From September to November 2024, Maira Guardascione completed an internship with the Cambridge Interfaith Programme. A student in the Faculty of Philosophy & Educational Sciences at Turin University, Maira’s time in Cambridge was supported by the Erasmus+ traineeship scheme.
Maira reflected on her experience as the final weeks approached:
The Erasmus traineeship at Cambridge Interfaith Programme (CIP) has proven to be an invaluable experience in many ways. The tasks I have undertaken can be divided into two main areas.
The first area concerns the translation project of the book Scripture and Violence, which was the primary reason for my arrival in Cambridge. The second part concerns the support of conferences, workshops and activities which I had the privilege to attend during my traineeship. Although these were two very different types of tasks, they merged and complemented each other in meaningful ways.
On the translation side, a solid part of the work concerned preparatory discussions surrounding the book's translation. Through regular meetings with Professor Daniel Weiss, we explored at length the differences in the social and cultural fabric of Italy and the United Kingdom. The aim was to identify the differences in interreligious relations in the two countries and to find ways to address them and bridge them in the translation of the book. Some of the meetings resulted in brief written reflections on the topic, which allowed me to practice a style of writing outside the strict academic norms I was accustomed to during my university studies.
Workshop participation
As for the second part of my duties, I had the opportunity to participate in several workshops and activities related to interfaith relations. The meeting with the Faiths Forum for London and the East of England Meeting of the Interfaith Group gave me insight into the logistics of organizing such events, but above all demonstrated the significant impact that collaboration between academic institutions and external organisations can have in today’s society.
The effort that CIP puts into its founding mission is not only aimed at people and organisations directly involved in interreligious relations, but also at all those who might be interested in such a topic without necessarily having any prior knowledge. This was evident in both the Alumni Festival and the Scriptural Reasoning sessions, which encouraged open and inclusive dialogue.
These two areas of my traineeship – translation and event support – have worked in tandem, enhancing my understanding of interfaith issues and equipping me with practical tools for future work in this field.
The translation
Translating a book about interfaith relations from one language into another involved taking into account several aspects, often exceeding the basic issues typically encountered when it comes to translation studies.
First, it was necessary to define the target language contexts in which it would be fruitful to collocate the book. Schools, universities, and places of worship were mentioned, as well as associations operating in suburban areas of major cities, where religious coexistence is a real challenge. For these reasons, a rich, clear introduction would be appropriate, along with footnotes offering basic informative explanations, possibly at the end of each page. Footnotes should not only clarify theological terms but also provide historical and cultural context.
Regarding the overall structure of the book and considering the particular need to address relationships with Islam, a book designed for the Italian context would perhaps benefit from additional content on Islam, particularly concerning women’s condition and domestic violence.
Before the tragic events in the Middle East, contents on Judaism might have seemed slightly redundant. However, I believe that clarifications on its political implications are now especially pertinent, as they could help disentangle the bond between Judaism and Zionism, often perceived as an identity.
The title of such a book was also a point of reflection. A more common and fluent pairing of terms in Italian is Religione e violenza (Religion and violence). However, given that the essays specifically focus not on religion per se, but on scriptures, a substitute title need to be found. A new title would aim to identify a locution that implies, with the name Scritture (Scriptures), not only the Catholic Bible, as a Target Language reader would do, but also the Qur'an, the Hebrew Bible, and other religious texts referenced in the essays.
As a starting point, a decision was made to begin the translation with the first three essays of the book, i.e. the Introduction by Julia Snyder, and the first two chapters on Islam and Judaism by Omar Shaukat and Daniel Weiss. This approach allowed us to identify potentially problematic sentences early in the translation process, helping to determine solutions to overcome them in subsequent chapters.
Another suggestion was to add an extract from Sacred Scriptures to each translated chapter, similar to the materials used in Scriptural Reasoning. This addition would further support the book’s goal, providing supplementary material alongside the passages referenced in the essays.
Being aware of nuance
To conclude, being aware of the political, historical, and sociological different nuances between Italy and UK has proven to be a fundamental trait and, by far, the most demanding aspect of my work. However, returning to the beginning of this report, my observation of interfaith practices and dialogue during the workshop I attended has greatly sharpened my ability in perceiving the differences.
Related opportunities
If you would be interested to learn more about Maira’s translation work and the resulting texts, please submit an enquiry. More information about the Scripture and Violence project can be found on the dedicated website, ScriptureAndViolence.org.
The Erasmus+ Traineeship scheme is open to students at many European universities. Placements can be with any type of institution, provided that the skill level and opportunities are appropriately designed. Funding is awarded via the student’s university.
To visit the Cambridge Interfaith Programme, it is important to note that your enquiry should begin in advance of any funding scheme deadlines. The Faculty of Divinity, in which CIP is based, considers applications from prospective visitors three times a year at set deadlines. A decision from this committee must be made before any formal letters of support or invitation are issued.
View more information about visiting the Cambridge Interfaith Programme.
