United Bible Societies (UBS) has announced the completion of the first new Faroese translation of the New Testament since 1937, produced by the Faroese Bible Society.
The translation is meant to reach a new generation of readers and unite Christians across denominations, said Jenis av Rana, a prominent evangelical and Christian politician in the Faroe Islands.
“In short, the goal is an attempt to create a Bible translation that reaches today’s generation of young people and one that all Christians in the Faroe Islands can come together around,” Rana told Christian Daily International.
According to a UBS statement, the new New Testament reflects “liturgical customs and vocabulary rooted in the islands’ rich tradition.” It includes footnotes explaining terms at the bottom of the page, a glossary describing topics and phenomena in detail, and colored Bible maps, with “thoughtful attention to readability through its layout, design and colour choices,” the statement said.
Rana said the New Testament is the first of three planned installments of a full Bible translation for the islands, to be followed by the Psalms and then an authorized edition of the complete Bible.
Rana led Miðflokkurin — a Christian conservative party also known as the Center Party — in the Løgting (Faroese parliament) until recently and is a former minister of foreign affairs and culture. He also sits on the board of Lindin, a Christian radio station he helped launch in 2001, and serves as a lay preacher at evangelical meetings. The Faroe Islands are home to about 55,000 people across 18 islands in the North Atlantic.
Two Bible translations have been available in Faroese since 1948, used respectively by the Lutheran national church and the free churches, Rana said.
Hans Jacob Joensen, a former Lutheran Faroese bishop, led the new translation effort, aiming to create a version for all Christians regardless of denomination. He set up an ecumenical working group with members from both the Lutheran national church and the Faroese free churches.
“After the translation was handed over to the Faroese Bible Society, other theologians, advisers and proofreaders worked through the manuscript and offered advice on the best presentation in the Bible, both theologically and linguistically,” Rana said.
“The translation is from the original language into modern Faroese. In the translation, attention is paid to words that have deep roots in the Faroese people, and emphasis is placed on preserving a rich imagery. The Bible translation sticks to theological core concepts with strong meaningful value,” Rana said.
