RT3107: Introduction to New Testament Greek

School Religion
Department Code SHARE
Module Code RT3107
External Subject Code 101126
Number of Credits 20
Level L4
Language of Delivery English
Module Leader Professor Josef Lossl
Semester Autumn Semester
Academic Year 2013/4

Outline Description of Module

Following the conquests of Alexander the Great, Greek became the language of trade and commerce throughout the Mediterranean and Near / Middle East. While the language of the educated Hellenes was Attic-Ionic, the Greek that now developed through the contact with other cultures looked different in many respects of vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. 'Hellenistic Greek', also called Koine, is usually set between 300BCE and 300CE. The New Testament is one of the best known and most influential collections of literary documents from this era and in this language. This module introduces students to the study of Hellenistic Greek grammar to enable them to read and translate simple Greek sentences.

On completion of the module a student should be able to

-          Minimally, students should be able to read, write and translate simple Greek sentences and to recognise grammatical forms and functions.

-          Typically, a student should be able to read, write, describe (parse) simple grammatical forms and be able to translate compound sentences from Greek to English and from English to Greek.

 

 

How the module will be delivered

The language classes in this module are interactive and participative. Each student will be given personal attention in a supportive atmosphere. In turn each student should be be willing to join the others in the learning process, whether by working in small groups or by sharing his or her reading and translation in class. Each student’s success will depend on this. Reading and speaking out loud in class will gain each student confidence in speaking the language.

The module involves the use of a course-book supplemented by other material given out in class. This will also include occasional homework exercises.

Skills that will be practised and developed

Knowledge and Understanding: Ability to know a language and script quite different from English, to understand a different culture and mindset, in which this language is spoken, to know the contents of the literature, which has been studied in the course of this course

 

Intellectual Skills: Ability to learn and understand a language quite different from English, adapt to a different mindset, formulate ideas expressed in that mindset, develop independent and flexible thought and problem solving strategies, processing and organising large amounts of new data

 

Discipline Specific (including practical) Skills: Time and work-load management, independent working, self-motivated working, handwriting, public speaking, self-discipline and self-reliance

 

Transferable Skills: Language learning, cultural learning, office-management, time-management, translation skills, grammatical and linguistic skills, analytical skills

How the module will be assessed

The module is assessed on the basis of a portfolio of three pieces of work (grammar and translation) completed in class time at specified intervals through the semester.

Assessment Breakdown

Type % Title Duration(hrs)
Written Assessment 100 Coursework N/A

Syllabus content

The Greek alphabet, script and pronounciation; breathings and other marks; present in-dicative active verbs; contract verbs; second declension nouns; first declension nouns; adjectives and adverbs; prepositions and compounds; imperfect indicative active verbs; pronouns; present and imperfect middle and passive voice; conditional sentences.

Essential Reading and Resource List

The grammar textbook for Biblical Greek is:

F. Beetham, An Introduction to New Testament Greek (Bristol: Bristol Classical Press, 1993)

Each student is expected to have a personal copy of this book.

There will be occasional references to other literature. All the absolutely required material (in addition to what students find in the textbook) however will be supplied in handouts.

As students progress they might want to buy a copy of the Greek New Testament (various types are published by the United Bible Societies), and a Dictionary of New Testament Greek like W C Trenchard, A Concise Dictionary of New Testament Greek (Cambridge University Press, 2003), or, alternatively, a Dictionary of Classical Greek like J Morwood & J Taylor, The Pocket Oxford Classical Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 2002), or H G Liddell & R Scott, Abridged Greek Lexicon (Oxford University Press).


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