Wycliffe Bible Translators is a nonprofit organization with headquarters in Dallas, Texas, USA. It is dedicated to making a translation of the Bible in every living language in the world, especially for cultures with little existing Christian influence, sometimes referred to as "unreached people groups". Wycliffe was founded in 1942 by William Cameron Townsend. There are currently branches in over 50 countries (see Wycliffe International website for a list). The organization is named after John Wycliffe, the first person to compile a translation of the Bible into Middle English. “Dallas” redirects here. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... William Cameron Townsend is a prominent christian missionary whose ministry began in the early twentieth century. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      John Wycliffe... Middle English is the name given by historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of 1066 and the mid-to-late 15th century, when the Chancery Standard, a form of London-based English, began to become widespread, a process aided by the...

Philosophy and methods

Wycliffe bases its philosophy on Townsend's Protestantism which regards the intercultural and multilinguistic spread of Christianity as a divine command. This type of Protestantism adheres to the principle of sola scriptura and regards Biblical texts as the authoritative and infallible word of God. Protestantism encompasses the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated with the doctrines of the Reformation. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      This article is about theological concept. ...

In a Wycliffe mission, Wycliffe senior workers first request permission to operate from the government in charge of a region. After the organization receives permission to operate, several small teams research a region's linguistic populations. Based on this data, teams are sent to each linguistic group.

The team introduces itself to a group, usually with the aid of bilingual helpers such as traders or guides. The team lives on site, and attempts to speak the language. Formal recordings, word lists and grammars are kept, usually on computers, backed up periodically to the national mission.

When the phonology is understood, the team selects a writing system similar to those in use by nearby trading languages. At some point, the team begins to translate short portions of the Bible into the native language. The translation is tested and corrected with native speakers, as well as the existing lexicographies and grammars. Once the Bible is translated, printings are arranged, often through one of the United Bible Societies. The length of the entire process varies depending on the portion of the Bible being translated; it can take as long as 20+ years. Phonology (Greek phonē = voice/sound and logos = word/speech), is a subfield of linguistics which studies the sound system of a specific language (or languages). ... Writing systems of the world today. ... A Bible society is a non-profit organization (usually ecumenical Protestant in makeup) devoted to translating, publishing and distributing the Bible for free or at subsidized low cost. ...

Organization

SIL International, originally the Summer Institute of Linguistics, began as a small summer training session for missionaries in Arkansas in 1934. They are a partner organization of Wycliffe Bible Translators. SIL International is a worldwide non-profit evangelical Christian organization whose main purpose is to study, develop and document lesser-known languages in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy and aid minority language development. ... SIL International is a non-profit, faith-based, scientific organization with the main purpose to study, develop and document lesser-known languages for the purpose of expanding linguistic knowledge, promoting world literacy and aiding minority language development. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Another partner organization and subsidiary of SIL International, JAARS, originally the Jungle Aviation And Radio Service, provides transportation and technical services for missionaries and associated development workers. Jungle Aviation and Radio Service supports missionaries and linguists with transportation to remote areas and communication. ... ...

Wycliffe Associates is a volunteer organization that exists to support Wycliffe Bible Translators. Wycliffe Associates' relationship to the main Wycliffe organization varies in the different countries in which it operates. Wycliffe Associates US and Wycliffe Associates UK are separate organizations to Wycliffe US and Wycliffe UK. Wycliffe Bible Translators is an international, interdemoninational or parachurch organisation with US headquarters in Orlando, Florida. ...

The Seed Company is a subsidiary of Wycliffe USA that provides support to local translators. Wycliffe Bible Translators is an international, interdemoninational or parachurch organisation with US headquarters in Orlando, Florida. ...

Controversy and criticism

Wycliffe Bible Translators frequently comes under criticism from anthropologists and Third World Nationalists. Due to heated opinions on both sides of the issue, neutral and scholarly material that accurately assesses the impact of the organization can be difficult to come by.

The actual impact of Wycliffe seems to lay between the extremes of the rosy pictures painted by its members and the vehement criticism of its critics.

The conspiracy theorists who believe that [Wycliffe] is a simple front for the CIA will find little support for their views [...] It is true, however, that [Wycliffe] has influential ties to capitalist enterprise, politicians, and military figures in the United States and in the developing countries in which it works. [Wycliffe] is not an "empire" per se, but foreign missions such as [Wycliffe] are part of the larger political process in which powerful nations export political, economic, social, and ideological patterns to the relatively weaker and poorer regions of the world. Today, people in many developing countries are debating whether some aspects of this process should be limited or controlled. (Vickers, 1984:201)

References

Vickers, William. (1984). "Review: Fishers of Men or Founders of an Empire? The Wycliffe Bible Translators in Latin America by David Stoll." American Ethnologist, 11.1, 200-201.JSTOR

Colby, Gerard with Dennett, Charlotte. (1995). "Thy Will Be Done. The Conquest of the Amazon: Nelson Rockefeller and Evangelism in the age of Oil" Harper Collins, New York, NY.

External links

• Official site of Wycliffe International, containing links to many national Wycliffe organizations.

• JSTOR review of "Fishers of Men or Founders of an Empire? The Wycliffe Bible Translators in Latin America" by David Stoll

• Faith Comes by Hearing - Audio Bible translations and recordings - Partnership in more than 90 recording projects with ongoing audio Bible programs in Ecuador, Ghana, Cameroon, Peru, and Guatemala.