Posted: April 30th, 2022

Theological Translatability, Inspiration, and Authority in Religious Traditions

Theological Translatability, Inspiration, and Authority in Religious Traditions

Religious traditions are often based on sacred texts that claim to convey the word of God or the wisdom of the founders. These texts are usually written in ancient languages that are not widely spoken or understood by modern followers. How do religious traditions deal with the challenge of translating their sacred texts into different languages and contexts? How do they ensure that the meaning and message of the original text are preserved and communicated accurately? How do they cope with the possibility of multiple interpretations and variations of the same text? And how do they establish the authority and legitimacy of their translations over others?

These are some of the questions that scholars of religion have explored under the concept of theological translatability. Theological translatability is the idea that religious texts and doctrines can be translated from one language or culture to another without losing their essential meaning or value. It also implies that religious texts and doctrines are not fixed or static, but dynamic and adaptable to different situations and audiences. Theological translatability is closely related to the notions of inspiration and authority, which refer to the sources and criteria of religious knowledge and practice.

In this blog post, we will examine how three major religious traditions – Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism – have approached the issue of theological translatability, inspiration, and authority in their history and present. We will compare and contrast their views and methods of translation, as well as their challenges and opportunities in the contemporary world.

Christianity: The Bible as the Inspired Word of God

Christianity is a religion that is based on the belief that God revealed himself through Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God and the Savior of humanity. Christians also believe that God inspired human authors to write down his revelation in the form of the Bible, which consists of two parts: the Old Testament (the Hebrew scriptures) and the New Testament (the writings of the apostles and early church). The Bible is considered to be the authoritative and normative source of Christian faith and practice.

However, the Bible was not originally written in one language, but in several languages, such as Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin. Moreover, the Bible was not compiled into a single canon or collection until several centuries after its composition. Therefore, Christians have always faced the need to translate the Bible into different languages and cultures, as well as to interpret its meaning and application for different times and places.

One of the earliest examples of biblical translation is the Septuagint, which is a Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures that was produced by Jewish scholars in Alexandria, Egypt, between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. The Septuagint was widely used by Greek-speaking Jews and Christians in the ancient world, and it became the basis for many later translations, such as the Latin Vulgate, which was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in the 4th century CE. The Vulgate was the official version of the Bible for the Roman Catholic Church until the 16th century, when it was challenged by Protestant reformers who advocated for translating the Bible directly from its original languages into vernacular languages.

The Protestant Reformation sparked a wave of biblical translation into various languages, such as German, English, French, Spanish, Dutch, etc. Some of these translations were made by individual scholars or groups, such as Martin Luther, John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, etc., while others were authorized by ecclesiastical or political authorities, such as King James I of England. These translations aimed to make the Bible accessible and understandable to ordinary people, as well as to promote certain theological or doctrinal perspectives.

The Catholic Church responded to the Protestant challenge by reaffirming its authority over biblical interpretation at the Council of Trent (1545-1563), which declared that “no one may dare to interpret Holy Scripture contrary to that sense which holy mother Church…has held and does hold”. The Council also endorsed the Vulgate as “authentic” and “free from any error whatsoever in matters of faith and morals”. However, the Catholic Church also recognized
the need for new translations that would reflect advances in biblical scholarship and linguistic studies. Therefore, it encouraged and supported various translation projects throughout history, such as the Douay-Rheims

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