The TNIV and the Gender-Neutral Bible Controversy

“The Bible is God’s own Word to us.” Translating the words of God has become an even more daunting task in recent years as the pressure of “political correctness” and various activist agendas have sought to influence the landscape. No issue has become more controversial than genderneutral Bible translations, especially with the release of the TNIV.

Vern Poythress and Wayne Grudem examine the translation practice of replacing the generic “he” and the specific “father” with the gender-neutral “they” and “parent” with special attention focused on the TNIV. While translators may be well intentioned in seeking not to offend, Poythress and Grudem contend that the results are subtly changing meanings of the original texts.

The authors seek to build a dialogue that will result in understanding both sides of the gender-neutral controversy and the challenge of producing accurate Bible translations.