Relational Construction of Attitudes towards Vernacular Languages and Vernacular Scripture Products among Seminary Students in Indonesi

The important role of church leadership in fostering vernacular scripture engagement is well established. What is less well known is how church leaders' attitudes towards the use of vernacular languages and vernacular scriptures are developed. This study examined the attitudes of a group of future church leaders towards vernacular languages and vernacular scriptures in the highly multilingual context of Indonesia. Using interviews supplemented by quantitative survey methods, the attitudes of students attending a seminary on Java in Indonesia towards the use of vernacular languages and vernacular scriptures in ministry were explored from the perspectives of social network analysis and relational sociology. It was discovered that the students were highly committed to the use of local languages in their future ministry. In contrast, however, they were not using their own vernacular translations, nor did the use of vernacular translations figure into their plans for future ministry. This study investigates the reasons for this dichotomy and suggests steps that Bible translation agencies can take to address the lack of interest in vernacular scriptures that was expressed by these future leaders.