Communicating in multilingual churches

Abstract

This paper aims to expand the boundaries of public service interpreting and translation (PSIT) and map the still widely unexplored territory of translating and interpreting in ecclesiastical settings. The starting point is the consideration that 21st-century societies are shaped by cross-cultural contact and interaction because of migration flows. Consequently, parishes are culturally and linguistically diverse. In such a context, translation and interpreting services are of utmost importance to ensure the integration of parishioners and preachers in the religious community. I intend to explore some of the realities, needs, and challenges posed by interpreting in ecclesiastical settings in Spain. A mainly qualitative methodology based on discourse analysis is used. Data come from empirical studies on related topics, an open questionnaire, and observation. The study touches on issues relating to the specific communication needs and audience expectations in religious settings, the context dependency of ecclesiastical translation and interpreting, and the interpreter’s role(s) of the interpreter in the religious environment.