I recently discovered a virtual panel discussion, hosted by Emory University in November of 2024, featuring three people who worked on the NRSVue translation:
Dr. John Kutsko – Director of the NRSVue Update
Dr. Jennifer Knust – New Testament Editor
Dr. Susan Hylen – translator for the pastoral epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus)
Here is a YouTube link to the panel discussion. The total length is approximately 54 minutes.
The three scholars shared their personal experiences working on the project and touched on the following topics:
- The logistical challenge of coordinating and harmonizing the work of many translators
- Guiding principles behind the update process, and how they were put into practice
- Specific examples of translation choices, including words involving slavery, Romans 3:22 (“the faith of Christ” instead of “faith in Christ”) and the famous translation of 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10.
Dr. John Kutsko mentioned his Catholic faith a couple of times during the discussion as an influence on how he approaches Scripture, and he highlighted the challenge of directing a translation project for an ecumenical audience where some Christians hold to a doctrine of Sola Scriptura, where individual word changes can spark major controversy. Until now, I didn’t realize that the director of the NRSVue update is Catholic.
I highly recommend this discussion. It provides more detailed behind-the-scenes information on the NRSVue than I’ve run across anywhere else, and it also helps to put a human face on some of the people who worked on the translation.