This may be of interest to some members of b-Greek. At the recent Society of Biblical Literature meeting in Orlando the National Council of the Churches of Christ had its usual breakfast meeting for seminary professors interested in Bible translation. Two items will be of interest: 1. There is ongoing interest in correcting and improving translations in the NRSV. As part of that process the NCC will be hosting two consultations. In 1999 a consultation on "Race, Gender, Class and Biblical Translation." In 2000 a consultation on "Religious Traditions, Ecclesiastical Authority and Biblical Translation." It is an attempt to "pick the brains of the exegetical guild" about these matters. They also announced that Oxford University Press is preparing what they call the ACCESS BIBLE, an edition for neophyte Bible readers; it will include maps, charts, definitions, comments designed with the reader who is ignorant of the biblical tradition. I think that this is a very promising development. Oxford also gave those attending who filled out a questionnaire about this plan a copy of the Apocrypha that has the Greek text and 7 English translations. While the type is small, it makes comparison of the translations easy and fruitful. 2. More challenging--and disheartening--was the major presentation by Bruce M. Metzger on "Preparing the Next Generation of Translators." It was quite a Jeremiad. He began with Hanson and Heath's Who Killed Homer, a recent attack on the mores of classicists. That led him to give statistics about the decline of Greek in HS and University teaching. The University of Aberdeen abolished the classics departments under Margaret Thatcher. The University of Saskatchewam [spelling?] is doing it at the present time. Then he asked, "How can we stem the decline? And how prepare the next generation of translators?" Where is textual criticism being taught? And who knows any languages other than Greek needed for TC? Years ago, when the RSV was done, the director of the translation team had learned Latin, Greek, and Hebrew in HS! Translation of the NT demands scholars who know the spread of the Greek language from Homer on! [That is Metzger talking, not Ed Krentz--though I share his opinion!] We need enthusiasm for learning the language, but where can such translators be prepared? In the discussion I noted that we needed to identify classicists who are also committed Christians. I mentioned Herbert Howe, Episcopalian who teaches [or taught] at the University of Wisconsin, Roger Bagnall, Lutheran at Columbia University and premier papyrologist, Carl Conrad, etc. Classicists are recovering the reading of the NT in Greek as part of the early Roman Empire's history and culture. Carl Conrad has cited the Italian proverb on this list, "Traditore tradutore," Translators are traitors. That is complicated a great deal when the translators do not know the original language well--and are also not sensitive to the target language. I learn that over again each week as I read with seminary students next Sunday's NT lessons from the three year lectionary cycle in Greek and translate. I will be interested in reactions from the list members to Metzger's remarks (recovered from my sketchy notes] and my own interpretive editorial comments. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Edgar Krentz Acting Dean, Fall Quarter 1998 Professor of New Testament Emeritus Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago 1100 E. 55th Street Chicago, IL 60615 USA 773-256-0752 e-mail:FFFF,0000,0000 ekrentz@lstc.edu (Office) FFFF,0000,0000emkrentz@mcs.com (Home) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ --- B-Greek home page: http://sunsite.unc.edu/bgreek You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: [cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu] To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-b-greek-329W@franklin.oit.unc.edu To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu