Oral Bible Translation

Of the 7,000+ languages of the world

Over 6,000 do not have a full Bible

45% do not have a written form

Training & Tools for Oral Bible Translation & Engagement

80% of the world’s population are oral learners– people who do not read or prefer to learn by oral means. This percentage is much higher among unreached people groups. Oral learners are not necessarily illiterate, they simply prefer to learn through oral performance.

For the oral majority of the world to be able to engage effectively with the living Word, it must be translated and presented to them in a medium and format they understand and with which they can engage. Traditional literate-based approaches do not effectively “speak their language”.

In the Original (Old) Testament, God provides a roadmap for discipling an oral nation. Benefitting from the tremendous resources of the language, land, and culture/historical context of the Bible, we aim to serve as a vital Kingdom multiplier by developing educational programs, materials, and tools for oral Bible translation, storytelling, and Scripture engagement; and creating innovative solutions to enable high orality-reliant communities to access and engage with the whole Word.

Support a translator

Become a translator

RINA CROCHETS A PARABLE

“Rina” is a translation consultant-in-training who completed the immersive School of Biblical Hebrew and MA in Classical Hebrew & Translation Consulting in Jerusalem. She is involved with the End Bible Poverty Now initiative because of her experiences as a Bible training leader in Australia, Germany and Papua New Guinea. It was in PNG that she first realized the need for Bible translation and audiovisual Bibles as the community there does not read and has no Scripture in their heart language.

Study at the Center for Oral Scriptures

The goal of the Center for Oral Scriptures is to mobilize and equip a generation of translators and practitioners committed to enabling high orality-reliant people groups to gain access to and to engage with the whole Word of God.

EDUCATION AND TOOLS

In the Original Testament, God provides a roadmap for discipling an oral nation and demonstrates a plethora of oral methodologies. Benefitting from the tremendous resources of the language, land, and culture/historical context of the Bible, the Center for Oral Scriptures serves as a vital Kingdom multiplier among high orality reliant learners by:

Providing educational programs of translators and orality practitioners to enable Bible access and engagement among high orality reliant communities
Developing materials and tools to aid oral Bible translation, storytelling, and Scripture engagement
Identifying missing links, and creating innovative solutions to enable high orality reliant communities to access and engage with the whole Word

Training Formats

Accredited courses and internships, as part of the various degree offerings of the Institute of Biblical Languages and Translation, to train the next generation of Bible translators, existing Bible translators and Bible translation consultants in training
Short courses, workshops and seminars in Oral Bible Translation and Scripture engagement offered around the globe together with our partners

Resources

COS produces and publishes media resources to assist oral Bible translation and engagement; and offers consultation on oral Bible translation and engagement to translation teams. Current resources include:

Master Storyteller (Digital Access and Film Package – master-storyteller.net)
Oral Translation Brief
Short Videos
Visual Art
Key Biblical Concepts for Oral Bible Translation
Bible Translation Media Toolbox

Through its publishing arm, Orality Resources International, the Center for Oral Scriptures produces and publishes resources to fuel Scripture translation, Bible storytelling and engagement among high orality reliant learners.

COURSE OFFERINGS

COS offers the following accredited courses in the field of Orality to students in the two MA programs of the Institute of Biblical Languages & Translation.

MA Classical (Biblical) Hebrew electives

Prerequisite Course: Performing Scripture
Course 1: Biblical Foundations of Orality
Course 2: Oral Bible Translation

MA Classical (Biblical) Hebrew and Translation Consulting

Core MA Courses
Prerequisite Course: Performing Scripture
Course 1: Biblical Foundations of Orality
Course 2: Oral Bible Translation

Specialization in OBT and Consulting

Course 3: Advanced Oral Bible Translation
Course 4: Ethnomusicology and Art
Course 5: Media Production
Internship: Oral Bible Translation Internship

COS offers the following short courses in the field of Orality in partnership with other agencies around the world:

Introduction of Orality
Oral Bible Discovery

APPLY TO THE M.A. OBT SPECIALIZATION

Beryl performs the Creation story in Hebrew

“May I have the needed passion, strength, and support to pursue orality in all its fullness and advantages as a servant of God for my people group and for the people group to which the organization I belong is serving. Thank you for being an instrument in opening the eyes of my mind.”

– Margie רבקה, Philippines