Training Program for Bible Translation

[John of Japan]

I daresay very few of the scholars who translate the various English Bible versions have ever taken a single class in translation. However, there are a few training programs and degrees out there for missionary Bible translation. Do you know of any? Please share and critique. How good does the program you are referencing look?

Some programs are weighted more on the linguistic side, and others on the translation side (though these two disciplines are often conflated). Some programs include theology courses and some do not.

 

[Deacon]

The greater number of students that understand how to translate the biblical languages into English, the greater number of students able to take the next step into translating into a third language. The process of learning how to translate from Hebrew or Greek to English establishes a basic understanding of translation theory.

Over the last decade, however, my church has moved from supporting home-grown missionaries towards supporting native Christian missionaries overseen by a supportive education group. The transition was performed due to the high dropout rate among American missionaries (cost/performance ratio) and the enhanced abilities of native speakers interface with unreached peoples.

One of the projects we've undertaken is the support of a translation group in northeastern India. The group consists primarily of Indian nationals.
The Bible Society of India actively supports hundreds of translation projects.

Rob

 

[John of Japan]

The greater number of students that understand how to translate the biblical languages into English, the greater number of students able to take the next step into translating into a third language. The process of learning how to translate from Hebrew or Greek to English establishes a basic understanding of translation theory.

Over the last decade, however, my church has moved from supporting home-grown missionaries towards supporting native Christian missionaries overseen by a supportive education group. The transition was performed due to the high dropout rate among American missionaries (cost/performance ratio) and the enhanced abilities of native speakers interface with unreached peoples.

One of the projects we've undertaken is the support of a translation group in northeastern India. The group consists primarily of Indian nationals.
The Bible Society of India actively supports hundreds of translation projects.

Rob

Excellent post! It is impossible to do a good Bible translation without native speakers on the team, and preferable having the lead. A recent trend in the Bible translation world is for the Western experts to be translation consultants, training and being a help to the nationals.

Here is one of the graduates in our Bible translation MA who is now on deputation to work with the Ma'adi people group in Uganda: Anders Swanson - Baptist World Mission. His task is to train the national translators, not to do the translation himself. He's already been there training them several times.

A similar institution in India is connected to WorldView Ministries called the WorldView Institute. WorldView is a missionary Bible translation support institution. Check it out here: Projects & Giving | Worldview Ministries

Here is another such school in India, which I found in a search but know nothing about: Welcome to WBTC India

There are still many languages in India without the Bible, so these training institutions are very important for God's work.

 

[John of Japan]

There are very few bachelor degrees out there for Bible translators. Tyndale has the only one I can find online, and it looks pretty good: Bible Translation | Undergraduate Studies - Tyndale University.

Normally, Bible translation is a master's level degree. I know of a few of these.

 

[Marooncat79]

The greater number of students that understand how to translate the biblical languages into English, the greater number of students able to take the next step into translating into a third language. The process of learning how to translate from Hebrew or Greek to English establishes a basic understanding of translation theory.

Over the last decade, however, my church has moved from supporting home-grown missionaries towards supporting native Christian missionaries overseen by a supportive education group. The transition was performed due to the high dropout rate among American missionaries (cost/performance ratio) and the enhanced abilities of native speakers interface with unreached peoples.

One of the projects we've undertaken is the support of a translation group in northeastern India. The group consists primarily of Indian nationals.
The Bible Society of India actively supports hundreds of translation projects.

Rob

BAM!!

 

[Marooncat79]

As an SBCer, I’m having a hard time understanding why we send x number of missionaries to places like the Philippines, Brazil etc when we have been doing so over 100 yrs. There are dozens of areas with no one, or very few ie Japan.

I am not saying totally jump out of saturated areas, but I am saying transition to more of a localized ministry and support nationalist pastors.

 

[John of Japan]

Bob Jones U. has a master's degree in Intercultural Studies (which used to be called simply "missions") that has a concentration in "Bible Translation and Linguistics": Intercultural Studies, MA | BJU Seminary.

It looks like a pretty good program overall, but the actual courses on translation and linguistics are kind of sparse, IMO, though I do like that they have a "Field Methods" course.

It's also surprising that Hebrew is an elective. Two semesters of Hebrew should absolutely be required for an MA in Bible translation. They should also have a course in teaching literacy, which is necessary in a pioneering translation effort with an unwritten tribal language. We have just started working towards having such a course in our own MA. It's not easy to get that training for a prof.

 

[John of Japan]

As an SBCer, I’m having a hard time understanding why we send x number of missionaries to places like the Philippines, Brazil etc when we have been doing so over 100 yrs. There are dozens of areas with no one, or very few ie Japan.

I am not saying totally jump out of saturated areas, but I am saying transition to more of a localized ministry and support nationalist pastors.

Often there is a failure of missionary strategy. However, I know of a Bible college in the Philippines which trains nationals from all around the Far East. I can get behind an effort like that, which does put the emphasis on the nationals.

PTL, I know several of our students headed for Japan. Lately the number of missionaries (about 2000 evangelicals for the whole country) has been going down. But a Japanese man in our seminary is headed back to his home country as a missionary. And we have three young folk in our college who plan to go to Japan. And one young MK just visited us who grew up in Japan (I know the family) and wants to go back as a missionary, so he is planning to attend our seminary after he graduates from his college.

 

[Deacon]

Missionary strategy...
Besides supporting foreign nationals in missionary work, my church also supports a missionary that works among international students attending various universities.
Many of these students want to improve their English language skills and desire a non-threatening environment to improve their social and conversational skills.
English as a Second Language (ESL) programs are one way to connect to these foreign students.
The students sent to learn in these American universities are often the highest performing people in their society.
Some of the students become believers. Overtime, they are taught basic doctrine and how to lead a small group.
A small percentage return to their home country, some to countries where missionaries are not allowed.
It is these believers who often begin translation work, on their own, without any translation training.

Rob

 

[John of Japan]

Missionary strategy...
Besides supporting foreign nationals in missionary work, my church also supports a missionary that works among international students attending various universities.
Many of these students want to improve their English language skills and desire a non-threatening environment to improve their social and conversational skills.
English as a Second Language (ESL) programs are one way to connect to these foreign students.

The students sent to learn in these American universities are often the highest performing people in their society.

All true. Good missions strategy.

Some of the students become believers. Overtime, they are taught basic doctrine and how to lead a small group.

They also ought to be taught ecclesiology, specifically church planting.

A small percentage return to their home country, some to countries where missionaries are not allowed.

We've just graduated one student from a limited access nation from our seminary, and he is heading back to his country to evangelize. We have several more in our college and seminary. Many God-called believers in limited access countries would love to come to the US to get thorough training to take back to their country.

Many decades ago, Adoniram Judson did an awesome job for Christ in a country now called something different. The churches in the movement he started are now experiencing revival, and there is support in the US for that--I'll not say more due to the oppression there.

It is these believers who often begin translation work, on their own, without any translation training.

Rob

Not to doubt your word, but I love translation stories, so do you have any specific examples of an effort like this?

 

[John of Japan]

I would be amiss if I did not mention our own seminary MA in Bible translation. Check it out here: Baptist Theological Seminary - Doctrinal Precision. Revival Vision.

Our degree could use improvement, but here are some distinctives:
1. We have experienced Bible translators as professors.
2. Our linguistics professor has a master's under SIL.
3. We have graduates in various countries currently working as consultants or actual heart language translators to national translation teams.
4. We have an outreach to the Rohingya people group, in particular the 4000 or so in Milwaukee, with the end goal of church planting and a Bible in their language.
5. Unlike some such programs, both Hebrew and Greek at a seminary level are required in our degree.
6. Unlike some programs, we believe theology is important for the translator, so we require several courses in systematic theology.

 

[Deacon]

Not to doubt your word, but I love translation stories, so do you have any specific examples of an effort like this?

The reports from inside a Muslim dominated country are rare and self-censored to limit the exposure of the participants. A past missionary (forced out of the country) reported that for the Uyghur people, the gospel was entirely new to them. Since the turn of the century, a translation was developed, however its use inside the country is extremely limited.

Rob

 

[John of Japan]

The "Biblical School of World Evangelism" (Biblical School of World Evangelism - Home) is connected with FirstBible International, which is connected with Bearing Precious Seed and First Baptist Church of Milford Ohio. (It's a long story! ) It was originally conceived as a Bible translation school, and I was asked for advice about the curriculum by the founder before it ever got started. Before you get impressed by that, we were at a Bible translation seminar, and he asked several others for advice.

Anyway, they have a pretty good curriculum for the "Language & Linguistics Concentration," with some good linguistics courses, and first & second year Greek (though usually that is taken in undergrad), and Hebrew 1 & 2. However, they have no courses on Bible translation at all, so it is stretching it to call it a Bible translation degree. (Just to be clear, they don't call it that, but it was originally conceived as such.)

 

[John of Japan]

The Baptist Bible Translators Institute (Baptist Bible Translators Institute, Bowie Texas - Baptist Bible Translators Institute, Bowie Texas) has been around since 1973, and has trained many translators, and others simply wanting the experience they give in roughing it, missionary style. According to a graduate I know, it was originally intended to be a grad school, so he got an MA diploma. However, he told me that after he went there the state of Texas decided not to recognize BBTI as being allowed to give degrees.

The curriculum is at a somewhat low level for an MA. For example, they only have one ancient language course, and that is only beginning Greek. Our first year Greek students get more than that as sophomores! (Forgive me, I'm a Greek nerd. ) No classes in Hebrew.

They have sixteen courses, anywhere from one to six credits each, totaling 39 credits: Courses - Baptist Bible Translators Institute, Bowie Texas. Seven are one or another kind of linguistics (if you consider TEFL to be linguistics). There is only one actual course on translating (unless you call that a course on linguistics, as some do). So they major on linguistics. They also have several missions courses that look good. Unfortunately in my mind, there are no theology courses, and I believe theology is very important for a Bible translator.

They have four faculty members, with three of them being grads of the school, though there is no information on the website about any college or seminary degrees they might have. However, they are all experienced missionaries, so the training will be practical and helpful. Several of my former students have gone there after Bible college and been blessed.

 

[Marooncat79]

Thanks

 

[John of Japan]

Here is an MA in Bible Translation at Barclay College: MA Biblical Translation - Barclay College - Christian College Kansas.

I'm not familiar with this school, but the doctrinal statement looks pretty evangelical, though it is apparently a Quaker school.

The MA looks strong in the translation studies area, but I see no courses on linguistics (de regueur for such a degree). That is very strange, because the school claims to be in affiliation with Wycliffe, which is very strong in linguistics through SIL.

There are also no courses on Greek, or Hebrew. Very strange not to require the ancient languages in a Bible translation degree!

 

[John of Japan]

Speaking of SIL (Summer Institute of Linguistics), it is perhaps the premier organization in the world for training in linguitics for Bible translation. Check it out here: SIL International

It was founded by the late great Christian linguist Kenneth L. Pike (1912-2000), a true pioneer in the area of translation linguistics. My parents took linguistics at Wheaton College in the late 1940s using his 1943 textbook, A Technic for the Descriptions of Sounds. This was in preparation for going to the mission field of Tibet through China Inland Mission. (That fell through because of my mother's poor health at the time.) I still have that textbook!

Here is a great bio of Pike: Who Is Kenneth Pike?

Our linguistics prof took an MA under SIL through a secular university. They actually do not have their own school, but the student will get the degree with some of their teachers working through an established grad school. That's my understanding. They also support programs at Moody and Dallas: North America

 

[John of Japan]

Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) offers an MA in Bible Translation in partnership with Dallas International University (DIU). Check it out here: Master of Arts in Bible Translation - Dallas Theological Seminary

It looks to be an excellent 60 hour program, with lots of seminary level Greek and Hebrew, taught at DTS along with the required exposition and theology courses. The translation part is 18 credits, taught at DIU, and is offered with either a Translation Advising or Linguistics concentration. Check those out here: Academic Programs - Dallas International University

Here is my caveat, and I believe it is a serious one. All of the DIU courses are offered online, and that's a problem. I've taken many courses online, and there is very little mentorship or interaction with other students (depending on the format). In a Zoom course, there is more, but it is still lacking somewhat.

At our schools we purposefully do not have any online courses, because as our president likes to say, "You can't produce special forces online." So our students study under experienced profs who have actually done Bible translation! It is such a blessing to sit down with a future Bible translator and interact directly with their translation assignments, giving praise or correction as needed. My son and I are scheduled to lecture at a Bible translation conference next week, and my wife and I are taking one of my translation students with us. It will be awesome!

Several years ago when Paige Patterson was president of Southwestern BTS, I visited to do some research in their library. Dr. Patterson and his wife was kind enough to have me over for lunch. (Mrs. Dr. kept trying to get me there fore their PhD ). At one point in our conversation he said, "One of our programs is doing well, and I wish it wouldn't." When I asked what it was, he said, "Our online degrees, because you can't mentor online!"

 

[John of Japan]

I'm taking a deeper look at DIU. It is "located on the campus of the International Linguistic Center (ILC)" (Housing & Campus Services - Dallas International University). Thinking back, I actually visited that facility when I was in Texas to preach back in 2022. It's pretty rustic, and there are not dorms, etc., like a typical college has, so it is not designed for a lot of live in students, though I am sure there are some, but teaches through correspondence or the Internet--not sure which. It may be that at DTS there are in-person classes, I don't know.

There is a very impressive linguistics faculty there, with quite a few genuine PhDs in linguistics, with the others having at least an MA. So on paper it is a very impressive school. I see the hand of SIL in the place, the way they do things. Check out the history and the SIL connection at: About Us - Dallas International University. For those who like accreditation, it is accredited through Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.