[B-Greek] Self-taught in Greek

Mark Lightman lightmanmark at yahoo.com
Wed Nov 17 08:54:22 EST 2010


Michael asked

<...does anyone know of a good list of famous 
theologians who are self-taught in Greek?>

Hi, Michael,

You mean, like this?

TOP TEN FAMOUS THEOLOGIANS WHO ARE SELF-TAUGHT IN GREEK

10.  Ulrich Zwingli
9.    John Brown of Haddington
8.    John Newton
7.    One of the anonymous editors of "Q."
6.    God
5.    Mark Lightman.  I am essentially self-taught.  Many years ago, I took a 
few college courses in Greek, but I did not learn much therefrom.  Whatever 
fluency I have, I have developed from about five years of intensive self-study.  
But you know, everyone would say that.  Everyone is "essentially self-taught" in 
that you do no learn Greek from sitting in a classroom.  You learn Greek by 
reading (and to a lesser extent, writing, listening to and speaking) Greek over 
and over again.  "Therein the patient must minister to himself."  Paula Saffire, 
in the preface to her Ancient Greek Alive, says she learned Greek by reading it 
eight hours a day.  Conrad says that he only started to learn Greek AFTER he 
left graduate school.  Or maybe, what he said, is what you often hear from 
teachers, that he only started to learn Greek when he had to teach it to 
others.  Which is another way of saying "Therein the patient must minister to 
himself."  


But I think I agree in substance to what Dave McKay wrote.  There is a big 
difference between being essentially self-taught and being completely 
self-taught.  Even though I did not learn much in those few classes, or to be 
more accurate, I had to re-learn on my own all the stuff taught, they were a big 
help in terms of supplying motivation and structure and self-confidence.  The 
fact is, the overwhelming majority of people who try to teach themselves Greek 
do not stick with it and fail.  To see, face to face, a teacher and other 
students, to complete a textbook (even though you are going to have to complete 
many more textbooks on your own) to get an overview of the language from an 
expert, probably has greater value than I admit.  There may just be a 
correlation, not a causal link, between successful self-learners and those who 
at least took a class or two, in that really motivated self-learners will 
probably do what they have to do to find some formal environment to learn.

But self learning today, with the internet, with audio and video and interactive 
verb charts and forums like B-Greek, for that matter, is not like it was in the 
days of John Brown of Haddington.

I'd like to hear from Jonnathan Robie and other completely self-taught folks.  
I'm sure there are many on this board. I guess in the final analysis, I reject 
Dave's analogy.  Learning Greek is not brain surgery.  It is hard, with or 
without a teacher, but therein the patient must always minister to himself. 


I will let someone else finish the top ten list.


 Mark L
Φωσφορος


FWSFOROS MARKOS




________________________________
From: Michael Baber <illuminatiaries at yahoo.com>
To: B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Tue, November 16, 2010 8:31:26 AM
Subject: [B-Greek] Self-taught in Greek

Hello forum,
 
I know this is not on-topic, but since this board is filled with Greek 
scholars and the like, I was wondering if anyone on this board is 
self-taught in Greek. Also, does anyone know of a good list of famous 
theologians who are self-taught in Greek? I know there are quite a few 
but I don't know them off the top of my head. Your responses would be 
greatly appreciated.
 
Thank you,
Mike


      
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