Re: Articles, theology, and translation

From: mjoseph (mjoseph@terminal.cz)
Date: Thu Jan 08 1998 - 14:21:33 EST


Jonathan Robie wrote:

>EMOI, a translation should not be based on a "systematic theology", but
>every translation is based on an understanding of what the author intended
>to say, and when more than one interpretation is possible for a given
>passage, our overall understanding of the author's intent does influence
>which interpretations we find plausible. In translating John, we try to
>gain an understanding of what "light", "life", "the Word", etc. mean to
>John in the whole gospel, and this influences our understanding of what it
>means in a particular instance. To me, this *is* a kind of theology, and it
>does affect translation.

I would hope that no one disputes this. On the other hand, it is not my
point at all! What I am trying to maintain in saying that Koine should
optimally be read as any other language is that in doing so, we get
around using *our* theology as a basis for tanslation, **NOT** that we
get around using the theology of the *author*, which is necessary as one
component to the background of the text.

Mark Joseph

_____________________________________________________
I don't despise religion. I'm a mortal man--Euripides

For as the coveted object is, so becomes the coveter
   --Kierkegaard

There is no intellectual awkwardness about a God who speaks
   --Walter Brueggemann

The road may be hard, but the map is clear--CS Lewis
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