Translation Wars: The Influence of Semantics and Translation on the More-Tyndale Polemic

The More-Tyndale polemic was one of many debates during the Protestant Reformation, a time of great religious change and conflict. Because of this, many scholars who examine the lengthy debate view it as a pure reflection of the typical Reformation arguments of the century, and assume it to be a debate of ubiquitous opposing religious ideals. This paper, however, argues that while many of these Reformation topics were present, the polemic was primarily fueled by clash over semantics and the topic of Biblical translation. Through this unique approach to a classic debate, one may better understand Christian theology’s inherent struggle with linguistics within the volatile context of the Protestant Reformation.