Bridging Theological Scholarship for Global Discipleship

Case Study

The Client: Equipping Leaders for Global Ministry

Harvestime International Institute is a dynamic organization dedicated to developing disciples and equipping church leaders worldwide. Their mission focuses on providing practical, biblical training materials that can be adapted to various cultural contexts. They identified a need to make deep theological scholarship accessible to their network of pastors and students in South Africa and Nigeria to strengthen doctrinal understanding and preaching.

The Challenge: Translating Nuance for Discipleship

Harvestime acquired an extensive, well-researched English thesis on the doctrine of Christ in the theology of Charles Spurgeon. This document was a goldmine of historical analysis and Christological insight, but its complexity presented a significant barrier. Their primary challenges were:

1. Technical Terminology: The thesis is rich with specialized terms like “ontological Christology,” “hypostatic union,” “Chalcedonian Creed,” and “Alexandrian hermeneutics.” A simple, literal translation would be meaningless or misleading.
2. Historical and Cultural Context: The text delves into 19th-century Victorian religious debates, referencing figures and movements unfamiliar to a modern African audience. The translation needed to be faithful without being alienating.
3. Dual-Audience Adaptation: The project required translation into two very different languages:
• Afrikaans: A language with a strong history of Reformed theology, requiring precise alignment with established doctrinal terms.
• Ikwerre: A Nigerian language where many of these theological concepts have no direct equivalent, demanding a more descriptive and interpretive translation approach.
4. Preservation of Academic Integrity: As a scholarly work, all citations, footnotes, and original argumentation had to be meticulously preserved across both translations.

The Solution: A Strategy of Precision and Cultural Intelligence

We developed a multi-phase translation strategy tailored to this unique project:

Phase 1: Specialist Team Assembly

We assembled two dedicated translation teams, each comprising:
• A Lead Translator who was not only a native speaker but also had a proven background in theology or religious studies.
• A Theological Consultant with advanced knowledge of systematic theology and church history to verify doctrinal accuracy.
• A Cultural Reviewer from the target region to ensure the final text resonated with local pastors and students.

Phase 2: Terminology Management & Glossaries

Before full translation began, we created comprehensive bilingual glossaries. For Afrikaans, this involved aligning with terms used in standard Reformed confessions. For Ikwerre, it involved collaborative sessions to develop clear, descriptive phrases for complex concepts (e.g., “hypostatic union” might be rendered as “the one person of Christ with two natures that do not mix”).

Phase 3: Contextualization Over Literalism:

Our translators focused on conveying the meaning and intent of the original author. For example, references to “Victorian religious context” were slightly framed with a brief, integrated explanation to aid understanding without disrupting the flow. Spurgeon’s metaphorical language (e.g., “Christ the Pilgrim”) was carefully adapted to ensure the same spiritual resonance.

Phase 4: Rigorous Quality Assurance

The translated texts underwent a multi-step review process:
1. Initial translation and self-review.
2. Theological accuracy check by the consultant.
3. Cultural and linguistic review for fluency and naturalness.
4. Final proofread and formatting to ensure all academic elements (footnotes, bibliography, headings) were perfectly replicated.

The Result: Empowered Leaders and Strengthened Doctrine

The successful completion of this project provided Harvestime International Institute with powerful new tools for their mission.
• Access to Deep Scholarship: Pastors and theology students in South Africa and Nigeria now have access to a sophisticated analysis of Spurgeon’s Christology in their own languages, enriching their preaching and theological reflection.
• Enhanced Training Materials: The translated thesis serves as a high-level resource for Harvestime’s training programs, raising the bar for theological education in these regions.
• Cultural Relevance: By moving beyond a wooden, literal translation, the final documents are both academically sound and practically useful for church leaders in their specific ministry contexts.
• A Foundation for Future Work: This project established a trusted workflow and specialized glossaries that can be used for future translations of theological works for Harvestime.

Let’s Translate Your Mission
Does your organization face the challenge of communicating complex or specialized content across languages and cultures? We have the expertise to ensure your message is not just translated, but truly understood.

Project:

Translation of a complex academic thesis on Christology from English into Afrikaans and Ikwerre.

Challenge:

To accurately translate nuanced theological concepts and 19th-century historical context for two distinct linguistic and cultural audiences, ensuring both academic integrity and accessibility for pastoral training.

Solution:

A specialized translation strategy combining theological expertise, cultural adaptation, and rigorous quality assurance.

Result:

The successful creation of foundational resources for theological education in South Africa and Nigeria, empowering local church leaders with previously inaccessible scholarly work.

Contact Us at languages@kabodgroup.com to discuss how we can help you bridge the language gap and empower your global audience.

Case Study