ABSTRACT
Translation and religious studies have consistently neglected oral translators of religious messages or have given them marginal attention at most. This chapter offers an overview of faith-related interpreting, mainly in the Christian context, clarifies terminology, briefly outlines its historical trajectory by presenting two cases studies, and explains key concepts. Current issues in relation to the impact of the interpreter and their role in various religious interlingual brokerage contexts are also discussed, as are future directions for this emerging field. Highlighting the importance of paying attention to interpreting as distinct from translating in religious settings, this chapter examines the relationship between interpreters and the sacred message they seek to transfer from one linguistic context to another. Consequently, this chapter shows that better understanding of how oral translation affects the proclamation and reception of religious messages has potential to contribute to research in interpreting studies as well as religious studies.
