Have I just found a Bible to supplant my favorite translation?
Maybe.
I recently “re-discovered” a Bible translation that I’d forgotten about — The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation. I’m not sure when this translation first came on my radar and I don’t remember why I didn’t look into it more closely then, but here we are. Since the copyright of The Inclusive Bible states one must ask permission before quoting from it, I reached out to them and was granted permission to use it! For that, I am very grateful.
“The Inclusive Bible is a fresh, dynamic translation into modern English, carefully crafted to let the power and poetry of the language shine forth — particularly when read aloud — giving it an immediacy and intimacy rarely found in traditional translations of the Bible.”
The Inclusive Bible was started by the Quixote Center, “a multi-issue social justice organization founded in 1976.” From their website:
The Quixote Center supports gender equality, including ordination for women; the civil rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons; and advocates for an end to the rule of celibacy for Catholic clergy. We support full communion for divorced and remarried Catholics; due process for church employees and theologians; and democratic reforms in the governance of the Roman Catholic Church. We call for lay involvement in the formulation of church teachings on sexuality and reproduction, improvements in interfaith and ecumenical dialogue, and a strong church voice on issues of social justice.
A crucial part of the Quixote Center’s work toward equality has been the Inclusive Scripture program initiated by Priests for Equality. After 20 years of diligent scholarship, the Quixote Center completed The Inclusive Bible, which incorporates poetically balanced language in regard to gender, race, and class. The Center also publishes the Inclusive Lectionary, Cycles A, B, and C for the Sunday readings.
This is right inline with a lot of my views, too. As a professed and ordained member of the Lindisfarne Community, I’m committed to our Understandings — to make them my own and, with God’s help, to live them out the best I can. Our 9th Understanding states:
In the Lindisfarne Community gender, sexual orientation, age, race or class are not barriers to service and function. We believe that both men and women may be called by God to the offices of bishop, priest and deacon. In God’s sight we are all equal. In the story of the garden, God gave to Adam and Eve an equal dignity, an equal calling, an equal responsibility and an equal blessing. Yet, at the same time we are called to radical subordination, preferring the other above our self. In this we seek to allow the Spirit to dig deep into our unconscious to remove hidden prejudices; that our attitudes, speech and actions may be free of discrimination.
From the Preface of The Inclusive Bible, under the heading “A liturgy for all people” —
The rising consciousness of women and men in the United States is … confronting us all with the need to be sensitive to language. Church language is predominantly masculine. Male terms, images, and stereotypes, so-called sexist language, dominate church expression.
Such language is no longer adequate. It is time to build gender equality into the very fabric of church life. The effort to build new gender-balanced ways of speaking helps to educate us toward greater equality for women and men.
And under the heading of “Inclusive Language” —
…We have been challenged to consider how we think and speak about God and how our concepts influence the way we treat other people. We also have had to consider whether modern renderings of sacred scriptures present modern sexist biases, in addition to biases of the ancient Near East and Mediterranean cultures…
We challenge the traditional ways of speaking about God. Traditional Western religious language calls God “Father” and Jesus “Lord.” Our intention is to recover the sense of the text and express that sense in a manner that facilitates immediate application of the Word to the experience of the listener. To that end, we correct our own interpretations by referring them to what scripture scholars have to say about the texts.
…The role of women in the economy of salvation has long been relegated to the sacristies of salvation history. By attending to recent feminist scripture scholarship, we attempt to recover women’s active participation in salvation history. In genealogies, for example, we include both spouses to emphasize that ancestral lineage is not merely passed on by the male. Thus, we speak of Sarah and Abraham instead of Abraham alone, we pair Rebecca and Isaac, and we recognize Leah and Rachel as well as Jacob. When this cannot be done, we stress the actual lineage instead of the male role in the lineage. We also emphasize those times when scripture employs feminine imagery for divine or spiritual beings. In Wisdom literature, we retain the ancient feminine images…
Where the usage is descriptive, we use “Most High,” “Most High God,” “Almighty,” and “Sovereign One” in place of the sexist and classist form “Lord.” Where “Lord” is a form of address, we use “Adonai” in the Hebrew scripture readings and either “Rabbi” or “Teacher” in Christian scripture readings about Jesus’ public ministry. We use “Abba” for “Father,” where it expresses a close, familial relationship. We also used the phrase “Loving God”…
In referring to Jesus, we use “Only Begotten,” “God’s Own,” and “Eternally Begotten” in place of “Son of God.” [In place of] “Son of Man” … we use “Chosen One” when it seems to refer to Jesus’ self-understanding of his prophetic mission, and “Promised One” when Jesus appears to be speaking about his self-identity as an apocalyptic figure.
With all of that as an introduction the questions are: How does it read? How does it flow? For my examples, I’ll use the passages referenced in the two-part article, “7 Places Where Gender-Inclusive Bible Translation Really Matters.” I’ll compare The Inclusive Bible (TIB) to the New King James Version (NKJV). The verse will be linked to every English translation at Biblegateway.com so you can compare your prefered translation.
TIB — Jesus said to them, “Follow me; I will make you fishers of humankind.”
NKJV — Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
TIB — People who don’t provide for their relatives, especially those in the immediate household, have denied the faith and are worse than unbelievers.
NKJV — But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
TIB — Prophecy never comes through an act of human will, but comes as people have spoken for God under the power of the Holy Spirit.
NKJV — for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
TIB — All scripture is inspired of God, and is useful for teaching — for reprimanding, correcting, and training in justice — so that the people of God may be fully competent and equipped for every good work.
NKJV — All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
TIB — Have nothing to do with godless myths and empty old fables.
NKJV — But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.
TIB — Christ, though in the image of God, didn’t deem equality with God something to be clung to — but instead became completely empty and took on the image of oppressed humankind: born into the human condition, found in the likeness of a human being. Jesus was thus humbled — obediently accepting death, even death on a cross!
NKJV — who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
The article I referenced above contains a chart depicting the number of times a masculine reference is used in several different translations — even though there aren’t any in the Greek! While The Inclusive Bible is not on the chart, I’m happy to report that it doesn’t contain any masculine references. (The link is to the whole chapter in the NKJV.)
I’d like to add a few of my own references here:
TIB — … YHWH made the earth creature fall into a deep sleep, and while it slept, God divided the earth creature in two, then closed up the flesh from its side. YHWH then fashioned the two halves into male and female, and presented them to one another.
NKJV — And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
TIB — John also gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and she came to rest on him.”
NKJV — And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.
TIB — From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Timothy, to the holy and faithful sisters and brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace and peace to you from our Loving God. We always give thanks to the Abba God of our Savior Jesus Christ whenever we pray for you…
NKJV — Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you…
TIB — My greetings to Mary, who has worked hard for you, and to Andronicus and Junia, my kin and fellow prisoners; they are outstanding apostles, and they were in Christ even before I was.
NKJV — Greet Mary, who labored much for us. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
I could literally give quote after quote. The work in The Inclusive Bible is momentous and I really don’t know why I didn’t start using it before now. To me, this is a huge step in the right direction to correct the long standing patriarchy that has crept into Bible translations. When one looks at the chart I mentioned above, one will see the addition of masculine language in Romans 14. The Inclusive Bible (as well as a couple of others) is not about being “politically correct” but actually a step closer to the original biblical texts themselves.
So, yes, I think I have found a new favorite translation. I do hope the Priest for Equality and the Quixote Center continue to update the text — I’d like to see terms like “eternal life” reflect the Greek here too (age-enduring life or “Life of the Age”) and use “Jesus the Christ” since “Christ” is a title and not a last name. I’d also like to see them change their copyright into a more open and inclusive one. But even if they don’t (or the update is passed on to the next generation), I highly recommend The Inclusive Bible.
~~~
In the Love of the Three in One,
Br. Jack+, LC
Comments