Students will have the chance to learn how to read, write, and speak Biblical Greek starting the Winter 2015-2016 Semester.
“Just like any other language class, we will start off by learning beginning vocabulary and grammar with an emphasis on the New Testament,” stated Dr. Dan Sharp of BYUH’s Religion Department, who will be teaching the class.
The curriculum of this class will be to learn and apply Greek to personal scripture study. It will be a four-credit hour class spanned over three semesters. The first semester will cover half of the material in the assigned book, with the other half being discussed during the second semester.
The third semester will give students hands-on experience in translating assigned passages from the New Testament. Sharp said, “Students will have all of the tools and knowledge necessary to be able to translate directly from Greek to English.”
Students will be given passages in Greek and will be asked to translate according to their abilities. These passages will then be brought to the next class where they will be discussed and reviewed for accuracy. Sharp explained because Greek can be so complex and interpreted in so many different ways, a class discussion is needed to clarify everyone understands what is being said.
“Even if you can’t take all three semesters, by just taking the first class it will help you in your general scripture study,” Sharp explained. “It gives insights from the scriptures that you can’t get otherwise. You will be able to evaluate older readings and make a decision about which one you think is most accurate. The Bible comes from different manuscripts, and this class reviews some of those older writings, which differ from what we have today in English.”
Sharp said anyone who has a desire to learn a new language and get new insights on the scriptures should take this class.
“The fact that it is so different than the general language classes you hear about on college campuses makes it that much more appealing,” said Emma Hunt, junior studying psychology from California. “You never hear anyone say they speak Greek. But if you know [Greek] then everyone will know, because it makes you different.”
“Other languages get their root words from Greek,” said Lizzie Loveland, a senior studying hospitality and tourism management from Idaho. “By having a knowledge of Greek, we can fully understand our own language better. That ability makes someone unique.”
Sharp explained the blessings of taking this class are somewhat overlooked because of the lack of Greek speakers in the modern world. He hinted at why he thinks there is a deeper meaning of having a knowledge of Greek. “Instead of learning a language that will help you in business for the future, this will help you in your scripture study throughout your life.”
This Greek class is available for enrollment next semester under the name “World Language 101.” It will not fulfill the requirement for religion credits but instead will fulfill the new GE requirement for language credits.