Original version

BBC World Service Online

Heart and Soul

Documentaries

Religion & Ethics

Personal approaches to spirituality from around the world.

Heart and Soul: The Sanctity of Language part 1: The Bible

Magazines & Reviews

09/05/2009

The Sanctity of Language part 1: The Bible

BBC World Service - Heart and Soul, The Sanctity of Language part 1: The Bible

A two-part series explores the sanctity of language, looking this week at the Bible.

In a two part series Emre Azizlerli looks first at the Bible. Is something lost in translation, or does speaking the word of God in your mother tongue bring you closer to your faith?

Faithful souls, doubtful tongues. Many believers do not speak the language that their religion considers sacred. They pray in words whose meaning is beyond them, with the notion that their mother tongue lacks the power of sanctity, the truthfulness, of the ‘language of God’, be that Hebrew, Arabic or Latin. But what is it that keeps a language sacred in the eyes of a multilingual faithful? And can a translation ever come close to expressing the divine words of God? 

In a two part series for Heart and Soul, Emre Azizlerli looks first at the Bible. Jews still believe in the sacredness of Hebrew, whereas the Christian Bible is constantly translated and re-versioned to appeal to modern audiences all around the world. Is something lost in translation, or does speaking the word of God in your mother tongue bring you closer to your faith?

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Heart and Soul

The Sanctity of Language part 1: The Bible

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Online

About BBC World Service