A graduated intermediate reader of biblical Koine Greek with selections from the New Testament, the Septuagint, and noncanonical early Christian writings.This intermediate reader is for students, cler
A graduated intermediate reader of biblical Koine Greek with selections from the New Testament, the Septuagint, and noncanonical early Christian writings.
This intermediate reader is for students, clergy, and scholars who have completed at least one year of Greek instruction and want to build reading proficiency. Through twenty-nine texts from the New Testament, the Septuagint, and noncanonical early Christian writings, readers will be exposed to a variety of different genres and authors while still being given enough content from each author to become acquainted with that author’s individual style. Notes within each selection gloss low-frequency words and clarify syntactical intricacies, and each new section of texts gradually increases in its level of difficulty, so that lessons can be worked through sequentially or as stand-alone exercises, as needed.
Wright’s selections are all texts that Christians in the fourth century CE would have read, with intertextual connections between them that will stimulate discussion and reflection on the development of important ideas in the early church. Thus, this useful resource encourages progress both in Koine reading proficiency and in knowledge of Christian tradition.
Religious Studies Review
“The range and the sheer number of texts presented will make this a very usable reader in the classroom, and thematic connections between readings (several feature covenantal or messianic themes) may invite interest and discussion beyond grammar.”
Review of Biblical Literature
“One hopes that books like A Reader in Biblical Greek will inspire and spark the imagination of other Greek instructors to create more resources that also support and cultivate the reading of biblical Greek beyond an introductory level.”
“Richard Wright has gifted us with more than a second-year Greek text. His collection of various kinds of texts with varying degrees of difficulty does build Greek reading skills, but by choosing texts that introduce important themes and trace their development through different times, he also produces a glimpse of the ways the church’s theology developed over time. Bringing these texts together makes using this book an extraordinarily rich educational experience and an excellent resource for both the classroom and the individual learner.”
— Jerry L. Sumney
Lexington Theological Seminary
“This reader is admirably suited for a follow-up course after basic Greek. The Greek notes give extensive help with vocabulary, parsing, syntax, and idioms on a level appropriate for second-year students. The passages reflect important issues within the early church, with some of the texts interlinked for comparison, so students have the opportunity not only to read Greek but also to engage themes in early Christian thought on the basis of primary sources in the original language. Thus, this reader provides a resource for deepening both a student’s knowledge of Greek and their experience of its value.”
— Rodney A. Whitacre
author of A Grammar of New Testament Greek
“I am pleased to see this Greek reader from Richard Wright. The texts he has selected provide students of Greek with the kinds of challenges they need in order to enhance their ability to read and understand the language. Moreover, that Wright has included selections from extrabiblical texts makes it even more interesting and fun for students and professors alike!”
— James D. Dvorak
Oklahoma Christian University
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Richard A. Wright is professor of New Testament in the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University, where he teaches courses on the languages and literature connected with the study of the New Testament in its cultural context. His scholarship explores the intersection of the New Testament and early church with Greco-Roman philosophies and religions.
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Section I: Texts Exhibiting More Elementary Greek Syntax
1. Genesis 17:1–22
2. Deuteronomy 6:1–25
3. Psalm 2:1–12
4. Mark 1:1–20
5. Mark 8:22–9:10
6. Didache 7:1–4
7. Didache 8:1–3
8. Didache 9:1–5
9. Didache 10:1–7
10. Shepherd of Hermas 36
11. Shepherd of Hermas 38
Section II: Texts Exhibiting More Challenging Greek
1. Psalm 21:1–32
2. Isaiah 40:1–31
3. Isaiah 52:13–53:12
4. Matthew 2:1–23
5. Matthew 5:1–20
6. Acts 4:1–22
7. Acts 9:1–19
8. Revelation 4:1–11
9. Epistle of Barnabas 9:1–9
10. 1 Clement 5:1–6:4
11. 1 Clement 25:1–26:3
Section III: Texts Exhibiting More Sophisticated Greek
1. Luke 2:1–38
2. Luke 12:1–34
3. Romans 4:1–25
4. 1 Corinthians 12:1–31a
5. Philippians 2:1–30
6. James 2:1–26
7. 1 Peter 4:1–19
Bibliography
Indexes
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