Wycliffe Bible Translators
Encyclopedia
Wycliffe Bible Translators is an interdenominational organization mandated to making a translation
of the Bible
in every living language in the world, especially for cultures with little existing Christian influence. Wycliffe was founded in 1942 by William Cameron Townsend
and is associated with the Protestant section of Christianity
. There are currently branches in over 50 countries. The organization is named after John Wycliffe
, who was responsible for the first complete English translation of the whole Bible into Middle English
.
, translations of either portions of the Bible, the New Testament
, or the whole Bible exist in over 2,500 of the 6,860 languages used on Earth
.
which regards the intercultural and multilinguistic spread of Christianity as a divine command. Protestantism, including this organization, adheres to the principle of sola scriptura
and regards Biblical texts as the authoritative and infallible word of God.
Wycliffe states its focus is participating with and encouraging Christian churches to minister to minority languages, so that every language community can have access to the Bible.
Wycliffe itself emphasises its international nature. It describes itself as "multicultural, multinational, creative and facilitative" and states that "Wycliffe International’s headquarters is in Singapore. The Global Leadership Team is a virtual team and is spread across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and Central America."
Wycliffe International's headquarters is in Singapore; Wycliffe USA's headquarters is in Orlando, Florida.
, originally the Summer Institute of Linguistics, began as a small summer training session for missionaries in Arkansas
in 1934. It is an affiliate organization of Wycliffe Bible Translators.
Another partner organization, JAARS, originally the Jungle Aviation And Radio Service, provides transportation and technical services for missionaries and associated development workers.
The Seed Company is a subsidiary of Wycliffe USA that provides support to local translators.
Up until 1991, Wycliffe was a single organization with divisions in various countries. It has been restructured, so that the Wycliffe organizations in each country are fully independent, causing Wycliffe International to become an association of organizations. In February 2011, Wycliffe International took on a new "doing business as
" name, Wycliffe Global Alliance, with current headquarters in Singapore
.
Wycliffe Associates is a volunteer organization that exists to support Wycliffe Bible Translators. Wycliffe Associates' relationship to the main Wycliffe organization varies in the different countries in which it operates. Wycliffe Associates USA and Wycliffe Associates UK are separate organizations to Wycliffe USA in Orlando, Florida
and Wycliffe UK in High Wycombe
.
Bible translations
The Bible has been translated into many languages from the biblical languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Indeed, the full Bible has been translated into over 450 languages, although sections of the Bible have been translated into over 2,000 languages....
of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
in every living language in the world, especially for cultures with little existing Christian influence. Wycliffe was founded in 1942 by William Cameron Townsend
William Cameron Townsend
William Cameron Townsend was a prominent American Christian missionary whose ministry began in the early twentieth century...
and is associated with the Protestant section of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. There are currently branches in over 50 countries. The organization is named after John Wycliffe
John Wycliffe
John Wycliffe was an English Scholastic philosopher, theologian, lay preacher, translator, reformer and university teacher who was known as an early dissident in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. His followers were known as Lollards, a somewhat rebellious movement, which preached...
, who was responsible for the first complete English translation of the whole Bible into Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
.
, translations of either portions of the Bible, the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
, or the whole Bible exist in over 2,500 of the 6,860 languages used on Earth
Language family
A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ancestor, called the proto-language of that family. The term 'family' comes from the tree model of language origination in historical linguistics, which makes use of a metaphor comparing languages to people in a...
.
Philosophy and methods
Wycliffe bases its philosophy on Townsend's ProtestantismProtestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
which regards the intercultural and multilinguistic spread of Christianity as a divine command. Protestantism, including this organization, adheres to the principle of sola scriptura
Sola scriptura
Sola scriptura is the doctrine that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. Consequently, sola scriptura demands that only those doctrines are to be admitted or confessed that are found directly within or indirectly by using valid logical deduction or valid...
and regards Biblical texts as the authoritative and infallible word of God.
Wycliffe states its focus is participating with and encouraging Christian churches to minister to minority languages, so that every language community can have access to the Bible.
Wycliffe itself emphasises its international nature. It describes itself as "multicultural, multinational, creative and facilitative" and states that "Wycliffe International’s headquarters is in Singapore. The Global Leadership Team is a virtual team and is spread across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and Central America."
Wycliffe International's headquarters is in Singapore; Wycliffe USA's headquarters is in Orlando, Florida.
Associated Organizations
SIL InternationalSIL International
SIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,...
, originally the Summer Institute of Linguistics, began as a small summer training session for missionaries in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
in 1934. It is an affiliate organization of Wycliffe Bible Translators.
Another partner organization, JAARS, originally the Jungle Aviation And Radio Service, provides transportation and technical services for missionaries and associated development workers.
The Seed Company is a subsidiary of Wycliffe USA that provides support to local translators.
Up until 1991, Wycliffe was a single organization with divisions in various countries. It has been restructured, so that the Wycliffe organizations in each country are fully independent, causing Wycliffe International to become an association of organizations. In February 2011, Wycliffe International took on a new "doing business as
Doing business as
The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
" name, Wycliffe Global Alliance, with current headquarters in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Wycliffe Associates is a volunteer organization that exists to support Wycliffe Bible Translators. Wycliffe Associates' relationship to the main Wycliffe organization varies in the different countries in which it operates. Wycliffe Associates USA and Wycliffe Associates UK are separate organizations to Wycliffe USA in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
and Wycliffe UK in High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
.
Criticism
Wycliffe Bible Translators has come under criticism from American ethnologist William T. Vickers, who states:The conspiracy theorists who believe that [Wycliffe] is a simple front for the CIA will find little support for their views [...] It is true, however, that [Wycliffe] has influential ties to capitalist enterprise, politicians, and military figures in the United States and in the developing countries in which it works. [Wycliffe] is not an "empire" per se, but foreign missions such as [Wycliffe] are part of the larger political process in which powerful nations export political, economic, social, and ideological patterns to the relatively weaker and poorer regions of the world. Today, people in many developing countries are debating whether some aspects of this process should be limited or controlled. (Vickers, 1984:201)
Criticism references
- Colby, Gerard with Dennett, Charlotte. (1995). "Thy Will Be Done. The Conquest of the Amazon: Nelson Rockefeller and Evangelism in the age of Oil" Harper Collins, New York, NY.
- Vickers, William. (1984). "Review: Fishers of Men or Founders of an Empire? The Wycliffe Bible Translators in Latin America by David Stoll." American Ethnologist, 11.1, 200-201.JSTOR