minimal german
clayton stirling bartholomew
c.s.bartholomew at worldnet.att.net
Thu Dec 3 17:23:57 EST 1998
Nichael Lynn Cramer wrote:
>
> One can, IMnsHO, certainly profitably study Greek and NT Studies without an
> in depth understanding of German. Just as one can --to use a not
> completely precise analogy-- read an awful lot of interesting Physics
> without knowing any calculus or differential equations.
>
Nichael,
I agree with you that is not a precise analogy. Because the serious study of
Physics requires calculus whereas the serious study of NT Greek does not
require German.
The BIG distinction that I am making here is between "Serious Study of NT
Greek" and "Academic Study of NT Greek." These are not identical concepts. It
is only the Academy that thinks that no serious study goes on outside the
Academy. This is their blind side. The academy is a world with its own rules
and its own notions of reality, quite divorced from those outside.
What one needs to understand is that the Academy does not dictate the rules
about what counts and what does not count to those outside the cloistered
halls.
Actualy this preoccupation with all things German is not even universal within
the Academy. I have put this very question to Biblical Language scholars in
Moscow and find that even though they may read four or five modern languages
and half a dozen ancient languages, they do not feel any pressing need to keep
up on what is happening in Germany. They do however read works in French.
If I had to become fluent in a modern language I would choose Spanish. Then I
could read the things Daniel Riaño is writing which I find most appealing.
So you see we are not really in agreement here.
This is getting kind of far afield so I will shut up at this point.
--
Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062
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