Paul Ricoeur’s Concept of ‘Linguistic Hospitality’ and Current Dynamics in Bible Translation

It is more than 25 years since Paul Ricoeur presented his lecture at the German Historical Institute in Paris, with the title “Défi et bonheur de la traduction”. His reflections there, and in several other texts on translation, have been often discussed in the scholarship circles from the perspective of their implications on translation theories and linguistic concepts. We consider that it is a fruitful exercise to revisit Ricoeur’s main argument and how he builds up his discourse towards the concept of ‘linguistic hospitality’. The Bible translation movement continues its journey to enable more minority language communities to become active participants in the Bible translation process and to fully own its outcome. And as we are part of this, Ricoeur’s reflection on the dynamics of translation will remind us that this process is not only shaping other cultures and languages, but it also challenges our own understanding of the biblical text. It is, eventually, an invitation to engage with Bible translation from a hermeneutics of humility.