[B-Greek] WEBSITE ADDRESS

Steven Lo Vullo themelios at charter.net
Sat Dec 18 14:49:14 EST 2004


On Dec 16, 2004, at 2:59 AM, Gerry wrote:

> There have been some very interesting posts on BGreek this last month 
> concerning the efficacy of Diagramming the GNT .
> I see this as an unnecessary impediment to real reading facility with 
> the text and some on the list would agree.

Could someone PLEASE explain to me how a detailed study of grammar and 
syntax facilitated IN PART by diagramming as a MEANS to the end of 
detailed understanding of grammar and syntax is an impediment to REAL 
(as opposed to what?) reading facility? If diagramming will somehow 
NECESSARILY keep one from ALSO reading large amounts of text, then I 
could make the same charge against those who do individual word 
studies, read verse-by-verse commentaries, write specialized papers on 
things like voice and mood, etc. It's just a difference between the 
forest and the trees. The forest as a whole is beautiful, but each 
component is a wonder in and of itself. This is not an either/or 
proposition.

As for the charge that diagramming is an "artificial" ENCOUNTER with 
the text, I think this is untrue as well. Certainly the finished 
product is artificial, but the process itself, if taken seriously, is a 
very natural way of studying grammar and syntax and is very stimulating 
and rewarding. It is just one way of many to slow down and 
systematically ponder details of the text. And who doesn't often do 
that in some way or another? If diagramming is somehow artificial, then 
so too is constructing a sermon outline from any given portion of the 
GNT. The finished outline is certainly artificial, but the systematic 
thought that goes into the creation of the outline may be very natural, 
stimulating, and rewarding.

Finally, if a detailed understanding of grammar and syntax is useless, 
let's all throw away our advanced grammars. I know what you're 
thinking: The men who wrote these didn't diagram. Maybe not, but what I 
have been trying to get across is that diagramming is one tool that may 
be helpful in raising and answering many of the same questions 
confronted by advanced grammarians, and will, if tried, raise new 
questions that are not answered in many, if not most, advanced 
grammars. What can possibly be wrong with that? Think for a moment 
about the kinds of questions that are raised on B-Greek. Do not many of 
them concern the grammar and/or syntax of a single sentence, clause, or 
phrase? And what do we do when we get these questions? Tell the 
inquirer to "read, read, read"? If that were the answer to every 
grammatical or syntactic question submitted to B-Greek, it would be 
pretty useless, wouldn't it? But what do we do? We all slow down, take 
a careful, analytical, look at the text in question, and offer our 
ideas about what is at play grammatically or syntactically. Diagramming 
is just a way to do this in a more systematic way as one moves through 
any given text, a way that will raise many questions to be answered and 
will reward one with a better understanding of the grammar and syntax 
of Greek. Much of this question (to diagram or not to diagram) depends 
on how interested one is in details of grammar and syntax. Some may 
read with comprehension without understanding every grammatical or 
syntactic detail and may not care about such detail. I understand and 
do not judge that. But others may be fascinated with such detail and 
may use diagramming as a tool to think about such detail. Please try to 
understand that.
============

Steven Lo Vullo
Madison, WI




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