Theological Horizons is delighted to announce that Matthew Kustenbauder has won the 2007 Richard and Louise Goodwin Graduate Prize for Excellence in Theological Writing for his paper, "What's In A Name? Foundations of Christian Mission: God's Incarnation in Jesus Christ and the Ongoing Work of Translation."

In his paper, Matthew examines the Christian mission of translation and the nature of God's translation of himself in Jesus Christ. After all these centuries, it's easy to forget that the Bible was translated for us, and that neither English nor Latin is God's language of choice. It's also easy to view translation as a colonizing effort, an attempt to westernize the world.

So why should we translate the Bible? Matthew answers:  Because God did it first. Matthew posits that the incarnation was a translation of God into something we could understand--a human being. "If God saw fit to be translated into Jesus of Nazareth," Matthew writes, "why should Christian converts throughout all times and places not receive God in their own languages and cultures?" In order to understand a new idea, we need to see it within the context of our own world view. Translation, Matthew says, is not only a way to serve and to spread the gospel, but it is also a natural expression of the Christian experience.

Matthew Kustenbauder received his B.A. in Psychology and Biblical Studies from Messiah College and an M.Div from Yale Divinity School. Matthew's passion for the intersection of theology and culture has frequently drawn him to Africa, most recently to examine independent church movements. He is currently a graduate student in African Studies at Yale University living with his wife Alice and their new baby in New Haven, Connecticut. For more information on Matthew, his paper, or the Goodwin Prize, please contact us at info@theologicalhorizons.org.

Abstract from "What's In A Name?"

This essay answers the question of why translation is so central to Christian faith and mission. In doing so, it examines the theological, biblical, and historical claims made by Christianity for translation. I argue that translation is not simply a clever and effective tool of mission, instead, it expresses what lies at the heart of Christian faith. Translation began with the Incarnation event, as Jesus Christ is the translation of God into humanity. The Christian Scriptures are an account of this translation. The gospel message contained in the Bible is, at its heart, the “good news” of translation, a witness to God’s ultimate gift, God’s self-giving, which makes possible the divine-human relationship. Christian history with respect to translation is one of divine mimesis, characterized throughout by the translation of the gospel message into literally thousands of languages and cultures.

Submissions for the 2008 Goodwin Prize are being accepted through June 1.