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Article published In: Translation and Interpreting Studies
Vol. 18:3 (2023) ► pp.448–470

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A comparative interpreting studies view of interpreting in religious contexts

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Published online: 30 May 2023
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https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.20112.dow
Abstract
This article applies Comparative Interpreting Studies to research on interpreting in religious contexts and the relevance of this literature to interpreting studies more broadly. Comparative Interpreting Studies is an approach that looks to plot the commonalities of all interpreting practice. It is argued that actual observed interpreter behaviors, rather than assumed professional standards, provide a justifiable unit of comparison. The behavior of interpreters in religious contexts is discussed, alongside the split between prescriptive and descriptive approaches to analyzing this behavior and the importance of spiritual and emotional aspects. Differences in research approaches on interpreting in religious contexts are shown to shadow debates within interpreting studies and thus offer insights that may be cautiously generalized. Such generalizations align with recent research in a variety of interpreting contexts and lead to a call for interpreting researchers to give more attention to the wider social, organizational, and personal contexts of interpreting.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Comparative translation and interpreting studies explained
  • Interpreting in religious contexts – A brief introduction to research and practice
  • Interpreter behavior in IRC … and beyond
  • Prescriptive vs. descriptive approaches
  • The religious aspect of IRC and the multi-dimensionality of interpreting
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (71)
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