ABSTRACT
Translation is common in political broadcasts and publications as local and regional politics inevitably touch national and international relations. This chapter covers all of these aspects of the political in translation. In considering the role of colonial missionary translations in African politics, it shows the missionaries engaging with politics via translation, the inevitable political ramifications of missionary translations, and the intentional use of missionary translations for political change. Africa provides particular insights for the study of translation and politics due to its cultural and linguistic diversity. The chapter presents the academic context and current research on the subject of missionary translations and colonial African politics. It discusses what the author perceives to be the three main issues in studying the subject, using examples from different African contexts, different European contexts, and different temporal contexts. Finally, the chapter considers new debates and gaps in research on the subject.
