Decolonizing New Testament Translation in the Indian Context: John 10.1–18 in the Satya Veda Pusthakam

Abstract

This article analyses NT translation in the Indian context with a focus on John 10.1–18 in the Satya Veda Pusthakam (SVP), a Malayalam version of the Bible. The colonial context in which this translation was produced is first outlined, showing how this context and its accompanying ideology shaped approaches to translation. This led to a translation that does not reflect the culture or language of subaltern communities, but reinforces dominant class ideology in its adoption of English and Sanskritized style. These issues are illustrated through a closer analysis of John 10.1–18 in the SVP. Finally, the essay explores the ways in which translation can enable communication between cultures, and argues for a decolonized approach to biblical translation in the Indian context. The challenge of decolonization might continue to reshape NT studies in India as the indigenous and subaltern communities get involved in Bible translation and interpretation of the text.