A New Engagement: The Case for Ethical, Trauma-informed Bible Translation

Bible translation has recently moved towards translation paradigms that prioritize community ownership through processes such as oral drafting, community and church based translations, and communal checking. These paradigms have begun a shift from a few translators and outside consultants promoting engagement with Scripture to entire communities and churches seeking to be engaged by Scripture. When communities seek to be engaged by Scripture by seeking to be involved in Bible translation, Scripture engagement efforts become embedded in the very processes of translation. Being engaged by Scripture suggests that individuals and communities experience the transforming work of the Holy Spirit as they interact with the living Word of God.

In light of this shift, translation organizations have an ethical obligation to ensure that processes of translation are trauma-informed. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of linguistic hospitality and theodrama, we suggest that creating trauma-informed translation projects might look like: Church and community leaders listening closely to their communities and promoting communal ownership; translation teams equipping themselves with tools to create safe spaces to process their own needs; and communities becoming aware of their own physical, emotional, and spiritual needs as they are engaged by Scripture and are changed by the work of the Holy Spirit.

This paper opens a discussion around how we can create trauma-informed Bible translation paradigms and processes where every aspect of the translation project creates safe, healthy, and fruitful spaces in which people feel valued and honoured. It argues that a trauma-informed Bible translation paradigm must be holistic in nature. Using the theoretical frameworks of linguistic hospitality and theodrama and drawing on case studies, it proposes that a trauma-informed Bible translation paradigm is the most ethical way to create Bible translation processes where people not only engage with Scripture, but, more importantly, are engaged by Scripture.