Challenge of Bible Translation, The

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Summary: In honor of the eminent Dr. Youngblood
Review: I have been one of numerous people influenced by the teaching ministry of Dr. Ronald Youngblood, a man whom I call both a gentleman and a scholar. This book is comprised of 21 essays that were dedicated to Dr. Youngblood's honor. Personally I have been taught by several of the contributors(James Smith, Mark Strauss, Walter Wessel). Thus, for me, reading through this compilation was a delight because of my familiarity with these people during my time in the mid-1980s/early 1990s at Bethel Seminary San Diego. Dr. Youngblood's mastery in the classroom as well as his style (nobody has a more dry sense of humor, as any student of his can attest) and scholarship are duly noted in these pages.

As far as this book's collection of essays goes, most of the topics are only going to interest the biblical scholars. If you're not familiar with the ancient languages and other technical writing, the vast majority of this book will have little impact. Personally, I did not bother reading a quarter of the essays from their beginning to end because the individual content of these particular chapters just did not interest me.

However, this is not to say that there are not some jewels here. In fact, let me briefly mention four of my favorite essays. First, chapter 3 by D.A. Carson ("The limits of functional equivalence in Bible translation--and other limits, too") gives a good history of the gender-neutral debate, especially as the Today's New International Version (TNIV) is concerned. This is an informative chapter for those not very familiar with the background of the TNIV controversy, and thus I recommend it.

A second essay was the book's next chapter by Mark Strauss ("Current issues in the gender-language debate: A response to Vern Plythress and Wayne Grudem"). I liked it because: a) it was cutting edge and not just a rehash of previous work, which a number of these essays were; b) it deals with the current TNIV controversy from the perspective of Dr. Strauss, who does a good job answering his (and the TNIV) critics. Even if you disagree with Dr. Strauss, one must admit that his points are worthy of consideration.

Third, I liked Dick France's chapter 7 ("The Bible in English: An Overview"). Of course, general overviews of the translation of the Bible are a dime a dozen, and some may criticize its inclusion. However, I think that this was one of the most interesting and informative overviews on Bible translation I have ever read.

Finally, I appreciated John Stek's chapter 10 ("The New International Version: How it Came to Be"). This is one of the most detailed histories of the NIV in a short-order format. Based on the faithfulness of God and those (including Dr. Youngblood) who responded to His calling, I believe the process of the NIV translation was quite ethical and completed in a godly fashion. Perhaps this is why God has blessed its use throughout the world.

Each person is different and may find other chapters to be of more interest, but for me, these four essays made the purchase of this book worthwhile. May God continue to bless the work of Dr. Youngblood, and may we continue to work through the texts of scripture provided to us by God Himself.

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Summary: Insights Into Translation
Review: This is a fabulous book. Most of the essays are well worth your time. It is divided into 3 sections:
The Theory of Bible Translation
The History of Bible Translation
The Practice of Bible Translation
I particularly appreciated the articles by Don Carson and Mark Strauss, in which they interact with criticism of the TNIV, the updated version of the NIV. I like the way that both authors discuss the gender language debate and provide us with useful updates to what they had to say in their helpful books on the subject.

Silva's article "Are Translators Traitors?" explains the difficulty of transmitting the nuances of one language into another, even when you are bilingual.

Those who are dismissive of the NIV and the later TNIV need to absorb what these writers tell us. They show how all versions interpret, including so-called literal versions. They also help us to step back from our immersion in the language of the KJV and think about how God's Word should be communicated in the 21st century.