The impact of oral Bible translation on spiritual formation in Malawi, with special focus on the Malokotela and Mihipiti Languages

Abstract

Bible translation plays an important role in spiritual formation, as it allows people to access God’s Word in their mother tongue languages. In Malawi, although the Bible has been available in Chichewa, a widely spoken language, for over a century, spiritual formation remains largely unfulfilled. Various ungodly cultural practices indicate that the message of the Bible is not rooted in people’s hearts. This gap is mainly due to the fact that the Bible has existed in written form; yet many Malawian cultures are mostly oral, with a significant proportion of the population, especially in rural areas, lacking literacy skills. This study surveys
different scholars on spiritual formation and Bible translation to argue that translation efforts must take into account the
communication preferences of the targeted audience. The research further examines oral Bible translation projects in
Malokotela and Mihipiti languages, assessing their impact on spiritual formation. Based on field findings, the study
offers conclusions and practical recommendations.