Censoring Judeo-Christian God: Examining the views on gender and sexuality in selected versions of the Filipino translation of the Bible

Presentation Date: 

Friday, May 3, 2019

Location: 

Lavender Languages and Linguistics 26, Göteborgs Universitet, Gothenburg

This paper explores the various mechanisms of expressing and euphemizing linguistic constructs related to sex, sexuality, and gender in the Filipino/Tagalog translations of the Bible. Centuries of colonization in the Philippines have paved the way to the sacralization of the Judeo-Christian text, penetrating the different aspects of the life in the country, from the drafting of the Constitution up to observing everyday activities and prescribing a set of customs. For this study, focus shall be given to how the Bible has shaped the worldviews and perspectives of its believers with regards to sexual behaviors and gender identities, norms, and roles. Data were gathered from the corpus of texts found in the Filipino/Tagalog translation of the Bible written and published in different versions, each of which serves a particular group of readers, such as religious administrators, Bible scholars and exegetics, and casual preachers or readers. The data gathered demonstrate metaphorical constructions, decontextualized expressions, euphemisms and dysphemisms. Emphasis is also given to the seemingly intermarriage of the folk and Christian beliefs, illustrated by the use of linguistic constructs considered to be unique in Filipino Christianity. With this, the author aims to explain how the Filipino/Tagalog language deals with concepts related to sex, sexuality, and gender, influenced by the advent of Judeo-Christian faith.