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.
Years ago I taught a few times a course on sociological methods and NT studies, so I'm inclined to find studies like this of value. Plus, they tend to disprove intuitions and assumptions. I have had the intuition for years that there was something tribal about the ESV. Over the same period I've seen other translations emerge for other tribes, and now I see them all as more or less tribal. Tribalism and translations are here to stay and will be here in 20 years -- or until my Second Testament appears!!!! Ha.
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?
Sorry, Connie, but sociology uses its own set of terms. It's not what I'm saying but what the authors are saying. They wanted a translation that was not gender inclusive, created one, and yes they often have said it's the most accurate. Grudem was a warrior against the TNIV. And, yes, Bible translations form tribes, or tribes form translations. Each translation leans in the direction of the translators and no one stands upright (riffing on EB White).
Thank you. Sometimes it is hard, when hearing this type of thing, to see past the control and manipulation of some translators/pastors and not let that taint the pure holiness that is Jesus. I have had plenty of opportunities to see pastors who should be displaying the light of Jesus misuse their position. I have to put up a wall in my mind between them vs Jesus and the Bible…
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.
Years ago I taught a few times a course on sociological methods and NT studies, so I'm inclined to find studies like this of value. Plus, they tend to disprove intuitions and assumptions. I have had the intuition for years that there was something tribal about the ESV. Over the same period I've seen other translations emerge for other tribes, and now I see them all as more or less tribal. Tribalism and translations are here to stay and will be here in 20 years -- or until my Second Testament appears!!!! Ha.
Yes, bring on the Second Testament! So excited when I heard about this work-in-progress 🙏🏼
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?
Sorry, Connie, but sociology uses its own set of terms. It's not what I'm saying but what the authors are saying. They wanted a translation that was not gender inclusive, created one, and yes they often have said it's the most accurate. Grudem was a warrior against the TNIV. And, yes, Bible translations form tribes, or tribes form translations. Each translation leans in the direction of the translators and no one stands upright (riffing on EB White).
Thank you. Sometimes it is hard, when hearing this type of thing, to see past the control and manipulation of some translators/pastors and not let that taint the pure holiness that is Jesus. I have had plenty of opportunities to see pastors who should be displaying the light of Jesus misuse their position. I have to put up a wall in my mind between them vs Jesus and the Bible…
Truly fascinating! This is a study I could get in to!