the adoption of the
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The Journey is produced to
help foster the community
of the Wycliffe Global
Alliance as it participates in
Bible translation movements
as part of God’s mission.
in this issue
The Wycliffe Global Alliance
Bible Translation Programs
Philosophy Statement
1
Thinking Theologically
About Translation
9
Why We Are Not a
“Family of Organizations”
12
Click on title to jump to article
PAGE 1 of 12
Bible Translation Programs Philosophy Statement (the
Statement), and also to describe some of the ongoing
efforts to integrate it into various Bible translation
programs around the world.
The Development of the Statement—Beginnings
During the Global Gathering 2012 in Chiang Mai,
Thailand, Kirk Franklin (Alliance Executive Director)
hosted a rather informal dinner that brought together
almost all Alliance Organizations that had direct
involvement with the work of Bible translation in the
field. Facilitating that conversation, I sought to find out
what were the main hindrances to their work in the
field, and what could be the suggested courses of action
to address these issues. The gathering of these leaders
unanimously agreed on the following problem statement:
“The Alliance’s Participating Organizations with
Language Programs struggle with their identity and
ability to collaborate with other partners in language
programs because they (a) lack a unified Wycliffe
understanding of the foundations (theological,
missiological/missional basis) for doing language
programs work; (b) lack a Wycliffe description of the
transformational impact that is aimed at through
language programs; and (c) grapple with the definition
of the scope of their language programs involvement
and their positioning therein.”
Their agreement on this led to the following goal
statement to address it:
“Develop a Wycliffe philosophy for doing language
programs in order to address the rationale for, the
purpose of, and the approach to doing language
programs and come up with a Wycliffe owned
statement to guide the Participating Organizations’
involvement in Language Programs.”
The main outcome of this conversation was the
resolution of the Alliance senior leadership to appoint
a team to guide the process of developing a philosophy
statement.
The Statement was developed in response to
Alliance Organizations expressing an identity
problem that hindered their effectiveness.
The Drafting Team
The process for developing the Statement was entirely
facilitated by the Alliance. This was exercised through
the resourcing of the process, the approval of the Terms
of Reference for the work, the commissioning of the
drafting team and the provision of the ultimate guidance
and leadership to the process. From the outset, the
process sought to be open, transparent and inclusive.
This desire was reflected early on in the composition of
the drafting team and in the communication process that
was set up and followed throughout.
The drafting team was made up of the following people:
Victor Gomez, Director of Letra Paraguay and translation
consultant; Paul Kimbi, CABTAL translation consultant;
Alex Mathew, Director of Wycliffe India and Bram
van Grootheest, Director of Wycliffe Netherlands and
representing the perspective of Alliance Organizations
without a direct involvement in field programs.
In order to take into account the significant expertise
and experience of other partners, the team secured the
participation of two observers with full voice. These were
Henry Huang, representing Seed Company and Chip
Sanders, representing SIL International (SIL). Francis
Viscount, from the Alliance global leadership team,
facilitated the process and Michel Kenmogne assumed
overall leadership of the team.
A Reflective Process
In order to carry out its mandate, the team followed a
reflective process that blended the diversity of practical
experiences brought by the team members. They
participated in the reading of numerous articles and book
excerpts, including material on the topics of missio Dei,
the Church, the Trinity and Mission, Bible Translation and
Mission, Holistic Transformation, and Shalom. During
face-to-face meetings, they shared their reflections on
the readings in order to build a concerted understanding
of the theological and missiological foundations that
should undergird the practice of Bible translation. The
team agreed on the following three tenets or foundational
perspectives that should inform and guide the overall
Bible translation endeavor. These are:
›› missio Dei
›› Holistic Transformation
›› Comprehensive Standards for Quality
Regarding the first tenet, it was agreed that Bible
translation should be framed in the context of the
triune God’s own activity to reconcile the whole world
to Himself. Therefore, Bible translation is not simply a
strategic missionary outreach initiative, but should be
construed in the context of God’s overarching quest for
incarnation in each human being’s reality.
The second tenet assumes that the translation effort
should be framed and geared towards the spiritual,
social and material transformation of local language
communities. Hence, Bible translation cannot be viewed
simply as achieving products that are isolated from the
overall quest for God’s Shalom for the community.
The third tenet emphasizes the understanding that Bible
translation is—at the same time—a spiritual, a technical
and a relational ministry. And the notion of quality in
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Bible translation should be expanded beyond product
quality to also include the quality of lifestyle of those
involved, the quality of inter-human relationships with
the local community, and the quality of submission
to God as the One who is ultimately in charge. It is
assumed that the adoption of a more comprehensive set
of standards for quality will enhance or maximize the
transformational impact of the translation.
A Consultative Process
From the outset, the process stood as a collective
endeavor to understand how God wants us to behave
and operate Bible translation programs when construed
as an expression of our participation in His mission.
In this regard, a consultative approach that emphasizes
conversations and listening was deemed appropriate to
reach the goal. These conversations happened at multiple
levels. The drafting team held two face-to-face meetings
and a number of virtual meetings. We acknowledged the
diversity of work contexts as well as the individual and
organizational perspectives and experiences brought by
each participant.
Beyond the team level, we established a regular
communication process to inform main stakeholders
of the ongoing work, and solicited the feedback of all
Alliance Organizations and key partners on the drafts.
Moreover, we took advantage of a number of other
planned meetings to present the Statement and seek
additional feedback. One of these gatherings was that
of the SIL Language Programs leaders, held in Dallas in
February 2013. The drafting team reviewed the input
received from that gathering and all the other various
sources and used it to improve the drafts.
Then, a consultation was called in September 2013 in
Kenya to reflect upon the tenets of the Statement and to
review and approve the drafts prepared by the team. This
important consultation provided a great opportunity to
watch the formation of unity and consensus on Bible
translation field practices being anchored in theological
and missiological perspectives.
It is noteworthy to mention that participants in
this consultation included leaders from Alliance
Organizations that participate primarily in providing
funds, prayer and personnel, along with strategic
partners such as SIL, and Alliance Organizations with
direct Bible translation implementation programs.
…the process stood as a collective endeavor to
understand how God wants us to behave and
operate Bible translation programs when construed
as an expression of our participation in His mission.
The consultative process employed in the development
of the Statement and the sense of unity that it created
among the various participants has helped usher in
a new era where field practices in Bible translation
programs and resource mobilization for these programs
can be done in close alignment.
The Statement: A Document
Building on the three foundational tenets of missio Dei,
Holistic Transformation and Comprehensive Standards
for Quality, the Statement draws six insights from the
missiological reflection, and twenty-seven principles
that should guide the ministry of Bible translation. The
definition of Bible translation as found in the document
captures the overall perspective of the Statement:
participate in the fellowship and harmony of the Body of
believers here on earth and the faithful ones in eternity.
This indwelling comes through the many ways that God
reveals Himself, especially His Word, but also through the
life and witness of believers, especially those immediately
in relationship with a language community”.
This definition sharply contrasts with the traditional
understanding of translation as the reality of transferring
a message from a source to a target language in a way
that is clear, faithful and natural. It is deeply rooted in,
and mirrors the reality of, incarnation through which
God took on human form and dwelt in our midst so
that a true understanding of God’s nature and attributes
were observable, thus making it possible for humans to
fellowship with Him.
As it stands, this new definition of Bible translation by
the Alliance invites its practitioners to shift the focus
from what has traditionally drawn their interest in order
to strike a balance between:
›› The Process and the Product
It has often been assumed that the outcome of Bible
translation—or the Bible in the local language—is a
“missionary” in its own right. While the importance of
the availability of the Scriptures in the local language
can’t be denied, the Statement points to other factors that
may further or hinder the effectiveness of the translated
Word. Some of these factors are the lifestyle of those
involved in the translation process, the quality of the
relationships among the guests and the host community,
and the involvement and participation of the local
Church at all levels of the process i.e. decision-making
both at the administrative and technical levels.
“Bible translation is the process of the indwelling of God’s
Word into a language so that its speakers can live and
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of achieving some products, and the long term and
ultimate goal of transformation must always be kept in
perspective at all stages of the Bible translation process.
›› Holism and Focus
The definition acknowledges that God reveals Himself
through many ways among which the Scriptures hold a
special place. It therefore appears that Bible translation,
while critical for God’s revelation, cannot be thought
of as a stand-alone activity. Put differently, Bible
translation must be framed in the context of the many
other initiatives that God is using for His outreach to
local communities. Connecting language development
and Bible translation to other Kingdom endeavours in
communities becomes an absolute necessity. Because
the Bible translator or the agency can’t be everything
to everyone, it is critical to work in partnership and in
synergy with others to accomplish Kingdom goals. In this
way, we can keep a focus on Bible translation, but it resides
in a larger context of other initiatives for God’s Kingdom.
Participants in discussion groups at the Joint Bible Translation Philosophy Consultation in Turkey, December 2014.
›› God’s Activity and Human Activity
From a human perspective, the concept of eternal and
almighty God becoming man is almost impossible to
understand. In the same manner, many people can’t
fully grasp the idea of the indwelling of the eternal Word
of God in the cultural and linguistic categories of a
minority language. Thus, it appears that Bible translation
is impossible without the intentional invitation of
the same Spirit that breathed this Word over many
centuries through various peoples in different contexts.
In this regard, it is pertinent to underscore that, while
academic domains that inform and enable translation are
irreplaceable, we should never lose sight that translation
is ultimately a process of God’s own engagement with
a people group. Therefore, our human activities should
align with what God Himself is doing.
›› The Impact and the Activity
While the activities are critical for the achievement of
the desired impacts, the definition of Bible translation
provided in the Statement draws our attention to the
ultimate goal of the translation itself. Because it is an
expression of our participation in God’s mission, its
end result is to bring the speakers of local languages
into fellowship with God. In this regard, the many
activities that we carry out still fall short of the end
goal if transformation is not achieved within these
communities. Therefore, the short and long term goal
Awareness Raising and Presentatation of the Statement
The Alliance understands that the development of
the Statement is an important milestone. However,
for missiological reflection to effectively inform Bible
translation, both at the resourcing and practice levels,
other initiatives are needed. That is why the Alliance
sponsored a number of other consultations with a goal of
building understanding among various individuals and
organizations. These included the series of consultations
on “Funding in the Context of God’s Mission”, as profiled
in the November 2014 issue of The Journey.
Additionally, and as even more evidence that God is
alerting His people in Bible translation movements to
holistic and theologically informed practices, a major
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in the field both in terms of the ongoing and new Bible
translation programs.
The practical component parts of the agenda provided
the opportunity to explore some of the best practices
promoted by the Statement such as:
›› Start-up strategies that emphasize community
mobilization to foster greater responsibility for, and
stewardship of, translation programs from the outset.
›› Church participation in Bible translation not only
at the promotional level, but also in translation
procedures (exegesis, translation style, key terms
approval, etc.)
›› The framing of each translation program in the
context of wider Kingdom partnerships that maximize
the capacity for holistic transformation.
Toward the end of the consultation in Turkey, the group was able to follow in some of the Apostle Paul’s footsteps through the historical
city of Ephesus. This time included some Bible readings and prayer at the ancient theatre (pictured).
›› Development of the Translation Brief, which helps
create greater accountability among the translators
and the owners of the project and provides the needed
guidance for decision-making in translation issues.
This forum allowed the Statement to come closer to the
place where the action in Bible translation takes place.
Amongst all:
conference on this theme was convened recently in
Ghana. See sidebar on page six.
reflections and in the consideration of the practical
implications of the Statement.
Specifically related to presenting the Statement in a
completed form and engaging with it, two gatherings
were held in the latter half of 2014.
The goals of the forum were two-fold:
1. Africa Bible Translation Programs Managers Forum
›› enable them to bridge the gap between the principles
and values of the Statement and field practices in Bible
translation.
›› Participants demonstrated understanding and
excitement at the prospect of what the Statement
can help them achieve. Moreover, insights gained at
the forum allowed them to realistically appreciate
the contribution of the Alliance’s philosophical
orientation to the practical work of Bible translation.
It was expected that, at the end of the forum, all
participants would be able to demonstrate understanding
and motivation to follow the orientation provided by the
Statement, and start to explore how it can guide the work
›› Alliance Organizations committed to take steps
toward the implementation of the Statement in order
to gradually change the current state of affairs in their
field programs.
This forum gathered a total of 37 participants made up
of Bible Translation Program Managers and Translation
Consultants from all the Alliance Organizations in
Africa, seven SIL Language Programs leaders at the
Area level and other leaders. This blend of participants
allowed a wide variety of perspectives both during the
›› allow the participants to embrace and integrate the
main tenets that undergird the Statement, and
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PAGE 5 of 12
›› SIL was able to understand and appreciate the
orientation of the Alliance in fieldwork, and
indicated their commitment to frame their Language
Programs services in response to the principles
and values promoted by the Statement. Fellowship
and communities of practice were started among
people holding like-minded positions across Alliance
Organizations on the continent, providing opportunities
for future informal conversations and growth.
2. The Joint Bible Translation Philosophy Consultation
This landmark consultation, held in Turkey in December
2014, brought together a blend of 49 prominent leaders
from both the Alliance and SIL. The idea of this consultation
stemmed from a meeting held between the senior leadership
teams of the two organizations in March 2014. It was
therefore a joint consultation, led by the Alliance.
The stated purposes of the consultation were to allow the
participants to:
a. understand the underlying tenets that undergird the
Statement
b.embrace the values and principles highlighted by the
Statement in order to influence their approach to their
respective field programs, and
c. commit to identify processes to review in both
ongoing and future Bible translation programs in light
of the Statement.
The consultation allowed SIL to reaffirm its desire to see
the values and principles highlighted in the Statement
help guide their field programs. As well, SIL underscores
the fact that a companion document to the Statement
will be needed to help provide a similar rationale for the
scientific, educational and humanitarian aspects of its
work that are not covered in the Statement.
Beyond the stated purposes, the three days of the
consultation built strong community among these
leaders as they lingered, fellowshipped and reflected
together in small groups on key biblical, theological and
missiological themes and issues that are foundational
to their respective ministries. Both organizations also
committed to find ways of having similar consultations
at regional levels in order to further disseminate the
Statement’s principles and values.
A conference on The Church and Bible Translation in
Africa was held in Accra, Ghana in November 2014.
The Chair of the Organizing Committee was Rev Prof
Gilbert Ansre and the conference coordinator was
Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, Executive Director of the
Alliance Organization there, the Ghana Institute of
Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Translation (GILLBT).
…we should never lose sight that translation is
ultimately a process of God’s own engagement
with a people group.
Ongoing and Future Steps
A philosophy statement speaks at the values and
principles level. Whereas these are important to provide
the rationale and motivation for action, it takes other
actions to translate the principles into practical realities.
It is necessary to acknowledge the importance of both
the principles and the practices, along with tools that
facilitate the practices.
In this regard, there is still much to be achieved for
the Statement to effectively influence Bible translation
programs in the field. In order to help move in this
direction, the Statement sketched some best practices
in its appendix in order to stimulate the transition
from principles to practice. Among the main issues to
be considered as a matter of priority in future, I would
highlight the following:
A participant asks a question at the November 2014 conference
in Ghana, attended by some 100 Church and other leaders from
Ghana and across Africa discussing, among other topics, the role
of the African Church in mother tongue Bible translation.
From the conference Communiqué:
“The purpose of the conference was to engage
in a national and continental conversation on
the role of the Ghanaian and African Church
in mother tongue Bible translation.
›› Alignment
In speaking of alignment, I’ll briefly mention two
aspects—organizational identity and training.
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The Statement was developed in response to Alliance
Organizations expressing an identity problem that
hindered their effectiveness. Thus, it was developed
as a response to a felt need. It now calls on Alliance
Organizations to review their ethos and modes of
operation to see that they are in alignment with, and
complementary to, the values and principles found in
the Statement. For example, Alliance Organizations
participating in the recruiting/sending stream may want
to re-consider some of their messaging in recruitment
and in Church engagement to more fully reflect the
values and principles described in the Statement.
Various schools provide professional training for
language development and Bible translation and operate
under the auspices of Alliance Organizations. The
content and orientation of the training, however, is
primarily derived from the experiences gathered through
field practices in the past decades. The alignment
question here is: how will these training institutions now
embrace and integrate the values and principles found in
the Statement?
Additionally, for the Statement to effectively influence
and shape what happens in the field, investing in the
training of language/translation programs managers
through consultative processes will become a key
priority. The Africa Bible Translation Programs
Managers Forum already cited was a first attempt in this
direction.
›› Field Practice/Tools Development
The Statement, which draws from missiological
reflection and underscores the centrality of the Church
in God’s mission, advocates a number of practices
that will require those involved to reconsider some
Bible translation procedures. The Statement may also
encourage practitioners to more fully incorporate other
practices such as the following: framing of programs
in the context of multiple partnerships to avoid
isolation and contribute to holistic transformation, and
adoption of the Translation Brief to capture the multiple
partnerships and to clarify and document decisionmaking and provide effective guidance to the translators.
Whereas these innovative perspectives can be observed
now in various places, it is important for them to become
best practices or rather “wise practices” for us all.
…there is still much to be achieved for the
Statement to effectively influence Bible
translation programs in the field.
The proposals and changes advocated by the Statement
need to be reflected in the standard tools used to guide
and shape the execution of translation programs. An
example would be to include processes for engaging
and mobilizing the community. And at another level,
these new perspectives as outlined in the Statement will
in turn call for a re-consideration of project funding
proposal forms, with reporting systems providing room
for multiple accountability structures.
“The presentations and discussions allowed
the participants to review and sharpen their
understanding of the historical and current
contexts of the Church and Bible translation
in Africa, as well as the ongoing strategic and
philosophical orientations for funding and
operating Bible translation programs.
“A consensus emerged among the various
organizations on the need for a four-square
– quadripartite – partnership between the
Church, the theological institutions, the Bible
agencies, and the resourcing and business
communities to foster mother tongue Bible
translation and use for the furtherance of the
mission of God on the continent.”
Please see the full text of the conference Communiqué
here on the GILLBT website. It is also available as a
downloadable PDF (in English) from a link at the end
of the GILLBT profile on wycliffe.net.
Conclusion
As I consider the journey of the development of this
philosophy statement, there are a few lessons that stand
out. In retrospect, it has definitely been a response to
God’s prompting, a transformative journey for those
involved, and a process that furthers community.
When Kirk Franklin visited Africa in 2011 and heard
the aspiration of African leaders to see missiological
reflection shape the practice of Bible translation, he
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referred to this in his next report to the Alliance Board as
“a call from Africa”. He went on to arrange a dinner during
the Global Gathering 2012 where all Alliance Organizations
directly involved in fieldwork confirmed the need for and
encouraged the launching of the development of a philosophy
statement. In this way, the process followed in developing the completed document stands as a reminder that listening
and discernment must be our first acts of participation in God’s mission.
The reflective process leading to the formation
of the Statement has been a transformative one
for the individuals and organizations involved
and for the Alliance itself.
The reflective process leading to the formation of the Statement has been a transformative one for the individuals and
organizations involved and for the Alliance itself. The Statement has given the Alliance the boldness to affirm itself as
a Bible translation organization, calling its field involvement “Bible Translation Programs”. In this way, the Alliance
has reconciled and aligned with its tagline Partners in Bible Translation.
The Statement is gradually challenging and inviting all Alliance organizations to actively promote complementary
messaging with the Statement’s values and principles in relation to Bible translation. By so doing, the process of
developing the Statement has not only served Alliance organizations involved in the Bible Translation Programs
stream, but is positioning the Alliance and its partners to be holistic stewards in Bible translation ministry.
Finally, the process of developing the Statement has stood as an illustration of the value of community. Working
together as a group of eight people from five different continents allowed the drafting team to grow in fellowship and
friendships that have gone beyond the task of developing the Statement. This has represented one of the blessings of
the process: enjoying the benefits of unity as well as of our diversity in the Kingdom. Beyond the team, we have been
amazed to see the unifying power of the Statement throughout the process.
The Statement is built upon a shared foundation of missiological and theological principles that draw individuals and
organizations together, allowing them to envision new perspectives of working together in their participation in the
Mission of God.
Dr. Michel Kenmogne, from Cameroon, recently Wycliffe Global Alliance Associate Director for Africa Area and now
SIL International Executive Director Designate.
PAGE 8 of 12
Thinking Theologically About Translation
Bible Translation and Theology:
Some Context
By Dr. Bryan Harmelink
“God is light” (1 John 1:5) was the short phrase being
discussed in our review of the Mapuche* translation.
These three short words in English communicate a truth
that spans all of Scripture: when the Spirit hovered over
the dark waters, God said “let there be light” and there
was light! The psalmist wrote “The Lord is my light and
my salvation—whom shall I fear?” (27:1), anticipating
the day when the promised Messiah would declare “I am
the light of the world...” (John 9:5). Followers of Jesus
everywhere look forward to the city that “does not need
the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God
gives it light...” As the Mapuche team considered the
best way to translate “God is light,” it was clear that this
simple phrase was packed full of theological concepts.
The words chosen for 1 John 1:5 would need to allow
the Mapuche to see how these conceptual threads are
Bible translation and Theology are like two friends
whose relationship goes through different phases.
Ideally, these two friends have good conversations and
work together well, but unfortunately there have been
times when they have not been on good speaking
terms. Theology has sometimes been perceived as
troublesome and divisive and kept at a distance by
those involved in Bible translation. Even though the
value of Theology in itself isn’t denied, it’s often seen
as something separate from the process of translation.
In this view, Theology comes from a Bible translation
rather than being seen as an integral part of the actual
translating. In some cases, this separation seems to
lead to the perception that Bible translation should be
protected from Theology.
It’s common practice for translators and translation
consultants to be instructed to avoid theological
bias in their translations, as seen in point #5 of the
Forum of Bible Agencies International (FOBAI)
document FOBAI Translation Standards. Translators
are “to make every effort to ensure that no political,
ideological, social, cultural, or theological agenda
is to distort the translation.” At first glance, this
statement appears to coincide with the notion of
protecting Bible translation from Theology. Upon
closer examination, however, the realization that
theological agendas can distort translation is an
acknowledgment that Theology and translation are
not as separate as it may have seemed. In fact, every
As noted in the article, “...the selection of appropriate expressions in translation has been described as a theological process. One of
the reasons that translation is a careful, thoughtful process is that the words, expressions, and images chosen are the basis upon which
followers of Jesus work out their theological understanding of Scripture.” Stock photo by Marc Ewell.
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woven throughout the fabric of Scripture. In translating
Scripture, it’s very important that translators pay careful
attention to these biblical-theological concepts as they
seek the most appropriate expressions in their language.
Translators are involved in a deeply theological task as
they strive to communicate these truths.
But what makes this task theological? The best way to
work toward an answer to this question is to reflect
on the nature of Scripture. The phrase mentioned
above from Genesis, “let there be light” is not merely a
statement about something that happened when God
created the world; it’s a statement with a theological
purpose of proclaiming the unique creative power of
God among the gods of the Ancient Near East. He not
only spoke light into existence, but He is light. All these
“threads of light” woven through Scripture are part of
this theological fabric—and translation is the process
of pulling these threads together to weave the fabric of
Scripture in another language.
Translation is the process of weaving together
the theological fabric of Scripture using
everyday words, expressions, and images.
In communities where Bible translation is being done for
the first time, it is often very challenging for translators
to find the right words to express the truths and concepts
found in Scripture. When translators encounter words
like redemption, it’s a common reaction to say “we don’t
have a word for that…” When we read “In Him we
have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness
of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” in
Ephesians 1:7, we might imagine that Paul looked in his
dictionary of theological terms and chose apolutrósin
as the best way to express redemption in his letter to
the believers in Ephesus. By the time Paul was writing
his letter, it’s likely that apolutrósin was taking on the
theological meanings we associate with redemption, but
it was a common word meaning to release or buy back
from. To return to the weaving analogy, apolutrósin was a
common thread that Paul chose to weave into the fabric
of Scripture and, by doing so, the particular colors of this
thread were woven together with others as part of the
whole fabric.
I recall how challenging it was for the Mapuche team to
find the right word to translate redemption. In a casual
conversation with one of the translators, he was telling
me about a neighbor’s pig that kept coming through the
fence and ruining his vegetable garden. As a last resort,
he tied up the pig so it couldn’t return home. The next
day when the pig’s owner came looking for it, he was told
that he could have his pig back if he paid for the damages
the pig had caused. The pig needed to be bought back,
to be redeemed. Words used to describe an everyday
experience on the farm helped provide a way to express
the theological concept of redemption. When Jesus, the
Word, “became flesh and blood, and moved into the
neighborhood” (John 1:14, The Message), He taught in
everyday language with parables and analogies drawn
from common experiences. It is of profound theological
significance that God chooses the everyday, seemingly
mundane experiences of life, to provide analogies of
spiritual significance. Translation is the process of
weaving together the theological fabric of Scripture using
everyday words, expressions, and images.
So, to summarize so far, the selection of appropriate
expressions in translation has been described as a
theological process. One of the reasons that translation
is a careful, thoughtful process is that the words,
expressions, and images chosen are the basis upon
translator brings a set of theological ideas or concepts
to the task of translation. This is really nothing more
than recognition that we all see the world and all we
do through who we are and what we know.
Most of the time, we’re not consciously aware of
how these ideas or concepts, sometimes referred to
as preconceptions, shape our thoughts and actions.
In An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics, Moisés
Silva makes a relevant comment regarding theological
preconceptions. He says that “we are much more
likely to be conscious of those preconceptions if we
consciously seek to identify them and then use them
in the exegetical process” (263). Silva’s focus is on
exegesis, the study of the biblical text, but it’s also true
of translation. Conscious awareness of the theological
nature of translation allows translators to use their
theological understanding as an integral part of the
translation process so that Bible translation and
Theology can work together as good friends.
The accompanying article, “Thinking Theologically
About Translation”, discusses translation from this
perspective.
Kaiser, Walter and Moisés Silva. An Introduction to Biblical
Hermeneutics: The Search for Meaning. Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1994.
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which followers of Jesus work out their theological
understanding of Scripture. Pastors and church leaders
teach from the translation and all believers use it to
“theologize” or to “think Christianly” about their lives
in light of the translated Scriptures. This is why it’s
crucial that translation be done in community for the
community of believers. In all of this, the key is the
Holy Spirit who gives spiritual wisdom and insight to
translators as well as those who use the translation.
Cultural diversity in the community of faith
brings a richness to the Church’s worship of
God. In a very similar way, diverse cultural
perspectives bring a richness to the Church’s
interpretation of Scripture.
Cultural diversity in the community of faith brings
a richness to the Church’s worship of God. In a very
similar way, diverse cultural perspectives bring a richness
to the Church’s interpretation of Scripture. The light of
one culture will bring out a facet of the diamond of God’s
Word that may not be clearly seen from another cultural
perspective. It may be as “simple” as the appreciation
of Abraham’s gift of hospitality when he’s surprised by
the three visitors in Genesis 18. The fact that Abraham
and Sarah rushed to bake bread and prepare a meal for
their visitors speaks volumes in many cultural contexts
around the world. Yes, Abraham was a man of faith, but
this episode resonates with those for whom hospitality
is so strong a value. It may also be “less simple” when it
comes to cultural perspectives that have very different
perceptions of the spiritual realities of the world in
which we live. In What is not Sacred: African Spirituality,
Laurenti Magesa notes that,
“…all reality is spiritual because it is linked together
by spiritual power and is connected to mystery. Life is,
in essence, a mystery. As the principle of life, mystery
constitutes spiritual power that is not of human origin
but is at the foundation of everything that exists. This
makes all reality spiritual and of religious concern.”
(Magesa, Kindle location 563)
In many Western societies, there’s a divide between
the sacred and the secular or the spiritual and material
worlds. This can make it challenging to relate to Paul’s
remarks in the New Testament about the “evil rulers and
authorities of the unseen world” (Ephesians 6:12). In
societies where “all reality is spiritual,” Paul seems to be
describing daily life and, therefore, the interpretation of
these biblical passages will have a direct connection to
everyday experience.
These different perspectives add a richness to the
global conversation about biblical interpretation and
theological understandings. The global Body of Christ
needs to be in this conversation together, facilitated by
translations in the many languages of the worldwide
Church.
Magesa, Laurenti. What is not Sacred: African Spirituality. Maryknoll:
Orbis Books, 2014.
Introducing Dr. Bryan Harmelink
The Wycliffe Global Alliance welcomes
Dr. Bryan Harmelink as its Global
Consultant for Bible Translation and
Collaboration. Bryan has worked as a
translation consultant since 1999. He
most recently served as International Translation
Coordinator for SIL International and prior to
that, served from 2004-2006 as SIL’s Americas Area
Translation Coordinator.
After completing an MA in Linguistics from the
University of Texas at Arlington, Bryan served in
Chile with the Mapuche translation team from
1985-1995. During these years, he also taught at the
Universidad de la Frontera in Temuco, Chile and
participated in numerous research projects focused on
Mapuche language and culture. After the publication
of the Mapuche New Testament, Bryan studied at
Westminster Theological Seminary from 1996-2004,
completing an MA in Biblical Studies and a PhD in
Hermeneutics and Biblical Interpretation.
Bryan and his wife Joan currently live near
Philadelphia, PA.
*The Mapuche people live in south-central Chile and southwestern
Argentina. The current population is approximately 1.6 million. Their
language is known as Mapudungun.
PAGE 11 of 12
Why We Are Not a “Family of Organizations”
by Susan Van Wynen
For many years, people in various Wycliffe organizations and in
SIL International (SIL) referred to themselves as being part of a
“family of organizations.” Meaning—directly or indirectly—that SIL
and any/all Wycliffe organizations were part of the same “family
of organizations.” But “the family” is bigger than any grouping of
organizations. The family is the global Church!
The Journey is an occasional
publication distributed by email
and also posted on the Alliance
website: The Journey
No one intended to exclude others by talking about organizational
“families,” but it can give that impression. So instead, we want to
be intentionally inclusive. Those who follow Christ are all brothers
and sisters, siblings, Adelphoi. We all call God, Father, and He
recognizes us as His children.
When organizations change, shift focus, or dissolve, our brothers and
sisters in those organizations are still part of God’s family. And that’s
the family on which we want to stay focused. Organizations may
form partnerships or working relationships. These are important
and valuable. In the Wycliffe Global Alliance (the Alliance), we are
talking about being a covenant community based on relationships,
values and goals. We cherish that community. But the family of God
is still much bigger! Organizations come and go, depending on their
usefulness and purpose in particular contexts. But the family of God
is ongoing and finds its worth and purpose in Him.
So how do we refer to organizations in the Alliance? We can say
“Wycliffe organizations” or “Alliance organizations”. If we are not
talking about a “family of organizations,” how do we describe the
relationship among the organizations in the Alliance? Well, the answer
is in the name—we’re an alliance. And how do we refer to the Alliance
in relation to SIL? We can refer to SIL as a key or close partner. But
we no longer use the term “family” to identify the relationships in and
among the Alliance, its member organizations, and SIL.
Editor and Associate
Director for Strategy and
Communication:
Susan Van Wynen
“So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to
all the others.” Romans 12:5
Celebrate and honor the family as the entire family of God. And
also celebrate and honor the communities, the partnerships and
the many organizations and individuals God has equipped to
participate in His mission. We are accountable to each other and we
are in this together!
Susan Van Wynen is the senior editor for The Journey and Associate Director
for Strategy and Communication for the Alliance.
Send questions/comments to
Dave Crough, Managing Editor
at: [email protected]
Wycliffe Global Alliance
34 Craig Road
#02-09 Chinatown Plaza
089673 Singapore
Singapore
phone: (65) 62231655
email: [email protected]
PAGE 12 of 12