Bridges of Trust: Toward Identity-Based Bible Translation as a Catalyst for Movements to Christ among Muslims

The project indicates that a refocusing of translation strategies toward the desired impact for Muslim communities has the potential to help facilitate new movements to Christ as translated Scriptures are increasingly transformative in the social contexts in which they are transmitted, building bridges of trust. It is relevant to Hikma as it contributes to BMBs’ identity formation, community transformation, and spiritual transformation.

In this dissertation, the author argues that the degree to which Scripture engagement is contextualized to a Muslim social environment directly impacts the formation of movements to Christ and their nascent ecclesiological boundaries relating to the broader Church. The issue prompting this study was the poor impact of Bible translation in Muslim contexts around the world, punctuated by hopeful signs where identity and context were in focus. The author argues for a dialogical approach to translation that serves the needs of language communities through a process of critical Contextualisation and critical hermeneutics. Applying an anthropological lens to Muslim movements to Christ reveals the stages of movements, the role of identity in faith journeys, and the constraints of culture through Douglas’s Grid/Group model. the author then argues that God is working through a broad range of movements among Muslims, but issues of identity and belonging remain the greatest barriers to growth.

In response to the findings, the author offers Identity-Based Bible Translation as a new synthesis of translation, identity formation, community transformation, and spiritual transfrormation models as a corrective to the current failure to meet the deepest needs of Muslim communities through Bible translation.

Robinson, Mark A. 2021. “Bridges of Trust: Toward Identity-Based Bible Translation as a Catalyst for Movements to Christ among Muslims.” D.I.S., United States — California: Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Intercultural Studies.