Wenli Union Version
The Wenli Union Version Bible (Chinese: 文理和合本聖經) is a Chinese translation of the Christian Bible published in the early 20th century. It was one of the three official versions produced as part of the collaborative "Union Version" Bible project, which aimed to unify and modernize Bible translations in Chinese. The Wenli version was specifically translated into Wenli (文理文), a classical literary form of Chinese used by educated readers at the time.[1]
Background
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Christian missionary societies recognized the need for a standardized Chinese Bible translation that could be accepted across denominations. The result was the Union Version project, initiated by British and American Bible societies, which aimed to produce three versions:
- A vernacular Chinese version (和合本)
- A classical Chinese version (文理和合本)
- A version using simpler literary Chinese (官話文理本)
The Wenli Union Version was designed for educated readers who were fluent in classical Chinese but preferred a translation closely aligned with traditional syntax and style.[2]
Translation and Publication
The translation work was carried out by a joint committee of Protestant missionaries, representing various denominations. Notable contributors included:
- Calvin Wilson Mateer (Presbyterian Church)
- Chauncey Goodrich (Congregationalist)
- Timothy Richard (Baptist)[3]
The Wenli version of the Bible was completed and published in 1919. The translators followed the original Hebrew and Greek texts, but the language was rendered in high Wenli style, making it more suitable for theological study and formal liturgical use.
Usage and Impact
The Wenli Union Version was widely used by seminaries, scholars, and churches in early Republican China. It became an important reference for academic studies, theological education, and early Chinese Christian literature. However, as literacy in classical Chinese declined and the vernacular became the standard in education and print, the use of the Wenli Bible diminished.
Today, the Wenli Union Version remains of historical significance, and copies are preserved in university libraries, seminaries, and archives. It is occasionally cited in comparative theological studies and linguistic analyses of biblical Chinese.
See also
References
This article "Wenli Union Version" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Wenli Union Version. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
- ↑ Chan, Sin-wai. A Glossary of Translation Studies. Chinese University Press, 2004.
- ↑ Su, Ching-fang. "The Development of Chinese Bible Translations: From Wenli to Modern Vernacular." Journal of Chinese Religion, 2015.
- ↑ Scott, Rosemary. "Bible Translation in China: The History of the Union Versions." International Bulletin of Missionary Research, 1992.
