Responding to Ethical Issues In and Around Bible Translation: Challenges, Principles and Guidelines

Translation professionals working in cross-cultural contexts enjoy many opportunities to serve others. Working in a cross-cultural situation often implies that different values are at work. Workers from different cultures or traditions may disagree as to what the best course of action should be in a challenging situation. This leads to the following higher order questions: How do we deal with ethical differences in a way that is both productive and respectful? And: Are there any universal standards that can serve as a guide and guardrail to respond to ethical issues in and around translation?
This paper discusses two ethical principles and five models of translation ethics discussed by Andrew Chesterman (In Pym 2014, The Return to Ethics), and applies these to four short case studies of ethical issues the author encountered in his fieldwork as a translation consultant overseas.

The first case study describes the ethical challenge of how to respond to cases of sorcery and subsequent killings of alleged sorcerers by the local community. How can we intervene in situations like these in a way that is both productive and respectful?

Additional case studies are presented on the ethics of power and empowerment in consultant training, ethical challenges in pursuing innovation in the world of mission and Bible translation, and ethical issues related to the application of translation principles.

The paper concludes with a summary of lessons learned and principles that can be helpful to respond to ethical challenges. The author proposes an ethics of mediation that is built upon insights from Chesterman (2014), Hall (2010, on wisdom), and Hook (2024, on values).

Discussion of ethics and values should foster critical self-examination, respectful dialogue. productive collaboration, and human flourishing. It should avoid ideological moralism and uncritical self-justification.