# Teaching theology when the local language has no words for God, grace, repentance...



## Pergamum (May 17, 2011)

So much of our theological teaching is tied up with jargon.

I just re-realized again yesterday that the local language here has no indigenous vocabulary for God, grace, repentance, propitiation.... also, all spirit-beings get grouped under one name that most appropriately can be translated as demon, and there seems to be one main bad guy. But, no concept of angels.


This brings up the use of vocabulary and jargon as we teach others the Scripture. What are easy ways to teach these theological concepts using simple language, illustrations, word pictures, analogies, etc?


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## Rufus (May 17, 2011)

Figureout root words than bring in new words (kinda hard) or or say for instance repentence say what it means without placing a wor.d


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## KMK (May 17, 2011)

Pergamum said:


> What are easy ways to teach these theological concepts using simple language, illustrations, word pictures, analogies, etc?



From talking with people from Wycliffe it doesn't sound like there is an easy way. What you guys do blows my mind. Seriously.


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## Pergamum (May 17, 2011)

KMK: 

Well, I am desperately praying that I won't have to do much of the translating part (just learning the language). There is a solid translator a day's walk to the south in a different dialect, but it seems the grammar and phonology can be adapted. If one person focuses on linguistics, this frees others up to focus on evangelism, etc, and so I am trying to train up these highland Christians missionaries from other tribes (though some of them are barely literate).


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## Ask Mr. Religion (May 17, 2011)

Pergamum said:


> This brings up the use of vocabulary and jargon as we teach others the Scripture. What are easy ways to teach these theological concepts using simple language, illustrations, word pictures, analogies, etc?


I have found that the 2007 update to the NLT where most of the theological words are translated into a more digestible English word or phrase helps. I think the NLT was written with English as a second language in mind.

AMR


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## py3ak (May 18, 2011)

This is just an uneducated suggestion, but as far as angels go perhaps you could call them "messengers", and then explain that they are a particular kind of messenger. No doubt many languages had to develop a theological vocabulary, either as revelation was brought to them, or as their own thinking expanded, so finding analogies to how certain words developed a theological aspect in other languages might help in giving that theological content to existing words in the target language.


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## Reformed Thomist (May 18, 2011)

This is an interesting predicament, which, I guess, will require a lot of creativity. Of upmost important here, of course, is a mastery of the indigenous language and culture in question.


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## Pergamum (May 18, 2011)

Any analogies, illustrations or stories to describe each of these theological concepts? What is a story about grace? A picture of repentance? What analogy from nature would I use to describe mercy or faith? How do i make these concepts concrete and tangible?


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## elnwood (May 25, 2011)

You normally need to use more than one, and often several, words, to convey the same concept. Translation nearly always involves using more words in the target language.

Take the Psalms, for instance. Hebrew poetry is really concise. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want" is four words in Hebrew.

As AMR says, the NLT is a good translation to illustrate this, intended for second language speakers and lower reading/vocabulary levels.

Regarding stories about grace, repentance, mercy, and faith: this is why culture learning along with language learning is so important. It's not enough to find the right words; you have to convey meaning, and that means both knowing the concepts and being able to convey it into another culture. Most cultures are oral cultures, and that usually involves telling stories.

Fortunately, unlike the Koran, there are many parables, narratives and stories to illustrate many of these concepts. The prodigal son, for example, would communicate most of these theological concepts.


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## Pergamum (May 25, 2011)

py3ak said:


> This is just an uneducated suggestion, but as far as angels go perhaps you could call them "messengers", and then explain that they are a particular kind of messenger. No doubt many languages had to develop a theological vocabulary, either as revelation was brought to them, or as their own thinking expanded, so finding analogies to how certain words developed a theological aspect in other languages might help in giving that theological content to existing words in the target language.


 
We have begun using the local word for "helper" as angel to differentiate it from the concept of other spirit beings (all evil). The angels are god's helpers. We haven't found the local equivalent for "messenger" yet but we describe the acts of the angels as we explain the term.


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## SRoper (May 25, 2011)

Is transliteration from the original languages ever appropriate? It seems English has more than a few words transliterated from Greek.


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## py3ak (May 25, 2011)

Pergamum said:


> py3ak said:
> 
> 
> > This is just an uneducated suggestion, but as far as angels go perhaps you could call them "messengers", and then explain that they are a particular kind of messenger. No doubt many languages had to develop a theological vocabulary, either as revelation was brought to them, or as their own thinking expanded, so finding analogies to how certain words developed a theological aspect in other languages might help in giving that theological content to existing words in the target language.
> ...


 
I'm glad you've found a workaround for now. Maybe in time the vocabulary will become so entrenched that only angels will be called "helpers"; any other sort of helpful thing will be called an "assistant."


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## Pergamum (May 25, 2011)

The word for prayer has, unfortunately, became entrenched as closing the eyes. Aargh.


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## py3ak (May 26, 2011)

At least you can know that words get detached from their etymology pretty frequently!


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## elnwood (May 27, 2011)

SRoper said:


> Is transliteration from the original languages ever appropriate? It seems English has more than a few words transliterated from Greek.


 
Names of people(s) and places are usually transliterated. There's no way to really avoid that. Also, words that are particular to a given context, like titles, are transliterated.

Theologically controversial words like baptism are also transliterated. Personally, I would translate it "immerse" 

I think there are also a few instances where we have no idea what a word means, so we transliterate it.

Some words are transliterated from the Latin, i.e.circumcision, centurion.

But most words in the Bible do not have specialized religious connotations, so we should avoid importing and transliterating words. Some words I wish we didn't transliterate. I would prefer that "angel" be translated "messenger [from God]" instead of the significantly more narrow meaning that we now have.


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## steadfast7 (May 27, 2011)

has chronological storying from Genesis with pictures been used much in your context?

---------- Post added at 04:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:02 AM ----------

Grace/salvation: the classic story of the boy trying to swim and beginning to drown. His older brother treads water nearby waiting while the younger brother panics frantically. Only when the boy faints and begins sinking does his brother dive in and rescue him. Later when asked, "why did you wait until he fainted and not rescue him immediately?" He replies, "if I attempted to save him while he is trying to save himself, he will simply cling to me and drown us both. I had to wait till he gave up and went limp before I could save him."


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## Der Pilger (Jun 1, 2011)

SRoper said:


> Is transliteration from the original languages ever appropriate? It seems English has more than a few words transliterated from Greek.


 
I was thinking along similar lines. Other languages have "borrowed" words from English and incorporated them into their own grammar. German, for example, has done that with some English words and assigned them the neuter gender when doing so. In time, those borrowed words become so integrated into the native language that they become commonly known.


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## Pergamum (Jun 1, 2011)

steadfast7 said:


> has chronological storying from Genesis with pictures been used much in your context?
> 
> ---------- Post added at 04:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:02 AM ----------
> 
> Grace/salvation: the classic story of the boy trying to swim and beginning to drown. His older brother treads water nearby waiting while the younger brother panics frantically. Only when the boy faints and begins sinking does his brother dive in and rescue him. Later when asked, "why did you wait until he fainted and not rescue him immediately?" He replies, "if I attempted to save him while he is trying to save himself, he will simply cling to me and drown us both. I had to wait till he gave up and went limp before I could save him."


 
Yes, chronological bible storying is the standard way to teach tribals and illiterates and even many other "oral cultures." We just had a course teaching the highland evangelists how to do this more effectively.


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## but3leftsdo (Jun 3, 2011)

This is an interesting thread. I am quite familiar with the difficulties of making a translation work in a local dialect. My wife's parents were missionaries with Wycliffe/SIL in Mexico for 50 years until her mother passed away this past February. My niece's (wife's brother's daughter) in-laws were missionary pilot / translators in the Philippines. We are actively involved as WA's now, but are praying about full time mission work as a potential "retirement" scenario. I may not have much else to offer here, but attention and a few anecdotes.


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