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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!rutgers!topaz!christian
From: christian@topaz.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Gender in religion
Message-ID: <8765@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Fri, 30-Jan-87 05:44:18 EST
Article-I.D.: topaz.8765
Posted: Fri Jan 30 05:44:18 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Jan-87 06:03:44 EST
References: <8493@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Sender: hedrick@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU
Organization: Agrigenetics
Lines: 26
Approved: christian@topaz.UUCP
Summary: don't translate it


  In article <8493@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>, jlpflederer@watmum.UUCP
  (Janet L. Pflederer) writes:
> Rather than intentionally mistranslating the male imagery that is in
> the bible (something I don't want to do), I wish that there were a way
> to accurately translate "anthropos" into English without offending
> anyone's aesthetic sensibilities (including mine).

	One solution might be to just not translate the term.  Thus one
could avoid limitations imposed by the English language.  There is
ample precident.  Some translations leave the term "baptize"
untranslated, thereby avoiding (or perhaps supprting a particular
position in) the immerse/sprinkle controversy.  The words "Christ" and
"Messiah" are almost never translated.  "Christ" is usually used as a
synonym for "God" while the word "messiah" refers to a savior of some
sort, who, depending on the context, may or may not be divine.  The
original Hebrew should be translated as "annointed".  "Annointed" gives
connotations of oil on someone's forehead, which is inappropriate for
most Christian uses.  Another word that might be better left
untranslated is "Logos", usually rendered as "Word".  This translation
drops many meanings which the term had in ancient Greek philosophical
thought.  (Of course one might want to drop these meanings.)
---
Barry Buchbinder		(608)221-5000
Agrigenetics ; 5649 E. Buckeye Rd. ; Madison WI 53716 USA
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