The Yankee Studies Greek

The August Term officially began last week, and the students' first classes started Friday. The new Juniors are taking biblical Hebrew or biblical Greek. The classes meet every day for the duration of the term in an attempt to give students a very basic grasp of the language before they begin the introductory classes in the Hebrew or Christian Scriptures. Since students often take the Scripture classes together, they really only have the language for one or the other. So while having the appropriate language is helpful, it is not required.

I will be taking the New Testament Interpretation class beginning this fall. However, as a part-time student with a full-time job, I cannot three weeks of mornings off to enroll in the introductory Greek class during August term. I really want to have some rudimentary grasp of the language before classes start in September. I was able to find an introductory class available on iTunes, and I was able to purchase the textbook for the course. I managed to learn enough that while doing some research for a paper for my summer class I was able to pick out a couple of words and parts of words. Enough that I could look them up in a lexicon, if I needed to.

It's still a bit of a struggle. Today one of the Seniors who is taking a second biblical language this term mentioned Quizlet, a site with all sorts of study aids and quizzes covering a wide variety of subjects. They also offer an app for cell phones. I used it this evening to review some of the basics I've been studying and found it helpful in reinforcing and (hopefully) with retention. I guess I'll find out once I start doing exegesis for the class this fall.

Things have changed a lot since I last took graduate level classes nearly 30 years ago. I typed my papers on an electric typewriter. I did all of my research using books and periodicals. Paper and pen/pencil were my study tools. And I sat in a classroom to take a class. Now papers are not only composed and edited on a computer, but they are often submitted to the professor electronically, either via email or through the institution's intranet page for the course. I do not have to go to the library to use periodical indexes and order articles through inter-library loan. Now that entire process can be done online. Vocabulary flashcards can be done on a cell phone app. And you don't even have to be in a classroom to take a class--my summer class was taught online. Not to mention that I'm able to study Greek using video from a seminary course made available online.

Keeping the brain cells active. This is a good thing!