by Tom Magill

The English Standard Version of the bible, a translation published by a group of Evangelical American scholars in 2001, has been chosen by the Scottish bishops, following the English and Indian Conferences of bishops, as the text for the new Lectionary for Catholic Liturgy. This decision has already drawn criticism regarding the adequacy of the translation and its appropriateness for use as a Catholic liturgical text. In particular, the conscious choice of the translators to reject inclusive language has been considered by some as reason enough to object to the use of this translation in the Catholic Church.1 In this essay, I would like to move beyond these particular critiques, necessary though they are, to reflect on the choice in light of the Catholic understanding of Scripture, Tradition and Magisterium.