Language:
English
Year of publication:
2021
Titel der Quelle:
Journal of the American Academy of Religion
Angaben zur Quelle:
89,2 (2020) 612–643
Keywords:
Bible. Versions
;
History
;
Bible Translating
;
Bible. Versions.
;
Bible and politics
;
Evangelists
;
Slavery Religious aspects
;
Christianity and antisemitism
Abstract:
Religious communities in pluralistic societies often hold in tension the task of reinforcing core identities and ideals within the community while negotiating public relations among those outside the community. Christian communities have sought to accomplish both projects materially through Bible modification, with most historically working to establish transitivity (congruence between the text and their own interpretive tradition), whereas others more recently have emphasized establishing what I call intransitivity (incongruence between the text and negative social interpretations from outsiders). This study examines the ways evangelical translation teams seek to accomplish both agendas simultaneously, creating a materialized instantiation of engaged orthodoxy. Drawing on the case of the English Standard Version (ESV)—a contemporary evangelical revision of the Revised Standard Version (RSV)—I show how the ESV editors, while modifying certain RSV renderings to establish transitivity for their text among complementarian/biblicist Christians, sought to establish intransitivity between the text and more pejorative social interpretations by progressively re-translating lexically ambiguous terms and introducing footnotes to obviate the Bible’s ostensible promotion of slavery and antisemitism. Findings elucidate how a conservative religious subculture, confronted with increasing pluralism, negotiates gaining legitimacy for their text within their sectarian subculture while also whitewashing “the Text” for public relations outside that subculture.
DOI:
10.1093/jaarel/lfab054
URL:
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