K. Renato Lings - Holy Censorship or Mistranslation? Love, Gender and Sexuality in the Bible

Contents

To the memory of theologians
Marcella Althaus-Reid (19522009)and Loraine Tulleken (19432020)

HOLY CENSORSHIP
OR MISTRANSLATION?

I have been an admirer of Dr Lings work since reading his wonderful book Love Lost in Translation (2013). Holy Censorship or Mistranslation goes beyond the first in its exploration of a wide variety of topics relating to gender and sexuality, with a particular focus on the ways that our views of these issues have been affected by (mis)translation and (mis)interpretation, much of it fuelled by political and cultural concerns rather than the text itself. Dr Lings brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this work, elucidating nuances of the biblical texts that are often overlooked. As a multilingual scholar, Dr Lings grasp of both primary and secondary sources is remarkable. This is a book which will be helpful and meaningful to specialists and non-specialists alike.

Revd Dr Thomas Bohache, contributing editor of
The Queer Bible Commentary (2006)

Renato Lings proves himself to be a patient investigator, an accomplished biblical scholar and a calm, even-handed translator. Troublesome passages which have been thought to proscribe same-sex love are examined sometimes microscopically, sometimes counter-intuitively in their contexts. Mistranslations are exposed, and the censorship caused by their repetition in modern Bible translations is uncovered. More than a revisitation of clobber texts, Lings offers an admirable, and sometimes original, account of same-sex love in both Testaments.

Adrian Thatcher, Honorary Professor, Department of
Theology and Religion, University of Exeter

Amid the thunderous bluster of the ideological use of scripture, Renato Lings speaks the still small voice of genuine sensitivity to ancient words and their real uses. Ive taught these texts frequently over decades and have never come away from reading Renato without having to revise my approach. Ironically, given the patience and modesty of his style, the resulting upheavals in interpretation, including the first genuinely new reading of the story of Sodom in centuries, are seismic.

James Alison, Catholic priest and theologian

Dr Lings casts his analytical eye over the texts of terror and reads in a new way, one that speaks of human dignity and inclusion. The skilful linguist that he is, he documents how mistranslations have led to misunderstanding and inevitably prejudice. I urge a wide reading of this wonderful book and look with hope to the changes in church and society that it will bring.

Lisa Isherwood, Professor Emerita of Feminist
Liberation Theology, University of Winchester

Dr Lings does a good job of laying out the problems of biblical translation and connecting many of the mistakes to modern ideologies of sexuality. That is a very needed contribution. The book will be valuable to many people.

Dale Martin, Professor Emeritus,Yale University

An outstanding theologian and philologist, Renato Lings is respectful of all words and knows that the perfect translation is elusive. Similarly, he knows that some words disorient, hide or hurt while other words join together, induce respect and open horizons. In this remarkable exploration of the Bible, Renato Lings reveals essential aspects of same-sex love and affection.

Javier de la Torre, Professor of Bioethics and Moral Theology,
Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Madrid, Spain)