My post on slaves and sons reminded me of a point I’ve been thinking that I don’t think I’ve ever discussed with anyone or written anything about. The term “gender-inclusive” has come to be associated with a certain translation philosophy in Bible translation, namely the translation philosophy that considers it accurate to translate terms referring to multiple genders only with terms that in contemporary English can apply to multiple genders. In other words, using “he” to refer to a gender-unknown or gender-unspecified person or using “sons” to refer to a gender-mixed group would not be gender-inclusive.
It strikes me, however, that the term “gender-inclusive” is actually ambiguous, and the translations that use “sons” for a gender-mixed group or “he” to refer to a gender-unspecified or gender-unknown person are actually the gender-inclusive ones in one sense of the term. After all, they’re using usually-masculine terms in a gender-inclusive way, right? They’re using a sometimes gender-specific term in a gender-inclusive way. So why is it the opposite approach that always gets to be called gender-inclusive?
My post on slaves and sons reminded me of a point I’ve been thinking that I don’t think I’ve ever discussed with anyone or written anything about. The term “gender-inclusive” has come to be associated with a certain translation philosophy in Bible translation, namely the translation philosophy that considers it accurate to translate terms referring to multiple genders only with terms that in contemporary English can apply to multiple genders. In other words, using “he” to refer to a gender-unknown or gender-unspecified person or using “sons” to refer to a gender-mixed group would not be gender-inclusive.
It strikes me, however, that the term “gender-inclusive” is actually ambiguous, and the translations that use “sons” for a gender-mixed group or “he” to refer to a gender-unspecified or gender-unknown person are actually the gender-inclusive ones in one sense of the term. After all, they’re using usually-masculine terms in a gender-inclusive way, right? They’re using a sometimes gender-specific term in a gender-inclusive way. So why is it the opposite approach that always gets to be called gender-inclusive?
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Lift My Chin, Lord
Lift my chin, Lord,Say to me,“You are not whoYou feared to be,Not Hecate, quite,With howling sound,Torch held…
Letters
Two delightful essays in the March issue, by Nikolas Prassas (“Large Language Poetry,” March 2025) and Gary…
Spring Twilight After Penance
Let’s say you’ve just comeFrom confession. Late sunPours through the budding treesThat mark the brown creek washing Itself…
