LANG 500

Perspectives on Biblical Languages

Course Description

Note: This is course is offered online only.

This course offers an overview of Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Greek, with an emphasis on why knowledge of the original languages has been vital throughout Christian history and why this knowledge plays a significant role today. Assuming no prior study of either language, you will learn some of the basic features of Greek and Hebrew, including their alphabets and pronunciation, and key grammatical constructions. We will also explore the Christian heritage of studying these languages, along with some issues regarding the original languages and their translation today.

This course is divided into three main sections. The first section will cover the key elements of New Testament Greek and the Greek text of the New Testament. The second section looks at Old Testament Hebrew and the history and prehistory of the Old Testament text. The third section will then turn to the English translations of the Bible, considering the various theories and problems in the faithful transmission of God's Word to the People of God.

Dates May 12–Aug 11
Days & Times Thursday
10:00AM–12:00PM
Format Online Only
Credit Hours 3
Audit Hours 3

Register Now

Faculty

Mary Beth Lascurain

Sessional Faculty, Regent College

Learn More

Notes

Course information sheets will be posted here soon.


Additional Info

Summer 2025
This course effectively runs on a Monday–Friday schedule, beginning Monday, May 12 and ending Friday, August 8, 2025, with the final assignment due Monday, August 11, 2025.

Class time for this course will be divided between asynchronous pre-recorded lectures (1 hour each week), and live classes via Zoom (2 hours each week). Students will begin each week by encountering the language directly through a small set of audio and visual learning materials, supplemented by relevant readings. Students will then view recorded mini lectures and solidify this learning by completing a written exercise and continuing to practice with the week’s language learning materials in preparation for the live class. Live Zoom classes will involve discussions, communicative language learning activities, and brief lectures on special topics.

Live classes will take place on Thursdays, 10:00 am–12:00 pm (Pacific Time). Students who cannot participate due to reasons such as living in a distant time zone will be given access to recordings of the live classes for 48 hrs. As a substitute for breakout room discussions (which will not be recorded), these students will be required to respond briefly to a discussion prompt on a Moodle forum. Please contact the instructor if you are unable to participate in live sessions.

Fall 2025
This course is available onsite and online. Students must register for the online section to gain Zoom access to the course.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.


Explore Courses