Embodied Hermeneutics: Oral Bible Translation and Embodied Cognition

This paper explores quality in Bible translation by examining the linguistic basis of sound exegetical practices for Oral Bible Translation (OBT). Traditional exegetical practices rely on assumptions about how to interpret texts based on principles of linguistics, including structural, descriptivist, generative, and functional linguistic schools of thought. However, these practices have been challenged by the growing importance of orality studies, particularly in relation to oral preference learners. Newer practices of internalisation and oral exegesis have been developed to address these challenges, but so far there is not yet a solid theoretical basis for these practices in linguistics. Drawing on the author’s master’s thesis, this paper explores the findings of cognitive linguistics in embodied cognition as a foundation of oral hermeneutics. It demonstrates how humans make and understand meaning in terms of physical interaction with their environment and argues that oral exegesis is not simply an accommodation for non-literates, but rather a valid form of linguistic analysis. This paper seeks to contribute to ongoing discussions about the importance of quality in translation and the evolving practices of exegesis in the context of Bible translation. By highlighting the role of cognitive and embodied linguistics in oral hermeneutics, it offers new insights into the linguistic foundations of oral exegesis and its potential for enhancing the quality of translation.