Why Words Matter
May 9, 2012 4 Comments
Interesting and informing post by George Weigel entitled “Biblical Illiteracy and Bible Babel“.
His conclusion after arguing that the plethora of Bible types and translations contributes to a biblical illiteracy:
What to do today? My suggestion is to get yourself the Ignatius Press edition of the Revised Standard Version, and read it over and over again until its language works its way into the crevices of your mind and the texture of your prayer. Maybe, some day, we can hear that translation at Mass.
Read the whole thing to see how he arrives at this.
(Note to Protestants: Please don’t ignore the essay merely because “Mass” is mentioned.)
See also Ben Witherington’s “Translation Hysteria“.
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Thanks for pointing to Weigel’s article, and from there Jeffrey’s “Our Babel of Bibles.” I had already begun to think that perhaps all the different translations were diluting the ability of the Christian community to communicate in a common language, and that valuable, sometimes crucial shades of meaning are lost in some translations. So, these articles give me some great food for thought.
Thanks for reading, Ron.
The link doesn’t seem to be working.
Oops. My bad. Fixed. Thanks, Carl.