Jacobus Capitein's Translation Of 'The Lord's Prayer' Into Mfantse: An Example Of Creative Mother Tongue Hermeneutics

Abstract

Jacobus Elisa Johannes Capitein (1717-1747) was the first African Protestant chaplain at the Elmina Castle, Gold Coast (Ghana). He is credited with the translation of the popular Judeo-Christian prayer, usually referred to as 'The Lord's Prayer ', into the Mfantse language, using a Dutch orthography. This paper focuses mainly on the hermeneutical principles underlying Capitein's translation. It is being argued that Capitein has produced a stimulating translation that reflects a creative adaptation of various renditions of this popular prayer to the liturgical and catechetical needs of his time. He has also attempted an appreciable transposition of Judeo-Christian thought into the local edina (elmina) setting, his limited knowledge of the indigenous culture notwithstanding. His accomplishment can therefore be described as a' noble pioneering effort in the discipline of biblical hermeneutics using relevant mother tongue thought categories.