In their recent article in Sociology of Religion [81.3, 2020, 319-342], Samuel Perry and Joshua B. Grubbs probe into how translations mark Christian subcultures. I find this article fascinating for what it turns up. Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
This is fascinating. I’ll never forget being in the room for an ACNA assembly and realizing they had chosen to use the ESV exclusively for all their documents (and I’m assuming the prayer book too). My guess is that would correlate with the research here as well…
You said, "Traditionalist, literal translations are read more to signal conservative identity than to inform one’s faith. Just wow... We need this kind of study."
I fear such studies would further divide conservatives (of a certain kind) from everyone else. I think for them this study would only prove the "liberal drift" happening in our society in general. Perhaps they will go the same way as the KJV-only crowd - to the fringes; given the majority of the people who read the Bible prefer functional equivalence and gender-inclusive translations. I'd be curious about this in another 20 years; what will our Church culture look like given what is revealed in this study.
I am not sure I understand this? Are you saying comps favor ESV cause it supports comp but publicize it is the most accurate? Another way to say it is different groups find the translation to support their own beliefs rather than letting the Bible speak objectively?
This is fascinating. I’ll never forget being in the room for an ACNA assembly and realizing they had chosen to use the ESV exclusively for all their documents (and I’m assuming the prayer book too). My guess is that would correlate with the research here as well…
You said, "Traditionalist, literal translations are read more to signal conservative identity than to inform one’s faith. Just wow... We need this kind of study."
I fear such studies would further divide conservatives (of a certain kind) from everyone else. I think for them this study would only prove the "liberal drift" happening in our society in general. Perhaps they will go the same way as the KJV-only crowd - to the fringes; given the majority of the people who read the Bible prefer functional equivalence and gender-inclusive translations. I'd be curious about this in another 20 years; what will our Church culture look like given what is revealed in this study.
I am not sure I understand this? Are you saying comps favor ESV cause it supports comp but publicize it is the most accurate? Another way to say it is different groups find the translation to support their own beliefs rather than letting the Bible speak objectively?
Truly fascinating! This is a study I could get in to!