1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture
| 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Sharon Roggio |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | Jill Woodward |
| Music by | Mary Lambert |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | ACOWSAY |
Release date |
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Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture is a 2022 documentary film about the translation of two Koine Greek words in the New Testament—arsenokoitai and malakoi—during the creation of the Revised Standard Version of the Christian Bible in 1946, and how it has contributed to anti-LGBT rhetoric.
Summary
Following two Christian researchers, Kathy Baldock and Ed Oxford,[1] the documentary's premise is that the Christian Bible was mistranslated in 1946, misaligning religious and cultural perceptions of LGBTQ people in the United States and anti-LGBT rhetoric around the world.[2]
In 1946, the National Council of Churches brought together biblical scholars and prominent institutions (including Yale Divinity School) to modernize the Bible for contemporary readers.[2] The film argues that for the creation of this Revised Standard Version (RSV), two rare Koine Greek words—arsenokoitai and malakoi,[1] which the researchers believe refer to abusive behaviors and exploitative relationships respectively—were allegedly mistranslated to encompass consenting same-sex relationships. The word homosexual is alleged to have been used to reflect contemporary biases instead of history or linguistics.[2] It was the first time it appeared in any translation of the Bible.[3]
The film contains interviews with biblical scholars, linguists, religious leaders,[4] theologians,[3] and David Fearon:[1] a man who had challenged the translation as a seminary student in 1959, but was told by scholars then that while it was possibly inaccurate, "the damage had already been done." The RSV became widely adopted across the United States, influencing culture, public policy, and theology.[2] Further translations, such as the 1970s' New International Version, kept using homosexual, with "damning effect".[3]
Production
Filmmaker Sharon "Rocky" Roggio[2] was a lesbian Christian. Her father was a pastor whose belief in biblical literalism led him to estrange his daughter from her family when she was forceably outed. She met Baldock at a Hollywood United Methodist Church seminar where she learned of their research into the RSV translation of arsenokoitai and malakoi, and met Fearon. Roggio was inspired to make 1946 to "encourage more conversation and help stop the weaponization of God and scripture and free the LGBTQ+ community from religious oppression." Roggio's father features prominently in the film.[4][1]
The 92-minute, crowdfunded, documentary film[5] was produced in the United States and directed by Roggio.[6] She and Jena Serbu produced the film, with Serbu and Jill Woodward serving as screenwriters. Mary Lambert composed the original music for the film.[7] Cinematography was done by Tyler Eichorst, Collier Landry, and Samuel Emerson Morgan. Jill Woodward also served as editor.[5]
ACOWSAY, Quest for Biblical Truth, Sweetbreadstudios, and ZUM Communications were the production companies for 1946, while ACOWSAY distributed it.[7]
Release
1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture premiered in 2022 at Doc NYC, where it won the audience award.[5] With over US$150,000 (equivalent to about $159,000 in 2025) raised on GoFundMe,[4] 1946 began a limited theatrical release on December 1, 2023.[7]
Reception
In January 2023, Screen Daily's Nikki Baughan spoke well of 1946, calling it "fascinating" and "thought-provoking" yet "unlikely to alter the beliefs of the conservative religious right."[5] By that December, the film had won 23 festival awards.[4] In mid-2024, while referring to one such in Tacoma, Washington, Roggio told The News Tribune that selling out screenings of 1946 was "typical".[3]
Prior to its premiere, Roggio said that her documentary received significant criticism from conservative media trying to debunk its claims, sometimes without having seen the film.[4]
Prior to the film's release, Alan Shlemon, writing for the Protestant apologetical organisation Stand to Reason, described the film's central claim as "irrelevant", citing other instances in the Old and New Testaments where homosexuality is mentioned in a negative light, as well as stating the film contains "fallacies" which are "easy to spot".[8]
Awards and nominations
| Award | Date of ceremony | Recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland International Film Festival | 2023 | Dream Maker | Won |
| Cleveland International Film Festival | 2023 | Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Film | Won |
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | 2023 | Best of Fest | Won |
| Outfest | 2023 | Best Documentary Feature | Won |
| Out on Film | 2023 | Best Documentary | Won |
| Doc NYC | 2022 | Audience Award | Won |
References
- ^ a b c d Bromberger, Brian (April 10, 2024). "'1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture' Tries to Shed Light on the Bible". Religion Unplugged. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "New Documentary | 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture". Yale LGBTQ Center. Yale University. January 30, 2025. Archived from the original on April 5, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
A documentary that follows the story of tireless researchers who trace the origins of the anti-gay movement among Christians to a grave mistranslation of the Bible in 1946.
- ^ a b c d Sailor, Craig (July 28, 2024). Pedersen, Stephanie (ed.). "Film on Bible, gay people sells out Tacoma theaters". The News Tribune. Vol. 142, no. 57. pp. 1A, 4A. ISSN 1073-5860.
- ^ a b c d e Ho, Vivian (December 1, 2023). "Did Christian homophobia come from a mistranslation of the Bible?". The Guardian. ISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on April 27, 2025. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
A new documentary challenges an alleged 1946 mistranslation that helped lead to a justification for Christian anti-gayness
- ^ a b c d Baughan, Nikki (January 11, 2023). "'1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture': Review". Screen Daily. ISSN 0307-4617. Archived from the original on November 29, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
Documentary interrogates the use of the word homosexual in the modern American Bible
- ^ "1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture". JustWatch. Archived from the original on March 15, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
- ^ a b c "1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on June 4, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
- ^ "The Claim about Homosexuality in the Film 1946 Is Irrelevant". Stand to Reason. Retrieved January 14, 2026.