Ein Sendbrief vom Dolmetschen, [or] An Open Letter on Translating by Howard Jones

Abstract

Reviewed by: Ein Sendbrief vom Dolmetschen, [or] An Open Letter on Translating by Howard Jones David A. Lumpp Ein Sendbrief vom Dolmetschen, [or] An Open Letter on Translating. Translated by Howard Jones. Treasures of the Taylorian, Series One: Reformation Pamphlets. Taylor Institution Library, Oxford University, 2017 47. pp., + 20 pages of introduction, followed by 20 facsimile pages. The anniversary celebration of the publication of Martin Luther's "September Testament" invites consideration of a booklet devoted [End Page 370] to that pivotal work and to its theological and linguistic defense. It is a challenge to encapsulate the contents of this booklet in a brief review, for it includes a short discussion of the nature of the facsimile itself by Henrike Lähnemann, a helpful (and more technical) "note on the transcription" comparing some medieval and modern German terms, an introduction to the Sendbrief by the translator, the "Open Letter" itself in both German transcription and English translation on facing pages, a short glossary of names, and the facsimile itself. Readers who want to delve into the technical matters concerning the facsimile and the transcription even more thoroughly are encouraged to explore the appropriate Oxford website: www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/taylor. Luther's "Open Letter," written while he was at the Coburg Castle during the Diet of Augsburg in 1530, includes a great deal of New Testament and Reformation theology in a relatively short essay (21 pages in the American Edition of Luther's Works, vol. 35, 181–202). Most famously—and importantly—this letter represents Luther's spirited defense of his addition of "alone" in his rendering of Romans 3:28 (for Luther, "we teach that a person is justified by faith alone, apart from works of the law"). Luther contends that his translation is demanded by considerations of sound German grammar and translation theory (15–17), as well as by St. Paul's originally intended meaning (especially 29–33). The former is the language argument, the latter is the argument from theology. Along the way, one finds some of Luther's clearest and strongest statements of his mature understanding of justification as being altogether dependent on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and to the exclusion of both works of the law and good works. In the course of this discussion, he refers once to his never completed treatise "On Justification." Luther spends less time disposing of the question as to whether the departed saints pray for those still living, telling the unnamed recipient of his letter that the Word of God is silent on the matter but steadfastly directs Christians instead to the saving work and the intercession of Christ alone. In this way, he ties the two topics together. Still more is packed into this "Open Letter," including a discussion of the challenges of translating in general and his priorities in [End Page 371] particular, an attack on Hieronymous Emser (who published his own competing, plagiarized translation of the New Testament), a claim of patristic support for his doctrine of justification, and a rebuke of the scholastic method and Roman fealty to Aristotle. The polemics notwithstanding, near its conclusion the letter includes Luther's eloquent and moving statement that even under the papacy, "Christ has, through his power, preserved baptism, as well as the simple text of the Gospel read out from the pulpit, the Lord's Prayer, and the Creed, and in doing so he has preserved large numbers of his Christians and therefore his Christendom" (43). Those who seek to understand the more technical matters in connection with this letter should read this booklet. Nevertheless, those who wish to study the letter in a contemporary context should consult the version provided in volume 6 of The Annotated Luther: The Interpretation of Scripture, well annotated by Volker Leppin (Fortress Press, 2017; 19–40). [End Page 372] David A. Lumpp Concordia University Saint Paul, Minnesota Copyright © 2022 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.