Christiane Nord, Functions in Bible Translation, part 1 of 3

TL;DR

This content discusses a project for a new Bible translation that includes both canonical and non-canonical texts, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of early Christian writings.

Transcript

so let's start with our topic functional Bible translation or what about functions in Bible translation I I'm telling you about the project I realized together with my husband um the book was published in 199 19 1999 uh on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the Publishing House and this was more or less um the brief they wanted a new Bible trans... Read More

Key Insights

• ✍️ The new Bible translation includes both canonical and non-canonical texts, offering a comprehensive understanding of early Christian writings.
• 🥳 The project lasted from 1993 to 1999 and was initiated to celebrate the 100th birthday of a traditional publishing house.
• 📽️ The translation project aimed for exhaustivity, including newly found fragments and a forthcoming translation of the Gospel of Jude.
• 👻 The project's translators, Claus Berer and the author, were not sponsored by any church or institution, allowing them to approach the translation independently and objectively.
• ℹ️ The source languages used for translation were Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Coptic, Syriac, Ethiopian, and Arabic.
• 🎯 The translation project targeted an audience of laypersons and theological mediators who desired a more comprehensible and culturally-relevant Bible translation.
• ✍️ The inclusion of non-canonical texts in the translation provides insights into early Christian writings that were not previously available to a broader audience.

Questions & Answers

Q: What sets this Bible translation project apart from others?

One key difference is the inclusion of non-canonical texts that were not previously translated into German. This provides a broader understanding of early Christian writings.

Q: How were the source languages and cultures utilized in this translation project?

The New Testament was translated from Greek using a standard reference edition. Non-canonical texts were translated from Hebrew, Latin, Coptic, Syriac, Ethiopian, and Arabic. These texts, especially the Arabic Aga, offer unique insights into the words of Jesus.

Q: Who were the translators of this project?

The translators were a team of two private individuals, Claus Berer and the author. They were not sponsored by any church or institution and aimed to utilize their linguistic backgrounds to translate directly from the original source texts.

Q: Who is this translation project intended for?

The intended audience is laypersons with an interest in understanding the basis of their Christian faith. It is also suitable for theological mediators who may not have expertise in the source languages and cultures, but still want to use an accurate and accessible translation.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The project for a new Bible translation was initiated to celebrate the 100th birthday of a traditional publishing house.

• The translation includes non-canonical texts that were not included in previous German translations, aiming to reconstruct the repertoire available during the formation of the Canon.

• The book consists of the Canon and non-canonical texts, with the proportion being 1/3 and 2/3, respectively.