GOING BACK TO SCHOOL? Some classes to consider taking 2014

This past year I took a few night classes from a friend of mine, John Hall who has been a BYU professor for 30 years in ancient history and languages. Along with taking a few beginning Greek classes from him, I enrolled in a seven month course in which we studied Nibley's  "The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri: An Egyptian Endowment".  Below is a list of the classes John Hall will be teaching next year, along with the course descriptions and text books. If you are interested or would like additional information, please email him directly at  itsgreektome@hotmail.com

 

 Winter Term 2014 Classes and Tutorials

Prelude to Apostasy: The Churches the Apostles Left Behind and the Fractionation of Early Christianity in the First and Early Second Centuries.
Wednesdays Nights at 7:45-10:00 PM
January 8, 15, 22, 29

The course will consist of lectures and discussion about Early Christianity as it formed in the first century and was transformed in the later first century and the second century as a result of apostasy. Texts to be consulted include: Nibley, Mormonism and Early Christianity; W.H. Wagner, After the Apostles; Raymond Brown, The Churches the Apostles Left Behind.
.........................................................................................................................

The Original Greek New Testament for People Who Can’t Read the Ancient Greek.
Friday Night at 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
January 10, 2014 

Translation, commentary, elucidation and discussion of various New Testament scripture passages where the original Greek provides greater doctrinal insight than English translations. No knowledge of Greek required on the part of participants.
........................................................................................................................

Advanced Greek - Reading the New Testament
Wednesday Nights from 6:15 - 7:15 pm.
January 8, 15, 22, 29

Reading the New Testament in the original Greek text enables the reader to go beyond the translation errors of the KJV and other English translations.
.........................................................................................................................
Beginning Greek - Salt Lake County class
Tuesday 7:30-9:00 pm.
January 7, 14, 21, 28

The class will teach the rudiments of New Testament Greek including vocabulary, noun and verb forms, and grammar. By the end of the course students will be reading easy passages from the Gospel of John. The textbook for the course is fundamentals of New Testament Greek by Stanley Porter. ISBN 9780802628279
.........................................................................................................................
Beginning Greek - Utah County class
Thursday 7:10- 8:45 pm.
January 16, 23, 30

The class will teach the rudiments of New Testament Greek including vocabulary, noun and verb forms, and grammar. By the end of the course students will be reading easy passages from the Gospel of John. The textbook for the course is fundamentals of New Testament Greek by Stanley Porter. ISBN 9780802628279
.........................................................................................................................

Spring Term 2014 Classes and Tutorials

.........................................................................................................................

The World of the New Testament
Wednesday 7:45 - 8:45
Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26; Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26; Apr. 2, 16, 23, 30; May7, 14, 21, 28

The class is designed as a lecture-discussion course about the context of the New Testament, and the background, foundation, and development of Christianity in the early first century. Considerable information will be provided about the Roman world, the eastern Mediterranean Hellenistic cultural sphere, and the Jewish traditions that comprised the primary cultural background of Judea in the first century. Finally, the text of the New Testament will be carefully perused in its literary and historical settings. The primary text will be Welch and Hall, Charting the New Testament. Other texts that may be consulted are Hall, Doctrine and Practice in the Early Church; Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, Nibley, Mormonism and Early Christianity.
.........................................................................................................................

Beloved John
Wednesday 9:00-10:00
Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26; Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26; Apr. 2, 16, 23, 30; May7, 14, 21, 28

The class is designed as a lecture-discussion course that will investigate in detail the life and writings of John, known as Beloved Disciple, Apostle, Evangelist and Revelator. Works to be considered include not only the Epistles, the Gospel, and Revelation, but also the Apocryphon of John. Emphasized will be John’s role as Witness of Christ throughout the dispensations. In addition to Johns own writings, texts include Hall, New Testament Witnesses of Christ, and Hall’s other works in progress.
.........................................................................................................................

What Happened Between the Testaments?
Thursday 8:50-10:00.
Feb. 6, 20, 27; Mar. 6, 20, 27; Apr. 3, 17, 24; May 1, 15, 22.

The course will examine the events and religious writings produced in the approximately 500 years between the conclusion of the Old Testament and the inception of the New Testament. This is the era of the formation of modern rabbinical Judaism, the rise of the Pharisees, the Maccabees and their confrontation with Hellenism, The Jewish Diaspora through first the Persian and then the Greek Hellenistic kingdoms, and the consequent restrictiveness and differentiation of this developing religion from the earlier first temple Judaism. To be followed by the departure of Jewish sects, such as the Essenes, into the wilderness Writing to be examined include Dead Sea Scrolls, Baruch, 2-4 Ezra, Macabees, Ben Sira, Philo, etc. Texts to be consulted include Peters, The Harvest of Hellenism and Gruen, Heritage and Hellenism.
.........................................................................................................................

The Original Greek New Testament for People Who Can’t Read the Ancient Greek.
Friday 7-9
February 21, March 14, April 11, May 9.

Translation, commentary, elucidation and discussion of various New Testament scripture passages where the original Greek provides greater doctrinal insight than English translations. No knowledge of Greek required on the part of participants.
.........................................................................................................................

Advanced Greek - Reading the New Testament
Wednesday, 6:15 - 7:15 pm.
Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26; Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26; Apr. 2, 16, 23, 30; May 7, 14, 21, 28

Reading the New Testament in the original Greek text enables the reader to go beyond the translation errors of the KJV and other English translations.
.........................................................................................................................

Beginning Greek - Salt Lake County class
Tuesday 7:30-9:00 pm.
Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25; March 4, 11, 18, 25; Apr. 1, 15, 22, 29; May 6, 13, 20, 27.

The class will teach the rudiments of New Testament Greek including vocabulary, noun and verb forms, and grammar. By the end of the course students will be reading easy passages from the Gospel of John. The textbook for the course is fundamentals of New Testament Greek by Stanley Porter. ISBN 9780802628279
.........................................................................................................................

Beginning Greek - Utah County class
Thursday 7:10- 8:45 pm.
Feb. 6, 20, 27; Mar. 6, 20, 27; Apr. 3, 17, 24; May 1, 15, 22.

The class will teach the rudiments of New Testament Greek including vocabulary, noun and verb forms, and grammar. By the end of the course students will be reading easy passages from the Gospel of John. The textbook for the course is fundamentals of New
.........................................................................................................................

Once again for further information e-mail itsgreektome@hotmail.com