Elementary Greek I - GRK 1

Course Description and Objectives	Grading Scale
Course Texts	Schedule
Evaluation

Course Description and Objectives (top of page)

1. Description. Basic Grammar and beginning reading in the Greek New Testament. Four credits. Fulfills General Education Foreign Language requirement.

2. Expanded Description. This course is the first step toward reading the New Testament carefully, thoughtfully, sometimes technically, in its original language. We'll be studying Hellenistic (or "Koine") Greek, the Greek that came to dominate the Mediterranean world after the conquests of Alexander the Great in the late 4th century B.C.E., and the idiom of the New Testament, the Greek Old Testament (commonly called the Septuagint) and many historians, philosophers, poets and novelists both Jewish and Gentile. This means learning a new alphabet, pronunciation, vocabulary, countless grammatical forms and facts and, along the way, learning to read (with helps) parts of the New Testament. By next year we'll put all this to good use as we read extensively in the New Testament, ponder difficult verses, evaluate exegetical arguments and generally engage in the task of exegesis.

The careful study of Greek grammar will lay a solid foundation for further studies in any foreign language, not simply because so many languages are indebted to ancient Greek--rent My Big, Fat Greek Wedding to remove all doubts--but also because we'll learn about the nature of language itself, about parts of speech, grammatical agreement, clause structure, lexicography, parsing, and much more. In order to master Greek (and any language) we'll need to cultivate both sides of our brains. We have to be meticulous about the details but imaginative to see how they all fit together. Beyond all this, our study of Hellenistic Greek will consider a number of questions that emerge at the intersection of language and culture:

• is there a difference between Greek and Hebrews modes of thought?
• does the New Testament reflect Greek thought and culture or does it float above such particulars?
• how important is it for the church to be able to read the NT in the original Greek?
• is it possible to translate an idea from one language to another, without distorting or reducing it in some way?
• is there anything special about Koine (1st century) Greek that made it the ideal choice for conveying God's Word?
  

If all this isn't enough, learning a foreign language--whether ancient or modern--makes you a better person! It will cultivate a greater appreciation for diversity, it will challenge your ethnocentrism, and it will leave you with a far more sophisticated understanding, and a deeper appreciation, of your mother tongue as well.

3. Objectives. I hope this course helps students:

• to learn the rudiments of Greek morphology and syntax, through textbook study, lectures, homework and tutorials
• to build a basic NT Greek vocabulary, through in-class review, accountability groups and frequent quizzes
• to begin reading the Greek NT, with helps, through regular in-class reading opportunities
• to establish life-long habits of reading and studying the Greek NT, through the discipline of course work and the instructor's encouragement
• to understand some of the values of knowing Greek, through regular in-class demonstration
• to review and deepen knowledge of English grammar, through comparisons and contrasts with Greek
• to prepare for GRK 2. . . and beyond

Course Texts (top of page)

Required Texts

James Allen Hewett, New Testament Greek: A Beginning and Intermediate Grammar. Hendrickson, 1986.

J. A. Hewett, Key to Exercises for New Testament Greek. Hendrickson, 1987.

Nestle E. & Aland, K. eds., Novum Testamentum Graece. 27th ed. Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1993.

Wilbur Gingrich, Shorter Lexicon of the Greek New Testament. 2nd ed. Rev. Frederick W. Danker. University of Chicago, 1983.

Recommended Texts and Tools

W. Bauer, ed. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 2nd ed. Rev. F. W. Gingrich and F. Danker. University of Chicago, 1979.

Robert Gromacki, Biblical Greek Vocabulary Cards. Visual Education Association, 1979.

S. Kubo, A Reader's Greek-English Lexicon of the the New Testament. Zondervan, 1975.

B. M. Metzger, Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek. 3rd ed. B. M. Metzger, 1980.

Evaluation (top of page)

1. Class Attendance, Preparation and Participation (10%)

• This hands-on language course requires careful, consistent readings between classes, and alert participation in class. Those whose attendance is sporadic, or whose in-class demeanor is detached, will not fare well.
• Follow the Schedule carefully to keep on top of readings. Begin by overviewing the entire chapter or sub-section. Then read carefully each explanatory paragraph and study any tables and lists. Mark sections that seem unclear or especially difficult.
• Readings are due at class time, on the first day a chapter is assigned. Wise students will continue to review the chapter prior to each class period that deals with it.
• Practice reading assigned NT passages and Greek exercises out loud.

2. Vocabulary (20%)

• Study the word lists at the beginning of each chapter. Create a flashcard for each term (or purchase Gromacki's). Review both Greek-to-English and English-to-Greek. It is often helpful to work with a partner.
• Quizzes will be frequent (almost daily) but brief (ten words), beginning promptly at 12:45 PM. They will be cumulative but weighted slightly towards the newest words. Only translations listed in Hewett, Metzger or Gromacki will be counted correct on vocabulary quizzes. Quizzes will emphasize Greek-to-English proficiency.
• Missed quizzes cannot be retaken unless by prior arrangement.

3. Exercises (20%)

• Complete exercises in Hewett as assigned in the Schedule. Use one color of ink to complete the exercises and then immediately correct them, using the Key, in another color. Self-correction is part of the learning process; be sure you know why your answer was incorrect. Do not erase mistakes. Keep these exercises together in a separate notebook (not a file folder or loose) so they can be turned in periodically and graded for completeness, neatness and (secondarily) for accuracy.
• We will not review every part of each exercise in class, but there will always be opportunity for questions and review.

4. Tests (50%)

• Three Unit Tests (Sept 21, Oct 26, Nov 19) are each worth 10%.
• The Final Exam is worth 20%. Format and expectations will be explained in class.
• Review Sessions: The class prior to each test is scheduled for review. Students who scored 95 or higher on the previous test may choose not to attend review sessions.
• Cheating: Inappropriately giving or receiving information, using notes during a test, etc., will be taken very seriously. At minimum the exam will earn an F; additional sanctions (e.g., an F for the course, suspension from the college) are also possible. Don't.

Grading Scale (top of page)

.		B+	87-89	C+	77-79	D+	67-69	.
A	95-100	B	84-86	C	74-76	D	64-66	F	0-59
A-	90-94	B-	80-83	C-	70-73	D-	60-63	.

Schedule (top of page)

Date	Topics	Readings in Hewett	Exercises & Vocabulary
Aug 27	Introduction, Syllabus, Alphabet	Due at class time on first day of new chapter
Aug 29	Alphabet, Orthography, Punctuation	Hewett 1	Ex (1.1)
Aug 31	Verbs I: Primary Active Endings and Tenses; Indicative Mood; Present Tense	Hewett 2	Ex (1.2-4)
Sept 3	Present Tense; Future Tense		Voc (9)
Sept 5	Nouns I: Second Declension--Masculine	Hewett 3	Ex (2A, B)
Sept 7	Second Declension--Neuter		Voc (15-16)
Sept 10	The Verb eimi		Ex (3A, B)
Sept 12	Nouns II: First Declension--Feminine	Hewett 4	Voc (27-28)
Sept 14	The Article
Sept 17	Attributive Position; Conditional Sentences
Sept 19	Review Day	Hewett 1-4	Ex (4A, B)
Sept 21	Test #1: Verbs and Nouns
Sept 24	Personal Pronouns	Hewett 5	Voc (35-36)
Sept 26	Relative Pronouns
Sept 28	Demonstrative Pronouns	Hewett 6	Ex (5A, B)
Oct 1	Reflexive Pronouns		Voc (43)
Oct 3	Prepositions; Compound Verbs	Hewett 7	Ex (6 A, B)
Oct 5	The Conjunction hoti		Voc (49-50)
Oct 10	Verbs II: Secondary Active Endings and Tenses; Imperfect Active	Hewett 8	Ex (7)
Oct 12	Imperfect Tense; Imperfect of eimi		Voc (55-56)
Oct 15	Conditions; Adverbs
Oct 17	Aorist Active	Hewett 9	Ex (8)
Oct 19	Second Aorist Active		Prin. Prts I
Oct 22	Aorist Passive
Oct 24	Review Day	Hewett 5-9	Ex (9)
Oct 26	Test #2: Pronouns, Prepositions, hoti, Imperfect and Aorist Tenses
Oct 29	Perfect Active	Hewett 10	Voc (73)
Oct 31	Pluperfect Active		Prin. Prts II
Nov 2	The Verb Oida
Nov 5	Verbs III: Present Middle and Passive	Hewett 11	Ex (10)
Nov 7	Future Middle and Passive
Nov 9	Perfect Middle and Passive
Nov 12	Deponent Verbs		Voc (81-82)
Nov 14	Future of eimi; Reciprocal Pronouns
Nov 16	Review Day	Hewett 10-11	Ex (11)
Nov 19	Test #3: Perfect, Pluperfect Active; Middle and Passive; Deponents
Nov 26	Imperfect Middle and Passive	Hewett 12	Prin. Prts III
Nov 28	Aorist Middle
Nov 30	Pluperfect Middle and Passive
Dec 3	Review: Indicative Mood		Prin. Prts IV
Dec 5	Term Review and Final Exam Preparation	Hewett 1-12	Ex (12)
Dec 7	Term Review and Final Exam Preparation
Dec 12	Final Exam: 12:00 - 2:00 PM

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