Saturday, July 05, 2008

Ann Nyland

There are many things that I need to write about. However, I was reviewing my links and I noticed that Ann Nyland's works are no longer available online in the original places. I am aware of the reason for the controversy.

I have read Nyland's The Source and some of her other articles. While I don't agree with every single thing she says, same here as for anyone - sometimes I don't agree with myself on a few details - I have learned a tremendous amount from her translation and other works. I heartily endorse them as full of insight about Greek not found elsewhere. I don't think her contribution to translation should be overlooked.

For those who want something a little safer, here is Female Ministry by Catherine Booth.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Suzanne,

I have The Source and read it all, including all the notes. And I agree, to throw the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak, is a great loss. But I also have to agree with why her work is no longer available where it was.

The reason being, we are so microscopically scrutinized, so under surveillance you might say, that we have to "avoid every appearance of evil". There are some issues that we simply cannot afford to be lax about, since our opponents are so eager to assign guilt by association.

What I would like to see is what prompted her translation in the first place: updated Bible dictionaries. Too many things have been swept under the rug, and its because those with great influence in getting Bibles accepted and sold have a vested interest in keeping the status quo. To update dictionaries would be to throw many of their careers into the trash, and this they cannot allow.

And we should also educate people that a linguist is not necessarily a theologian; a translation should not be condemned over its explanatory notes! I disagree with Nyland's views on some important issues, but that hardly means we can just ignore her research and dismiss all that scholarship. I only wish we all had ready access to her sources.

-- Paula