Westmont College Fall Term, 2007

I. Course Description and Direction

1. Catalog: Prerequisite: GRK 2. Extensive reading in Greek New Testament, vocabulary building, textual criticism, exegetical method.

2. Expanded Description: This course, and GRK 102 after it, will build on everything (and ignore nothing) from first year, in order to help you begin reading the NT carefully, thoughtfully, sometimes technically, in its original language. If learning grammatical facts in first year was somewhat mechanical and at times tedious, our task this year will call for artistic and even aesthetic sensibilities. Indeed, the move from "science" to "art," from facts to judgments, will probably be the most striking aspect of this course. As it turns out, to master Greek (and any language) you need to cultivate both sides of your brain. You have to be meticulous about all the parts but you have to be imaginative to see how they all fit together.

At the heart of this course will be the Greek text of the New Testament, and especially the Gospels. We will spend time in every class reading and discussing some passage together. As we go, we'll need to pour over the categories that grammarians have developed over the years to help us think about the way language works. The name for this task is syntax. The key guide for this task will be Dan Wallace's The Basics of New Testament Syntax.

3. New Testament Greek and the Big Picture
Our careful exploration of Greek syntax 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 if you have any doubts --but also because we'll be learning about the nature of language itself, and about how words and sentences (in many languages) fit together to create meaning. Beyond this business of using one particular foreign (more or less dead) language to understand language more broadly, our study of Luke's Gospel 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?
• what about Luke's style of writing would appeal particularly to a first century, Greek mind?
• how do we explain the linguistic differences between Luke, the other Synoptics and John?
• why does Luke seem to feel free to alter the wording of his sources?
• 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.

4. My Goals For You.

I'm hoping this course will help you. . .

• review and solidify first-year Greek grammar, and expand your Greek vocabulary and Principal Parts
• understand the essential categories of Greek syntax, and learn how to recognize how various elements function within clauses, sentences and larger contexts
• grasp the exegetical process by which syntactical difficulties may be explored and resolved
• begin to appreciate the complex relationship between the Synoptic Gospels
• read the entire Greek New Testament with a minimum of helps
• develop life-long habits of reading and studying the NT in Greek, particularly in the context of the Christian community
• make connections between the New Testament and the rest of your studies in language, communications, history, science, literature, philsophy, psychology, sociology, you name it

5. Course Format and Requirements

In addition to reading the Greek New Testament together, we'll spend large amounts of time working in Wallace's Syntax. Each class will require preparation, and involve discussion, quizzes, and hands-on practice. Greek is not a spectator sport -- come prepared to participate. Bring your Greek NT and the Wallace text to every class.

II. Texts and Resources

.		Daniel B. Wallace's The Basics of New Testament Syntax: An Intermediate Greek Grammar (Zondervan, 2000) is considerably lighter, and cheaper, than Wallace's original volume, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, of which our text is an abridgement. It offers a handy, and user friendly, introduction to Greek syntax, the central concern of this course.		F. W. Gingrich's Shorter Lexicon of the Greek New Testament (2nd ed.; rev. Frederick W. Danker; University of Chicago, 1983) is a handy, portable Greek-English dictionary that briefly explains every word in the New Testament. Eventually, perhaps for Christmas this year, you'll want to acquire the full lexicon on which this is based: Bauer, W. ed. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed.; rev. F. W. Gingrich and F. Danker. University of Chicago, 2000. (LC#: PA881 .B38 1979; Amazon price: $125.00).
		Sakae Kubo's A Reader's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Zondervan, 1975) will help you increase your reading speed. Organized by chapter and verse, it pulls together the rare words of a passage and offers a provisional translation so you don't have to stop to track each one down. The word statistics and appendices are also useful. Beware: not for serious study.		B. M. Metzger, Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek (3rd ed.; B. M. Metzger, 1980), is highly useful for memorizing Greek vocabulary according to frequency. We'll have weekly quizzes based on the lists in this book.
		Nestle E. & Aland, K. have edited Novum Testamentum Graece, now in its 27th edition (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1993). This is the place to begin any serious study of the Greek New Testament. As the year unfolds, you'll get to know well the apparatus at the bottom of the page and many other valuable, if somewhat mysterious, features of this remarkable edition.		The Synopsis of the Four Gospels: Greek-English Edition, edited by Kurt Aland (5th ed.; UBS, 1982) is perhaps the most widely used and highly regarded tool for studying carefully the literary relationships between the Gospels. If you can afford to add this to your permanent library, you'll not regret it. Since we'll be studying Synoptic relationships at least every Friday, this tool will give you a front-row seat and first-hand access to the data.
	Recommended Texts	Bauer, W. ed. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Rev. F. W.Gingrich and F. Danker. University of Chicago, 2000. (Reference: PA881 .B38 1979) Blass, F., Debrunner, A., and Funk, R. A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962. Brooks, J. A. & C. L. Winbery, Syntax of New Testament Greek. U.P.A., 1979. Louw, J. P. & E. Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. 2 vols. 2nd ed. American Bible Society, 1994. (Reference: PA881 .G68 1989) McKnight, S. Introducing New Testament Interpretation. Baker, 1989. Mounce, W. D. Basics of Biblical Greek. Zondevan, 1993. Mounce, W. D. The Morphology of Biblical Greek. Zondervan, 1994. Porter, S. E. Idioms of the Greek New Testament. Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Academic Press, 1992. Wallace, D. B. Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics. Zondervan, 1996. Young, R. A. Intermediate New Testament Greek: A Linguistic and Exegetical Approach. Broadman & Holman, 1994. Zerwick, M. Biblical Greek. Scripta Pontificii Instituti Biblici, 1963. Zerwick, M. & M. Grosvenor. A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek NT. Biblical Institute Press, 1981.
	Web Resources	You can't go wrong starting your web searches with Mark Goodacre's NTGateway, which includes a sub-page dedicated to NT Greek. You might like to know about these concise grammatical lists of parts of speech, compiled from various NT grammars including Wallace and Mounce. If you want to listen to Marilyn Phemister, a self-taught Greek student, reading the Greek NT aloud, you'll need access to Realplayer Basic, which you can download for free. Here's an on-line, searchable, fully parsed Greek New Testament created by (the late) Tony Fisher. Denver Seminary has a nice bibliography for New Testament exegesis, including a list of commentaries organized by NT book. Click here to recommend a useful link.

III. Requirements

1. Greek Grammar Review Test: 10%.

A test on September 18 will review first-year grammar, parsing, word formation and principal parts. Review Metzger's vocab lists of words occurring over 81 times in the New Testament, and the relevant pages in Mounce (see Schedule) or another first-year grammar.

2. Vocabulary and Principal Parts: 20%

Expect seven vocabulary quizzes and three Principal Parts quizzes from Metzger's Lexical Aids, worth 2% each, as noted in the Schedule. Each quiz will be cumulative.

3. Studies in Syntax : 40%

Come to class prepared to discuss the assigned readings for the day. You will need to do more than skim assigned readings; spend time studying the details, looking up examples, and recording your questions. I'll call on each of you to participate. This portion of your grade will assess your pre-class preparation and the quality of your in-class contributions.

4. Readings in the Synoptics: 20%

Part of each Thursday will be devoted to readings in the Gospel of Luke (and Synoptic parallels). Prior to class, prepare a written translation of the assigned verses using Kubo and Gingrich & Danker, as needed. Avoid consulting English translations. Watch for syntactical constructions in the text that have been discussed in class, and take brief notes. As much as possible, compare Luke's account with parallels in Matthew and Mark. Submit your translation and notes at the end of each class. Late work will not be accepted.

5. Final Exam: 10%

A chance to apply what we've studied to selected passages in the New Testament and beyond. The exam is scheduled for Dec. 12 at 12:00 noon. Details to follow.

IV. Schedule