κόσμος revisited
A couple days back Wayne raised a question about how to translate the Greek word κόσμος. This is dangerous ground (as some of the comments showed) precisely because it touches on a well-known and beloved verse, John 3:16. Anytime you propose to translate away from a wording which is so well-known and widely used, you will get a reaction.
It’s worth stopping to talk about that reaction.
As you know, if you’ve been reading this blog, I’m the first in line to argue for dynamic equivalence. So it may come as a surprise that I have some sympathy for those who have trouble with the concept. You see I was raised in church — Episcopal granted, but in a parish that wasn’t theologically liberal and one that gave me the solid grounding which made a full, conscious commitment to Jesus as a young adult easy. Growing up I learned both liturgy and Bible in wordings that may not speak to others but nonetheless still resonate deeply with me.
Wikipedia has a nice informal definition.
The concept of cognitive dissonance was originally developed in the 1950’s to explain people’s refusal to accept facts plainly in evidence because of deeply held beliefs. Further research has shown that it is a much more general phenomenon. J. S. Atherton, a British expert on teaching, observes something based on cognitive dissonance research that is of further relevance to the Bible translation debate, beyond just the emotional connection.
Many wordings in the most popular literal translations are obscure and convoluted. Learning what they mean takes some work; it is an ordeal of sorts. Are we reacting to new wordings because they don’t measure up as translations, or are we rationalizing that the familiar, emotionally satisfying wordings are more profound because of cognitive dissonance?
[1] ATHERTON J S (2005) Learning and Teaching: Cognitive Dissonance and learning.
It’s worth stopping to talk about that reaction.
As you know, if you’ve been reading this blog, I’m the first in line to argue for dynamic equivalence. So it may come as a surprise that I have some sympathy for those who have trouble with the concept. You see I was raised in church — Episcopal granted, but in a parish that wasn’t theologically liberal and one that gave me the solid grounding which made a full, conscious commitment to Jesus as a young adult easy. Growing up I learned both liturgy and Bible in wordings that may not speak to others but nonetheless still resonate deeply with me.
It is very meet right and our bounden duty that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to Thee, O holy Lord, almighty Father
Our Father, which art in heavenIt’s this emotional resonance that we feel for passages we learned from the KJV that makes it hardest for us to accept dynamic equivalence translations. If I translate:
hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
for ever and ever. Amen.
God loves people so much that he sent his one and only son to make it possible for everyone to live forever simply by putting their trust in him.We will all still hear:
For God so loved the world that gave his only begotten son so that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life.And we experience cognitive dissonance.
Wikipedia has a nice informal definition.
In laymen's terms, [cognitive dissonance] is the uncomfortable tension that comes from holding two conflicting thoughts at the same time.For us the conflict is between the wording we are emotionally attached to and one that speaks clearly.
The concept of cognitive dissonance was originally developed in the 1950’s to explain people’s refusal to accept facts plainly in evidence because of deeply held beliefs. Further research has shown that it is a much more general phenomenon. J. S. Atherton, a British expert on teaching, observes something based on cognitive dissonance research that is of further relevance to the Bible translation debate, beyond just the emotional connection.
Ordeal is an effective — if spurious — way of conferring value on an experience. … The more obscure and convoluted the subject, the more profound it must be.[1]This should cause us to pause and reflect seriously.
Many wordings in the most popular literal translations are obscure and convoluted. Learning what they mean takes some work; it is an ordeal of sorts. Are we reacting to new wordings because they don’t measure up as translations, or are we rationalizing that the familiar, emotionally satisfying wordings are more profound because of cognitive dissonance?
[1] ATHERTON J S (2005) Learning and Teaching: Cognitive Dissonance and learning.
posted by Richard A. Rhodes at 2:00 AM
1 Comments:
I intended this as something to think about. There's often more heat than light in the translation debate, and I'm trying to get all the cards on the table.
That said, you have some reasonable points.
Do old texts require study?
Certainly.
But on the other hand, much of the Scripture is very simple. It talks about farmers and seeds, fishermen and nets, honesty, fairness, and love. Not things that have changed much in 2000 years, and all things a child can understand. It's depth comes from the fact that it is true. I think we tend to make it abstract and difficult to understand as a defense against having to deal with the demands on our lives that the Scriptures make. Having a meaningful translation cuts through a lot of that. (It's worth noting Nida's comment about translation testing: "If people begin to open their mouths, you know they're understanding. If they sit there with the mouth closed, you know they don't understand.)
Yes, study the text to see what it means. But I'd say if you want to study with a text that is literal, get yourself an interlinear. My objection is that even the most literal translations have a lot of hidden interpretation. See my piece on the translation of the Greek adjective Ιουδαιος (Sins of Omission) couple months back.
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