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In the last paragraph of Part I of this series I presented several facts about Nida that would se... more In the last paragraph of Part I of this series I presented several facts about Nida that would seem to have made it highly unlikely that he would be able to revolutionize Bible translation. Towards the end of Part II, I quoted Nida in which he could only claim on the slightest technicality that he did not use the term, “functional equivalence,” prior to his coining of “dynamic equivalence” (he interchangeably used “functional equivalent,” “functional significance,” and “functional substitutes” for at least thirteen years prior to his first published use of “dynamic equivalence”), foreshadowing the focus of this article and which I explicitly stated in the last paragraph of Part III, namely by quoting Charles Taber’s reference to Nida’s “manipulativeness” and being “devious.”
Nida's "revolution" in Bible translation could have never been accomplished without the coining o... more Nida's "revolution" in Bible translation could have never been accomplished without the coining of "dynamic equivalence." In addition to it catching people's attention in contrast to the more technical terms that he used thirteen years prior in Bible Translating,1 the success of this term is also due to the tendency for people to not recognize what Nida meant by it or even worse, to completely misunderstand it. These tendencies-especially by biblical conservatives-have proved invaluable in allowing Nida's agenda of cultural relativism to go undetected by them, for they assume that "dynamic equivalence" is a valid translation theory compatible with the belief that the Bible is the divinely-inspired Word of God.
Nida's first monumental step to make Bible translations less literal began when he attended the t... more Nida's first monumental step to make Bible translations less literal began when he attended the third Camp Wycliffe (which was later renamed, the Summer Institute of Linguistics, or, SIL) in the summer of 1936.1 This was a "Summer Training Camp for Prospective Bible Translators,"2 started by William Cameron Townsend (a.k.a. "Uncle Cam"),3 the founder of SIL and Wycliffe Bible Translators (WBT).4 Though he began as a student, Nida left as part of the faculty,5 a role in which he would serve until 1953.6 In 1943, through Townsend's advocacy,7 he also joined the American Bible Society (ABS) as their "associate secretary for versions" (later, "Secretary for Translations").8 Through the very influential platforms of SIL and ABS, Nida taught potential and actual Bible translators, personally met with missionaries and others involved in Bible translation around the world, lectured, wrote numerous articles and books, started conferences for Bible translators, was one of the formers of the United Bible Societies (UBS), started The Bible Translator journal, and trained handpicked "Translation Consultants" to assist him in carrying out his vision for Bible translation.9 These efforts, spanning almost a full quarter century, while moving him closer to his goal, served as essential preparation for his philosophical, educational, and administrative takeover of the world of Bible translation. It was not, however, until the 1960s that Nida would experience a series of major breakthroughs that would result in him obtaining his long-held desire.
When dealing with that which is true, precise translation is always possible. If technical manual... more When dealing with that which is true, precise translation is always possible. If technical manuals and medical books, instead of being translated, were rendered as loosely as have been numerous versions of the Bible since the mid-1960s, it would be impossible for those who do not understand the original language(s) of such texts to replicate their results. Thankfully, planes can be flown and successful heart surgeries can be performed by people from any language provided that they understand and follow the correct procedures.
Unfortunately, the prevailing theory of how to translate the Bible from its original languages is at odds with what the two above examples point to, namely, truth is valid for everyone, and every language is sufficient to express truth, regardless of the culture(s) with which it is associated.
The brief description of Adam in Luke 3:38 helps us to better understand what is meant by being c... more The brief description of Adam in Luke 3:38 helps us to better understand what is meant by being created in God's image. The failure to not literally translate "Adam, son of God" in Muslim Idiom Translation versions obscures this essential teaching in Scripture.
Table of Contents for *Muslim Conversions to Christ: A Critique of Insider Movements in Islamic C... more Table of Contents for *Muslim Conversions to Christ: A Critique of Insider Movements in Islamic Contexts*. Peter Lang, 2018.
Edited By Ayman S. Ibrahim and Ant Greenham
Papers by Adam Simnowitz
Jayson Georges and Mark Baker have undertaken a very ambitious goal that extends well beyond tryi... more Jayson Georges and Mark Baker have undertaken a very ambitious goal that extends well beyond trying to help Western Christians understand differences between their cultures with those of other cultures . They clearly state that their “aim is to lead you [the Western Christian reader] in a paradigm shift — to see God ’s world and God ’s Word through a new lens” (30) in order to “encourage and foster . . .self-theologizing” among “honorshame natives” (21). It is this reviewer ’s conviction that the unfortunate and devastating result is that Georges and Baker present us with a different theology , a different gospel , and a different way to proselytize and disciple those who accept their “honor-shame” ideology .
This paper shows where four Arabic versions of the Bible or New Testament insert the first part o... more This paper shows where four Arabic versions of the Bible or New Testament insert the first part of the shahada (or, Islamic confession of faith) in their texts. It was posted online at BiblicalMissiology.org on October 30, 2018.
Drafts by Adam Simnowitz
Dr. Eugene A. Nida, the father of the theory of Dynamic Equivalence that reshaped much if not mos... more Dr. Eugene A. Nida, the father of the theory of Dynamic Equivalence that reshaped much if not most of the world of Bible translation, held to a view of language antithetical to Scripture.
Bibliographies by Adam Simnowitz
Christian-Muslim Relations. A Bibliographical History Vol. 20, 2023
Christian writings about Islam that came out of significant engagement with Muslim communities in... more Christian writings about Islam that came out of significant engagement with Muslim communities in Iran and South Asia are always in danger of being completely eclipsed by the heavy critique of colonialism and 'orientalism' in western academia, following the thesis of the book of the same title by Edward Said. How then can the true value of those writings be appreciated? William St Clair Tisdall's "Manual of the leading Muhammadan objections" is an important and likely unique record of actual Muslim-Christian conversation at the beginning of the 20th century in Iran and South Asia. His "Original sources of the Qur'an" raised a vigorous discussion during the same period and is still often referenced by scholars today, as its extensive bibliography of studies shows.
In the last paragraph of Part I of this series I presented several facts about Nida that would se... more In the last paragraph of Part I of this series I presented several facts about Nida that would seem to have made it highly unlikely that he would be able to revolutionize Bible translation. Towards the end of Part II, I quoted Nida in which he could only claim on the slightest technicality that he did not use the term, “functional equivalence,” prior to his coining of “dynamic equivalence” (he interchangeably used “functional equivalent,” “functional significance,” and “functional substitutes” for at least thirteen years prior to his first published use of “dynamic equivalence”), foreshadowing the focus of this article and which I explicitly stated in the last paragraph of Part III, namely by quoting Charles Taber’s reference to Nida’s “manipulativeness” and being “devious.”
Nida's "revolution" in Bible translation could have never been accomplished without the coining o... more Nida's "revolution" in Bible translation could have never been accomplished without the coining of "dynamic equivalence." In addition to it catching people's attention in contrast to the more technical terms that he used thirteen years prior in Bible Translating,1 the success of this term is also due to the tendency for people to not recognize what Nida meant by it or even worse, to completely misunderstand it. These tendencies-especially by biblical conservatives-have proved invaluable in allowing Nida's agenda of cultural relativism to go undetected by them, for they assume that "dynamic equivalence" is a valid translation theory compatible with the belief that the Bible is the divinely-inspired Word of God.
Nida's first monumental step to make Bible translations less literal began when he attended the t... more Nida's first monumental step to make Bible translations less literal began when he attended the third Camp Wycliffe (which was later renamed, the Summer Institute of Linguistics, or, SIL) in the summer of 1936.1 This was a "Summer Training Camp for Prospective Bible Translators,"2 started by William Cameron Townsend (a.k.a. "Uncle Cam"),3 the founder of SIL and Wycliffe Bible Translators (WBT).4 Though he began as a student, Nida left as part of the faculty,5 a role in which he would serve until 1953.6 In 1943, through Townsend's advocacy,7 he also joined the American Bible Society (ABS) as their "associate secretary for versions" (later, "Secretary for Translations").8 Through the very influential platforms of SIL and ABS, Nida taught potential and actual Bible translators, personally met with missionaries and others involved in Bible translation around the world, lectured, wrote numerous articles and books, started conferences for Bible translators, was one of the formers of the United Bible Societies (UBS), started The Bible Translator journal, and trained handpicked "Translation Consultants" to assist him in carrying out his vision for Bible translation.9 These efforts, spanning almost a full quarter century, while moving him closer to his goal, served as essential preparation for his philosophical, educational, and administrative takeover of the world of Bible translation. It was not, however, until the 1960s that Nida would experience a series of major breakthroughs that would result in him obtaining his long-held desire.
When dealing with that which is true, precise translation is always possible. If technical manual... more When dealing with that which is true, precise translation is always possible. If technical manuals and medical books, instead of being translated, were rendered as loosely as have been numerous versions of the Bible since the mid-1960s, it would be impossible for those who do not understand the original language(s) of such texts to replicate their results. Thankfully, planes can be flown and successful heart surgeries can be performed by people from any language provided that they understand and follow the correct procedures.
Unfortunately, the prevailing theory of how to translate the Bible from its original languages is at odds with what the two above examples point to, namely, truth is valid for everyone, and every language is sufficient to express truth, regardless of the culture(s) with which it is associated.
The brief description of Adam in Luke 3:38 helps us to better understand what is meant by being c... more The brief description of Adam in Luke 3:38 helps us to better understand what is meant by being created in God's image. The failure to not literally translate "Adam, son of God" in Muslim Idiom Translation versions obscures this essential teaching in Scripture.
Table of Contents for *Muslim Conversions to Christ: A Critique of Insider Movements in Islamic C... more Table of Contents for *Muslim Conversions to Christ: A Critique of Insider Movements in Islamic Contexts*. Peter Lang, 2018.
Edited By Ayman S. Ibrahim and Ant Greenham
Jayson Georges and Mark Baker have undertaken a very ambitious goal that extends well beyond tryi... more Jayson Georges and Mark Baker have undertaken a very ambitious goal that extends well beyond trying to help Western Christians understand differences between their cultures with those of other cultures . They clearly state that their “aim is to lead you [the Western Christian reader] in a paradigm shift — to see God ’s world and God ’s Word through a new lens” (30) in order to “encourage and foster . . .self-theologizing” among “honorshame natives” (21). It is this reviewer ’s conviction that the unfortunate and devastating result is that Georges and Baker present us with a different theology , a different gospel , and a different way to proselytize and disciple those who accept their “honor-shame” ideology .
This paper shows where four Arabic versions of the Bible or New Testament insert the first part o... more This paper shows where four Arabic versions of the Bible or New Testament insert the first part of the shahada (or, Islamic confession of faith) in their texts. It was posted online at BiblicalMissiology.org on October 30, 2018.
Dr. Eugene A. Nida, the father of the theory of Dynamic Equivalence that reshaped much if not mos... more Dr. Eugene A. Nida, the father of the theory of Dynamic Equivalence that reshaped much if not most of the world of Bible translation, held to a view of language antithetical to Scripture.
Christian-Muslim Relations. A Bibliographical History Vol. 20, 2023
Christian writings about Islam that came out of significant engagement with Muslim communities in... more Christian writings about Islam that came out of significant engagement with Muslim communities in Iran and South Asia are always in danger of being completely eclipsed by the heavy critique of colonialism and 'orientalism' in western academia, following the thesis of the book of the same title by Edward Said. How then can the true value of those writings be appreciated? William St Clair Tisdall's "Manual of the leading Muhammadan objections" is an important and likely unique record of actual Muslim-Christian conversation at the beginning of the 20th century in Iran and South Asia. His "Original sources of the Qur'an" raised a vigorous discussion during the same period and is still often referenced by scholars today, as its extensive bibliography of studies shows.