Vernacular Bibles in Africa through European Eyes: Case Studies in Nineteenth-Century Translation

The translation of Scripture into non-European languages has been an essential undertaking of the modern missionary movement. However, when translators cling to the ideal of scholarly objectivity or fail to interrogate the lenses through which they view Scripture and the world, they risk perpetuating a belief in the West's political, cultural and epistemological superiority, with dangerous consequences for the good news of the gospel.

This study provides detailed historical accounts of the origins of two of Africa's most revered vernacular Bibles: the Efik Bible of modern-day Nigeria and the Nyanja Bible of Southern Africa. It illustrates the nature and challenges of early missionary translation work, highlighting the impact of particular translation theories and tracing the development of modern approaches. Evaluating Hugh Goldie's and Robert Law's translation practices against the interwoven backdrop of imperialism, the modern missionary movement and the Enlightenment's belief in objectivity, Dr. Misheck Nyirenda demonstrates how the missionaries' presuppositions often dominated their projects at the expense of African agency and epistemology. Issuing a powerful warning for those involved in the vast ongoing task of translating Scripture into the world's vernacular languages, Nyirenda reminds us that we must first reckon with our social, cultural and historical embeddedness when seeking to communicate gospel truth across linguistic or cultural barriers.