Machine translation (MT) is not new. It has been around for more than half a century. However, significant advances have only recently been made in...
4 min read
22/05/2025
Translating religious texts is among the most sensitive and complex tasks in the language services domain. These documents are not simply literary works—they are sacred, revered, and central to the spiritual lives of millions. They often contain ancient language, intricate metaphors, poetic devices, and highly specialised theological terminology. Moreover, their interpretation can vary widely across cultures and denominations. A mistranslation can lead not only to confusion but potentially to doctrinal misinterpretation or division within a faith community.
In the context of newer faiths, the materials involved are not just informational texts; they encompass specific philosophical concepts, specialized terminology, and precise procedures that are essential for personal spiritual development and spiritual freedom. The carefully defined terminology and methodologies serve as the foundation of the teachings. A mistranslation can lead to misunderstandings and may result in the incorrect application of practices, hindering spiritual progress and the attainment of higher states of awareness. Therefore, ensuring accurate, ethical, and doctrinally consistent translations across different languages is crucial, as even minor inaccuracies can affect the correct practice and understanding of these principles on a global scale.
The challenge of translating the sacred
Historically, the translation of religious materials has been the responsibility of highly trained translators and scholars. These individuals not only need a deep understanding of linguistic nuances but also a thorough knowledge of the specific terminology that defines the faith. This careful, human-centred approach is essential for preserving the integrity and authenticity of the texts, ensuring that their profound meanings are not lost in translation. However, this translation process can be labour-intensive and resource-heavy, often causing significant delays in making these important materials accessible to a wider audience. As various religious organizations pursue international expansion, the demand for multilingual access to their teachings and resources is rapidly increasing. This rising need puts additional pressure on translation efforts, highlighting the challenge of balancing fidelity to the original texts with the requirement for timely and widespread distribution.
A technological turning point: The role of LLMs
Today, Large Language Models (LLMs) are emerging as transformative tools capable of addressing the very challenges that have long hindered the dissemination of religious texts across linguistic and cultural boundaries. These AI systems, when developed and deployed responsibly, offer unprecedented capabilities in understanding nuance, context, and terminology. More importantly, they have the potential to democratize access to spiritual knowledge. LLMs excel at understanding broader discourse, recognizing patterns, and adapting language tone—all essential when working with spiritually rich and metaphorically dense content. Their ability to process vast amounts of data and learn from highly specialized corpora means they can be customized for religious language, style, and theology. The caveat: they hallucinate, and they are trained on large amounts of data from the Internet, which has nothing to do with the Church’s message.
Here at Pangeanic, we believe we are pioneers in AI-driven language solutions, and we are at the forefront of this evolution. Through our different technologies like the ECO platform, Deep Adaptive AI Translation and related NLP technologies, the company provides scalable, secure, and theologically sensitive solutions for religious translation, ensuring both spiritual integrity and linguistic precision.
The unique complexity of religious texts
Religious scriptures are often composed in language that departs from everyday speech. The poetic verses of the Psalms, the prophetic style of the Quran, and the contemplative sutras of Buddhism each convey spiritual truths in ways that are both unique and rich in context. Many of these texts stem from ancient traditions, written in classical languages that do not easily translate into modern vernacular. In contrast, newer religious movements tend to produce texts with great precision, employing specialized terminology that may be absent from other contexts, necessitating an exact preservation of meaning. The choice of words carries profound theological significance. A single verb tense, preposition, or metaphor can significantly influence how a passage is interpreted, taught, and practised by adherents. Consequently, translation in this domain requires more than mere fluency; it demands reverence, cultural sensitivity, and a keen awareness of doctrinal nuances. Every term, procedural step, or explanation must be translated with precision to ensure that the intended outcomes of education and practice are realized.
This challenge becomes increasingly pronounced as a church expands into new regions, where qualified translators—those with both a deep understanding of the local language and familiarity with the faith’s terminology—are often scarce. Many faith communities still lack translations of essential religious texts in their native or regional languages. Large language models (LLMs) could effectively address this gap on a broad scale.
Real-World Benefits for Religious Communities
The practical applications of LLM-enhanced translation with human review hold significant value for religious communities, offering significant benefits across various aspects of their activities. One of the most notable advantages is in the realm of education and catechesis. Sunday schools, seminaries, and study groups can now quickly produce high-quality materials in multiple languages, ensuring that immigrant or international members have access to resources that support their spiritual formation. This not only fosters inclusivity but also strengthens the sense of community within diverse and international congregations.
Missionary outreach is another area where LLM-enhanced translation shines. By enabling faster and more contextually rich translations of religious tracts and scriptures, these tools can accelerate evangelization efforts. This allows missionaries to connect with people across linguistic and cultural boundaries more effectively, spreading their message with greater precision and sensitivity to local contexts.
Beyond outreach, these technologies also play a crucial role in manuscript preservation. AI models trained on historical and theological sources can assist in translating ancient, specific or rare texts, helping to safeguard religious heritage for future generations. This is particularly valuable for preserving the integrity of sacred texts that might otherwise be lost due to the passage of time or the scarcity of qualified translators.
Finally, LLM-enhanced translation opens doors for marginalized or smaller communities that have historically been underserved due to financial or logistical constraints. These groups can now access high-quality, theologically sound translations, ensuring that their spiritual needs are met without compromising on the depth and accuracy of the content. This inclusivity not only enriches their spiritual lives but also strengthens the global unity of religious communities.
Ethical reflections and the road ahead
Despite the immense promise, caution must be exercised. Translation of sacred texts is not simply a linguistic task—it is a spiritual one. AI tools are tools, and as studies in many areas constantly prove, human oversight is required. It is we, humans, who are only capable of abstract thought. Abstract thought is the ability to think about concepts, ideas, and principles that are not physically present or tangible, such as love, freedom, or justice. It involves moving beyond concrete details and making generalizations, recognizing patterns, and understanding complex relationships. This type of thinking is a higher-order cognitive skill that allows us to engage in more complex problem-solving, creativity, and critical analysis.
Theological accuracy and reverence must always be prioritized, and no AI model, however advanced, should operate without human oversight.
As we are committed to promoting ethical AI practices, our tools are designed not to replace theologians or religious scholars but to empower them. Technology should serve the faith, not vice versa. To this end, religious leaders should develop clear guidelines for AI use, fostering trust within their communities and ensuring that the sacred remains sacred.
A new era of inclusion and engagement
Large Language Models offer religious organizations a powerful opportunity: to spread spiritual teachings more widely and to break down barriers that have long separated communities by language. With thoughtful implementation and ethical oversight, the translation of religious texts using AI can support inclusivity, deepen engagement, and foster greater unity in faith across cultures.
Our LLM-powered solutions stand at the crossroads of tradition and innovation, respecting the sacred while embracing the transformative potential of modern technology. Within these modern ages, the timeless wisdom of sacred texts can speak to more hearts than ever before, in the languages they understand best.