My thesis proposes a theological conceptualisation for understanding gospel and culture relationships in the field of Christian mission. I begin by investigating whether the missiological categories of contextualisation and inculturation are adequate for describing how the Christian gospel is offered from one culture to another. Can the categorical metaphor, ‘translation,’ construed conceptually rather than linguistically, add a more fruitful and comprehensive way of understanding how the Christian message is transmitted across cultures? I contend that ‘mission as translation’ incorporates numerous features of contextualisation and inculturation, yet avoids weaknesses of those two interpretations. The incipient theory of mission as translation has been articulated by mission historians, Andrew Walls and Lamin Sanneh, and theologian Kwame Bediako. I use reading of key texts of these scholars to build a conceptual approach to mission as translation. I contrast their translation principles with the work of two Roman Catholic missiologists, Stephen Bevans and Robert Schreiter, proponents of mission as contextualisation. In developing the argument for my thesis, I explore insights gleaned from studying linguistics, hermeneutics and translation studies. I go on to identify three ‘linguistic translation’ features: similarity and difference, transformation, and multiplicity, and then apply Eugene Nida’s communication theory to missional translation. Drawing on heuristic insights from Michael Polanyi, I take Nida’s translation theory further and suggest that relevance theory, interpreted by Ernst-August Gutt, provides a way forward in translation studies. I argue that Polanyi’s notions of discovery and indwelling offer methodological categories to describe how a mission translator pays attention to cultural particulars and integrates them into perceived meaningful patterns. I use Polanyi’s notion of the tacit dimension as the primary hermeneutical tool in understanding mission as translation. Finally, I test mission as translation by applying it to three case studies and conclude by discussing the three ‘linguistic translation’ features in light of Christian mission.

Mapping mission as translation with reference to Michael Polanyi’s heuristic philosophy

THE TWO WITNESSES OF REVELATION 11:1-13: ARGUMENTS, ISSUES OF INTERPRETATION, AND A WAY FORWARD

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The two witnesses of Revelation 11:1-13: Arguments, issues of interpretation, and a way forward

Contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations Preface 1. Introduction 2. Hermeneutical Stance 3. Literary Considerations 4. Conflict and Theodicy 5. Hymnic Pericopes of 4.8-11 5.9-14 6. Hymnic Pericopes of 7.9-12 11.15-18 12.10-12 7. Hymnic Pericopes of 15.3-4 19.1-8 8. Summary and Conclusion 9. Bibliography Index

Revelation's Hymns: Commentary on the Cosmic Conflict

Description: x, 273 leaves ; 30 cm. Notes: University of Otago department: Theology and Religious Studies. "12th December 2006." Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Otago. Includes bibliographical references.

"Blessed is he who keeps the words of prophecy in this book." An intra-textual reading of the Apocalypse as parenesis

Assuming that successful communication is high on the agenda of most translation work it would seem essential for translators to understand what translation can and cannot achieve, purely on the basis of the way the human mind works. This paper presents some further developments of the relevance-theoretic treatment of translation set out in Gutt (2000). Translation is viewed as a higher-order act of communication (HOAC) – an act of communication that is about another (lower-order) act of communication. Any act of (ostensive) communication necessarily involves two focal elements: the stimulus, which is the perceptible element, and the interpretation, the body of thoughts which the communicator intends to share with others. From this it follows that higher-order acts of communication can focus on either of these two elements: they can attempt to reproduce the stimulus (s-mode) or they can attempt to give access to the intended interpretation (i-mode) of the lower order act of communication. The pape...

On the Significance of the Cognitive Core of Translation

1. A question of relevance 2. Relevance theory in biblical interpretation 3. A cognitive environment for the Apocalypse 4. Souls under the altar - a martyr ecclesiology 5. Companions of the Lamb - a messianic ecclesiology 6. The new Jerusalem, bride of the Lamb 7. Summary and conclusions.

Stephen Pattemore

Papers

The People of God in the Apocalypse: Discourse, Structure and Exegesis