Gordon Fee and Mark Strauss: How To Choose a Translation for All Its Worth
Mark L. Strauss
Another topic that is covered in the book, which may be of interest to some, is the issue of using gender inclusive language in bible translations, the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible employed gender inclusive language in its text and more recently, Today’s New International Version (TNIV) has done the same. The TNIV, which is an update of the New International Version (NIV), has recently been criticized for its use of gender inclusive language in some texts. This is a topic of some debate in the contemporary church, some people fear that this practice has, or will, undermine or compromise the truth of the Scriptures. As the authors trace the history of English bible translations they note the translations that began to move in the direction of using gender inclusive language. So this trend is not one that has arisen only in the past few years. They show that using gender inclusive language is necessary at times; it is necessary in order to convey the meaning of the text (the intent of the author of the biblical book).
This book is very valuable for a number of reasons; it provides the reader with an understanding of the history of the English bible, points out the strengths and weakness of various translations and addresses the contemporary debate regarding the use of gender inclusive language in bible translations. The book is written by scholars but it is not highly technical or difficult to understand. It is a good resource for every serious student of the bible.
Reviewed by John Lathrop
Publisher’s page: http://www.zondervan.com/how-to-choose-a-translation-for-all-its-worth
Category: Biblical Studies, Summer 2008
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