Advice: Modern Greek or Latin?

Hi guys, I'm in the process of finishing my registration for courses. I have a choice to study beginners Modern Greek or beginners Latin. I'm thinking learning Greek is not incredibly useful since it is of the modern variety and ill just study it when I enter seminary a year later. However, it's neat "solas" the reformers professed are in Latin. Which do you guys think would be a better choice? I'd appreciate any insight for those that have experience with these languages.

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Mathew Voth

It depends. If you do not plan on going further with the Latin, I would probable stick with the Greek. Even though it is modern, it will still give you a leg up once you start biblical Greek (Koine). Although having some Latin might be fruitful, especially if you get into systematics/Church history in seminary. So, if you are planning to go down the biblical studies track, I would go Greek, but if you have plans to go down these others tracks, maybe give the Latin a go!

Alain Maashe

I would take Latin, a knowledge of Latin will tremendously help your understanding of the English language and will benefit your education in general. As you said, you will take Greek in seminary, as such , it is not like you will miss the opportunity to learn Greek. Even in biblical studies, a lot of the nomenclature (Latin nōmenclātūra: a calling by name, list of names.) makes use of Latin in addition to the ancient sources that are in Latin.

Jack Hairston

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/445706#Comment_445706

I agree with Alain that Latin is the better choice.

Much of English is based on roots of Latin words.
Much of English grammar is based on Latin.
It will round out your education.

The primary goal of education is not employment, but to become educated. The more variety in what you know, the better you will understand your world.

Jack [who took two years of Latin in 1956 and who has been studying Koine Greek ever since]

NB.Mick

One more for Latin here.

Learning modern Greek will give you the minimal advantage of having seen the Greek alphabet before - however, you may need to "unlearn" much of it when you come to seminary, especially pronunciation.

Learning Latin will not only be beneficial for overall education, English grammar etc, but it will teach you how a highly inflective language works (one where words change their ending according to case and number), it will teach you about the cases, and how to parse words and sentences - in essence, all the techniques you probably will need for NT Greek. Thus Latin will really give you the head start.

Ergatees

Dear Carlin,

Take LATIN. Yes, it will help you learn more about grammar, English grammar, declinsions, parsing, participles, etc., etc. You will then also see that much of our English vocabulary has Latin roots (from Latin and Middle French).

Then when you begin studying Greek you will be better prepared. Modern Greek is a simplified version of ancient Greek and will probably not help you for NT Greek. Most of the Greeks I know tell me they are not fluent with NT Greek. Isn't that strange?

Ergatees

Rich DeRuiter

Hi guys, I'm in the process of finishing my registration for courses. I have a choice to study beginners Modern Greek or beginners Latin. I'm thinking learning Greek is not incredibly useful since it is of the modern variety and ill just study it when I enter seminary a year later. However, it's neat "solas" the reformers professed are in Latin. Which do you guys think would be a better choice? I'd appreciate any insight for those that have experience with these languages.

I'll differ with many of my colleagues here. One academic year of Latin (or any language) is not likely to help much. While it's true that many English words have Latin roots, and a lot of theology used to use Latin, one year of it isn't enough to do more than give you an introduction to the language. At least that was my experience, being required to take a year of Latin before entering seminary. I wish I could get that time back - I would have invested it in something useful.

A year of Greek won't do much either, but you'll get an introduction and something to build on for later. I don't know enough about the difference between modern and Biblical Greek to say it will be or won't be confusing to make the transition, but I would assume that there's enough carry over to make it worth while.I wish I knew a little modern Greek, actually.

If you plan on doing medieval church history, or early protestant studies, Latin would be very helpful (it was the lingua franca of theology during that time), but you'd need more than a year of it to do so. For protestant church history after the 1700's (more or less), Latin is less and less important. For Roman Catholic theology and church history, Latin is essential - but again, one year would not be enough to be useful.

If I were in your shoes, I'd go for the Greek.

All IMHO, of course.

Carlin Wong

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/445824#Comment_445824

I've decide to take Latin with the intention of taking two more semesters before I graduate. Thanks for everyone's input. Until then, Soli Deo Gloria.

Ergatees

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/447575#Comment_447575

Dear Carlin,

Wise decision. Let me add this thought. In my reading of theology, both East and West, I find many Latin words, phrases and in the older books it is taken for granted that the reader is "educated." I mean to say that in the "olden days" people studied Latin like folks are taking Spanish today or English in other countries.

Reading Latin will help you to know exactly what is meant in the theological books which don't have translations. You will also, as I said before, have a better grasp of all grammar. In my school years I had to take Latin and there was no other choice. It was college prep and so you studied Latin. When I went over to the public schools (parents' choice for a free education), I had a choice of a foreign language. I have studied since, Attic Greek, Koine Greek and Modern Greek (not to mention other languages).

Blessings to you in the New Year!

Ergatees