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Ten Things that Make the French French
3–4 minutesWhat is it about the French that makes them so, well, quintessentially “French”? For me, I think of all the folks walking their dogs and buying their baguettes and taking two hour lunch breaks. And cigarettes, too. Here’s a top ten list that I ran across elsewhere. And just so you know, we reproduce this list with the most amicable of intentions. =) Feel free to comment to let us know what comes to mind when you think about the French and we’ll see if we can confirm or deny it. 1. The Gallic shrug… and the accompanying raspberry! That…
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Alter: Translations Lack Literary Grace
1–2 minutesRobert Alter answering the question, “With so many new [Bible] translations available, is the King James Version still important and relevant today?” Translations that cast the Bible in up-to-the-minute American English are definitely cutting into the constituency of the King James Version because they are easier to read and seem more “accessible.” My own sense is that such translations lack any literary grace and distort the feeling and the meaning of the Bible. Though we are distanced from the 1611 version now because of its archaic language, its beauty is undiminished, and I think it will always have readers as…
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Study Greek or Hebrew?
1–2 minutesYes. Moore College professor George Athas writes: A friend of mine who pastors a congregation told me of a young man in his church who was heading off to study at a theological college. This young man approached my friend for advice on making a choice: should he study Greek when he got to college, or should he study Hebrew? My friend’s response was legendary: “Well,” he said, “when you finish college and get up into your pulpit, do you want to be wearing only your shirt, or only your pants?” Since not many of us should presume to be…
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“I want to die for the Bible”
1–2 minutesI would invite you to read “The battle for accurate Bible translation in Asia” published on the WORLD Magazine site. In case you have not heard, there is currently a lot of discussion concerning the translation of uios theou (“Son of God”) into languages in Muslim contexts. Emily Belz’s article in WORLD Magazine presents the perspective of several indigenous pastors on the issue. Here’s an excerpt: Anwar Hussain, the head of the Bangladesh Bible Society, has been at the forefront of efforts in his country the last few years to repel Bible translations from various groups that change divine familial…