Theology in the Mother Tongue: Oral Bible Translation and Embodied Faith (Fausto Liriano) Ep. #216

Sep 4, 2025

Dr. Fausto Liriano, a Bible translator and Hebrew scholar, dives into the transformative world of oral Bible translation for indigenous communities in Latin America. He challenges Western ideas of literacy, emphasizing the power of memorization and performance in internalizing Scripture. Liriano discusses how indigenous languages capture the poetic essence of biblical texts better than dominant languages. He advocates for a theology rooted in local experiences, confronting the legacy of colonialism while emphasizing wholeness and embodied participation in faith.

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INSIGHT

No Single Latin American Theology

Latin America lacks a single unified theology because regional realities differ greatly across cultures and histories.
Fausto argues theology must start from local contexts, not imported Northern frameworks.

INSIGHT

Corruption Needs Theological Attention

Corruption permeates Latin American political and social life and lacks robust theological engagement.
Fausto suggests theology must directly address corruption as a priority in the region.

ADVICE

Begin Theology From The Local Whole Person

Start theology with the whole person and local reflection rather than importing external systems.
Remove foreign presuppositions and let communities reflect on Scripture themselves.

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What if the Bible isn’t something you read—but something you hear, memorize, and perform?

In this groundbreaking episode, Dr. Fausto Liriano shares his work translating the Bible into indigenous languages without writing it down. Through oral Bible translation projects in Guatemala, Mexico, and the Philippines, Dr. Liriano helps communities internalize Scripture in their own languages—through performance, storytelling, and memorization.

He explains how this work challenges not only Western assumptions about literacy and theology, but also confronts colonial patterns in missionary work, translation philosophy, and even what counts as “canonical” Scripture. The episode explores how indigenous languages often mirror Hebrew’s poetic ambiguity more than Spanish or English do, why repetition and redundancy are theological tools, and how people with no formal education are memorizing and performing hours of biblical material with precision and reverence.

Dr. Liriano also reflects on the need for contextual theology in Latin America—one that isn’t imported from the North, but developed by the people, for the people. He calls for a theology of corruption, of wholeness, and of embodied participation in God’s word.

For more on Fausto's work:
https://translation.bible/staff-profile/fausto-liriano/

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Latin American Theology
01:59 Misunderstandings of Latin American Theology
04:47 The Need for Contextual Theology
07:41 Corruption and Its Impact on Theology
10:43 The Role of Indigenous Voices in Theology
13:52 Oral Bible Translation in Guatemala
16:47 The Value of Orality in Cultural Contexts
25:08 Translating for Indigenous Cultures
27:57 Exploring Orality in Biblical Texts
30:13 The Process of Oral Bible Translation
34:57 Community Engagement and Performance
37:41 The Importance of Oral Tradition
42:14 Navigating Colonialism and Canonization
44:29 The Heart of Translation: Language and Connection