Barton J. The Word: How We Translate the Bible - and Why It Matters

Monograph. — New York: Basic Books, 2023. — 368 p.From a distinguished Oxford scholar and the author of "A History of the Bible", an examination of how biblical translation works and why it matters.This is not a handbook on how to translate the Bible, however, nor a reflection on a personal attempt to do so. It does not chronicle the history of different versions either, but analyses how translators over the centuries have approached the Bible – and what this means for everyone else. In mapping the field it draws on some recent contributions to translation studies, but it is not intended to be of interest only to theorists and practitioners of the discipline but rather to everyone with a stake in the Bible, whether as a document of faith or landmark of culture.Throughout history, most Jewish and Christian believers have understood scripture not in the languages in which it was first written but rather in their own — in translation. In The Word, acclaimed Bible scholar John Barton explores how saints and scholars have negotiated the profound challenges of translating the Bible while remaining faithful to the original. In addition to considering questions of literal versus free translation, literary style, inclusive language, and more, Barton draws out scriptural translation’s role at critical junctures in religious history. Far from a mere academic exercise, biblical translation has shaped how we answer faith’s most enduring questions about the nature of God, the existence of the soul, and the possibility of salvation.“The Word fully displays John Barton’s great gift for explaining complicated things lucidly and judiciously. He addresses the challenges facing all Bible translators, showing that every translation must be judged by the purposes for which it is framed and the community it addresses, persuasively demonstrating why there can never be one definitive translation of the Bible.”“Barton has a good eye for the sort of detail that carries readers with him into what might be unfamiliar territory.…The joy of The Word isn’t reaching its final conclusion, but the unexpected journey itself, told so well that it will engage those who have never set foot in churches as readily as the faithful in the pews.”“Sage and measured, scholarly but accessible.”Best Sellers Rank: #67 in Christian Bible History & Culture
#75 in Literary Criticism & Theory
#119 in Christian Bible Criticism & Interpretation