Lausanne World Pulse – Themed Articles – Advancing Bible Translation for Non-Reading Audiences

By Viggo Søgaard
September 2009

The challenges confronting Bible agencies are greater than ever. The population of the world is increasing and the number of non-literates can be counted in the hundreds of millions. Furthermore, millions of children are going to school and learning to read and write; however, about half are likely to stop the learning process before actual skills for reading a daily newspaper have been achieved. There are likely more than one billion people who are classified as readers, but who are functionally non-literate.

Our habit has often been to neglect those who do not read, as it is difficult for us to imagine that God can work effectively with people in any other way than through the written text. We assume that people come to and grow in Christ largely through reading the Bible, so we can scarcely imagine that God could have worked before the invention of the printing press. Yet for thousands of years before printing made mass literacy possible, God was at work. He is not limited to one single medium of communication.

The issue of non-readers is an issue for all countries, as we see reading declining even in countries with high literacy rates. It has been estimated that in some African countries printed scripture only reaches around ten percent of the population. The challenge is therefore to develop translations that are relevant to the media, productions that are appropriate, and distribution systems for scripture that reach the non-reading population.

The word is alive when it is communicated, and new media provide us with outstanding possibilities for doing just that.

Several Bible agencies are now committed to providing scripture in audio and video media; in practice, however, the enthusiasm seems more restrained, as setting new priorities takes courage, energy, and dedication.

Bible Translation Is a Communication Task
The Great Commission is a communication commission. The word is alive when it is communicated, and new media provide us with outstanding possibilities for doing just that. There are many examples which demonstrate that the Bible can be communicated effectively through media other than print.

A strategy for “distributing” scripture to non-literates will need to be substantially different from the approaches used when distributing printed scripture. Active participation of the person in the process is necessary if effective communication of the message is to take place. The primary question is not which technique we should use, but rather the underlying philosophy or attitudes which we have toward non-literates. Recent calls for holistic involvement and engagement material are of extreme importance for agencies that aim at fulfilling their mandate of reaching all people.

Oral societies have a high tolerance for time expenditure, and the importance of an activity is judged by the amount of time devoted to it. A Bible reading therefore becomes a Bible communication event, where the text is set in its context, and where immediate application is achieved in the minds and context of the listeners. An event is experienced as a whole rather than as segmented, sequential parts. Participation is not only necessary, but participative communication brings the message in a mode which is customary for oral societies. All of this has implications for translation, as the text needs to inspire interaction and involvement.

Preparation of a Translation for Audio and Video Purposes
Whenever we are dealing with translation of scripture, we are in the area of cross-cultural communication. Bible translators are faced with the problem of understanding the meaning of a written communication coming from thousands of years ago, and passing that message on to another reader or listener in a totally different culture, age, setting, and language, hoping that the same meaning will be created in his or her mind.

Dr. Viggo Søgaard is senior professor of communication at Fuller School of Intercultural Studies in California, USA. For seventeen years he served part time as media consultant for The United Bible Societies. He has been involved extensively with Lausanne as a conference speaker, member of the Strategy Working Group, and as a Senior Associate.