Translating God

How God Came to Be Called Buddha in Mongolian Bible Translation

Lynn M. Suchy

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2026
• Print ISBN:
  9798385286232
  9798385286249
• eBook ISBN:
  9798385286256
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Ministry

In 1993, Lynn M. Suchy and her husband, Tom, entered Mongolia, a land newly open to Christianity. Over the next twenty-six years, they witnessed—and were drawn into—a passionate debate: What is the right Mongolian word for “God”? Should it be Yertöntsiin Ezen (“Lord of the Universe”) or Burhan, the common term for “a Buddha”? Burhan prevailed. The young Mongolian church has lived with the consequences ever since, including widespread confusion and a sharp decline in growth after 2010.

Drawing on decades of firsthand experience, extensive primary sources, and careful linguistic analysis, Suchy reveals how the decision was made, who made it, and what it has meant. The Mongolian context is not unique. This case study offers a sobering warning for Bible translators, missiologists, and anyone engaged in cross-cultural communication.

Translating God challenges overly optimistic mission narratives, explains the risks of syncretism and theological distortion, and calls for faithful adherence to sound translation principles.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• Introduction
• PART I. The Nature of the Race
• PART II. The Race
• PART III. Normalizing Burhan for “God”
• PART IV. Burhan—a Confusing, Popular Term for “God”; Yertöntsiin Ezen—an Effective, Marginalized Term for “God”
• Appendix A: Bible Translation Consultant Approval for the 1990 Bible Society of Mongolia New Testament
• Appendix B: Ulaanbaatar Bible Translation Workshop (1993)
• Appendix C: Jesus Film Distribution Across Mongolia (1998)
• Appendix D: Bible Translation Consultant Approval for the 2015 Bible Society of Mongolia Old and New Testament
• Bibliography