So I broke down and bought the hard copy

[All-American]

Originally Posted by Archaea

So other than aspects such as optative mood, what other particles should I note for differences in Attic Greek from Koine?

If I understand the hiearchy of Greek, we have Mycenean Greek in Linear B, which I have no idea how one reads, and prior to that we have preliteral Greek, when tones preceded syllabic emphasis, which turned into Homeric or Classical Attic Greek, which merged into Koine, into Medieval Greek and our Modern Greek.

So if I start at the top, do I have a better chance of understanding the lesser? Or is the transition more subtle?

Which Greek New Testament? Is there more than one text that's recognized?

I wouldn't learn Linear B to understand classical Greek any more than I would learn Etruscan to try to understand English. Classical Greek seems to be the best place to start; from there, variations in Koine or Homeric can be figured out.

In addition to what CHC said regarding the New Testament texts, I'd add one more possibility. If you question your drive, you may want to get an interlinear text. It's a good thing to have on hand if you're in the beginning/intermediate stages of learning Greek.

And CHC: What does a classicist major do with his life, anyway?

[Chapel-Hill-Coug]

Originally Posted by All-American

And CHC: What does a classicist major do with his life, anyway?

Ha, where were you 8 years ago to ask that question? We become scholars, of course. No, seriously, most end up doing something unrelated. I may well be in that same boat...we'll see in a year or two. But I'm glad I did it and wouldn't change anything.

[All-American]

What are you doing with it now? I'm where you were eight years ago. Basically, I'm wondering if I'm going to give in to the filthy lucre and become a lawyer, or try to get a Ph.D. What did YOU do?

[Chapel-Hill-Coug]

Originally Posted by All-American

What are you doing with it now? I'm where you were eight years ago. Basically, I'm wondering if I'm going to give in to the filthy lucre and become a lawyer, or try to get a Ph.D. What did YOU do?

Right now I am a dissertation away from a Ph. D. I always thought I would teach at BYU, but I have no interest in that now, despite some religion professors urging me to swallow my learning like they did and go back there and teach things I don't really think (the historical method is a Satanic conspiracy, stuff like that). So I'm taking a break, helping my wife start a business, and once that gets going I'll decide whether I want to finish my Ph.D. The problem is that I'm limited to Utah, since that's where my family is, and my wife's business. Doesn't give me a whole lot of incentive to finish, since there is not much demand for a biblical scholar at UVSC or the U. So it is up in the air. Even if the academic route doesn't pan out, I'll always be glad I got the doctoral education even without the certificate. It has changed my life for the better.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Chapel-Hill-Coug

Right now I am a dissertation away from a Ph. D. I always thought I would teach at BYU, but I have no interest in that now, despite some religion professors urging me to swallow my learning like they did and go back there and teach things I don't really think (the historical method is a Satanic conspiracy, stuff like that). So I'm taking a break, helping my wife start a business, and once that gets going I'll decide whether I want to finish my Ph.D. The problem is that I'm limited to Utah, since that's where my family is, and my wife's business. Doesn't give me a whole lot of incentive to finish, since there is not much demand for a biblical scholar at UVSC or the U. So it is up in the air. Even if the academic route doesn't pan out, I'll always be glad I got the doctoral education even without the certificate. It has changed my life for the better.

Aren't you being a bit glib with the Satanic conspiracy stuff? In the philosophy and legal wings of the School, that stuff was never taught nor believed.

[Chapel-Hill-Coug]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Aren't you being a bit glib with the Satanic conspiracy stuff? In the philosophy and legal wings of the School, that stuff was never taught nor believed.

Yes, that is a slightly caricatured way of putting it, but the problem exists nonetheless. Not to mention you were in a whole different world in your field. In classics for example I got to do real biblical scholarship at BYU, in the Reli dept they strongly resist it. They don't teach NT greek, and most teachers don't explore critical issues like authorship questions or source questions (I took NT from Stephen Robinson and even he didn't deal with these issues). Teaching religion at BYU requires an entirely new level of discretion. I have first hand experience working with the cream of the crop in the religion department, including a summer-long seminar a couple years back writing papers to be included in an upcoming NT commentary (which probably won't happen, despite the efforts of a few who really would like to see real scholarship coming out of the Religion dept), and this is a real issue of real concern for many LDS grad students who aren't sure they want to come back to the Y. That seminar was a dealbreaker for me with regard to teaching at BYU.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by Chapel-Hill-Coug

Teaching religion at BYU requires an entirely new level of discretion.

So, where does the problem lie?

a) Leadership of religion dept
b) Central administration
c) Board of trustees
d) All of the above

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Chapel-Hill-Coug

Teaching religion at BYU requires an entirely new level of discretion.

What do you mean "new level?" Has something changed?

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Chapel-Hill-Coug

Right now I am a dissertation away from a Ph. D. I always thought I would teach at BYU, but I have no interest in that now, despite some religion professors urging me to swallow my learning like they did and go back there and teach things I don't really think (the historical method is a Satanic conspiracy, stuff like that). So I'm taking a break, helping my wife start a business, and once that gets going I'll decide whether I want to finish my Ph.D. The problem is that I'm limited to Utah, since that's where my family is, and my wife's business. Doesn't give me a whole lot of incentive to finish, since there is not much demand for a biblical scholar at UVSC or the U. So it is up in the air. Even if the academic route doesn't pan out, I'll always be glad I got the doctoral education even without the certificate. It has changed my life for the better.

Seems like you wouldn't have to re-tool by much to have a place in some humanities department teaching Western Civ. or the like. But I know academia is impossibly competitive. Makes the law seem like an anuity.

[Chapel-Hill-Coug]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

What do you mean "new level?" Has something changed?

Sorry that was poorly worded. What I meant to say is that compared to depts like classics or philosophy, teaching religion requires *a much higher level* of discretion. You can get away with it in other depts...that was my point. But no, not a lot has changed.