Biblical Translation as Invasion in Postcolonial Northern Ghana

Nathan A. Esala explores the distinct biblical translation practices in the northern regions of Ghana, Africa, from the region's precolonial encounters with Christianity to its postcolonial engagement today. Esala illustrates how biblical translation into the languages of Ghana has been partially co-opted in ways that support Western economic and cultural invasion as well as political colonization. As an alternative to more invasive biblical translation practices, Esala presents case studies that adapt a liberating method of group Bible study where Bible readers retranslate passages from Job, Ruth, and Judges in ways that build community in the face of oppression.