Translation and Religion

The study of religion has been closely linked to the study of translation, as both the theory and practice of translation have evolved in religious contexts, historically accommodating the need and goal of translating religious texts. Scholars have explored how the practices and understandings of translation in different religious traditions, set against particular social and political circumstances, have enabled religious, linguistic and cultural exchange. Beyond the translation of Holy Scriptures, scholars have also explored the influence of religious beliefs on the translation of various kinds of sacred texts (such as the Talmud, or the Islamic Hadith); cultural strategies and language ideologies informed and revealed by theological translation; religious vocabulary or historical stages in the development of national languages; and more.