Gender-Neutral Bible Translation Introduced in UK
A new translation of the Bible that has been highly criticized by U.S. conservatives for its
A new translation of the Bible that has been highly criticized by U.S. conservatives for its "gender neutral" language changes, was released in the United Kingdom, today.
The new translation, called the Today's New International Version (TNIV), is the updated version of one of the most widely read Bible translations in the world - the New International Version (NIV).
Fifteen international scholars worked on the new translation. The TNIV is being published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton.
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In the United States, the new version caused much controversy, mostly because of its "degenderalization" of the sacred text.
Lifeway Christian Bookstores, a ministry of the Southern Baptist Convention, banned the TNIV from its 122 stores, saying that "the TNIV has gone beyond acceptable translation standards."
Some evangelicals rejected the TNIV's rendering of male terms like “son” and “father” into the gender neutral “child” and “parent”, respectively.
Critics said the gender neutrality was a result of secular political correctness and not biblical inerrancy.
Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood President Bruce A. Ware, a professor of Christian theology at Southern Seminary said, "The TNIV changes multitudes of singular pronouns to plurals, thus removing the sense of individual relationship or responsibility God intended us to know."
"The 'Son of Man' in Hebrews 2:6 is changed to 'human beings'; the 'men' of Acts 20:30 are now merely 'some' who will arise; James 3:1 now warns not 'brothers' but 'brothers and sisters' not to presume to be teachers," Ware continued.
"Claims that no concern for political correctness or ideology promotion stand behind these translation decisions are hard to accept," said Ware.
However, supporters of the new bible said that the new translation is effective and accurate.
Alec Hill, the President of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship welcomed the new translation, calling it a version that "seeks to accurately communicate the Word of God in contemporary English and as such strengthens our mission in reaching college and university students with the Gospel."
The Scholars who worked on the new translation argued that the work was a fair reflection of the original Greek and Hebrew texts in modern English words.
In the UK, objections are harder to find.
According to Ekklesia news, which reports on Christianity in the UK there was "surprisingly little criticism from conservatives."
