https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2025-2026/G_BATRSAL020After finishing this course, the student has:knowledge of the hermeneutical, historical and theological contexts and processes that are involved in Bible translation;insight in the ways in which these contexts and processes of interpretation are intertwined with linguistic aspects of Bible translation;knowledge of the globally diverse ways and (religious) contexts in which Bible translations function and how this is related to differences between translationsapplied this insight and knowledge to the analysis of actual translation problems;put the analysis into writing in a clear and accessible report.In this course, the student delves into the hermeneutical, historical and theological contexts and processes that are intertwined with the linguistic and translational aspects of Bible translation. The student learns how to apply these notions to the translation of the Bible and gains insight into the complex interaction of exegesis, theological traditions, hermeneutics, and Bible Translation. The student learns how to apply that knowledge to the analysis of actual translation problems. Translating a global religious text like the Bible is primarily a complex process of interpretation, with a wide variety of factors determining the outcome. Students are taken through this process and thus gain insight into the decision-making processes behind various translation choices. The second part of the course zooms in on two common methods of Bible translation (formal and functional equivalence) and explains the difference between language features and text features. The course concludes with a complex translation case study (the translation of sarx in Paul's letters).Lectures and seminarsEssay (4000 words) linking the theory and practice of Bible translation by means of a case study.This course is suited for all undergraduate students who want to study the subject in depth.Plagiarism and AI: Note that the use of AI for preparing and writing the essay is not allowed, except for a final check and correction of the use of English (spelling and grammar).Students attending this course are presupposed to be (at least broadly) familiar with the Bible and its contents. It is recommended but not required that students have basic knowledge of at least one of the Biblical languages (Hebrew, Greek).