We’ve Made God Too Small: Terry Wildman on the First Nations Version Bible

In this episode of The Faith Roundtable, Josh Burtram sits down with Terry Wildman (Ojibwe and Yaqui), lead translator and general editor of the First Nations Version (FNV)—an Indigenous translation of the New Testament now expanding into the Old Testament (including Psalms and Proverbs).

Terry shares his personal journey from evangelical upbringing to reconnecting with his Native heritage (including years pastoring on the Hopi Reservation), and how that story shaped the vision for an Indigenous-centered English translation that avoids unnecessary colonial baggage while staying faithful to the meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek.

KEY TOPICS

• How Bible translation actually works (and why it is NEVER just “word-for-word”)

• Why categories like “sin,” “disciple,” and even “God” can carry cultural freight

• How the First Nations Version uses Indigenous thought patterns and idioms in English

• What happens when you read Jesus in his Second Temple Jewish context—not ours

• What the American church may have forgotten about the Creator

• What’s next for the First Nations Version project (including new music shaped by the FNV wording)

GUEST: Terry Wildman

Terry Wildman serves as Director of Spiritual Growth and Leadership Development for Native InterVarsity and is founder of Rain Ministries and the musical storytelling group RainSong.

LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED

First Nations Version (Rain Ministries)

First Nations Version on YouVersion (Bible app)

InterVarsity Press (publisher)

FAITHFUL POLITICS + JOSH BURTRAM

Faithful Politics website

Faithful Politics Instagram

Faithful Politics X

Faithful Politics YouTube

Josh Burtram Instagram: @jkburtram

Josh Burtram X: @Jkburtram

Josh Burtram YouTube: @jkburtram1

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