Jacobus Capitein's Translation of '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 Christian prayer, usually referred to as 'The Lord Prayer,' into the Mfantse language, using the Dutch orthography. This paper focuses mainly on the hermeneutical principles underlying Capitein's translation. It is been 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 the 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 categories.