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It is concerning that it seems common for theology and seminary students to be taught Biblical languages without corresponding teaching in linguistics and translation theory.
This leads to damaging views that translation is about finding one-to-one equivalents, that Biblical words just sat around with English equivalents tied to them and that it's Biblical and that it's viable to view scholarship as the sole or main entry way to spiritual knowledge, as if those who didn't go to seminary are less than those who did.
Sadly, I have come across people who have attended seminary and end up with those views. I hope they are less common than they seem.
Would it be possible for seminaries to pull in a linguistics and/or translation module and summarise what the Bible demonstrates about translation?
@multilingualchurch Oh my goodness, yes please. Quite a few highly credentialed people sharing their ignorance of fundamental concepts of language.
@WordyAnchorite I think a lot stems from the focus on STEM in the UK and US over solid, well-presented language learning at school.
@multilingualchurch I mean, some things would be entirely obvious to anyone who wasn't monolingual. I don't think I would blame STEM emphasis for the history of language teaching. It's a much older problem than that, it seems to me. On the US side, a healthy dose of xenophobia and white supremacy did its work, I'm sure.
@WordyAnchorite True. I'm not blaming STEM but I do think that the view that technology can solve anything isn't helping. I agree about xenophobia. Sadly, it can be found in the UK too.