>Edgar Krentz wrote: >> >> >> ...[SNIP] most people who work in the >> NT have to have at least minimal German. >> >As a new (English) student of Greek, could you fill me in on why German >is important? [I'm having enough difficulty as it is!] Is this still >true today? I'm assuming from the context that it is because previous >great scholars of Greek were German and wrote in German? Am I doomed >because I foresee no chance of ever learning german.... > >Greg Kilbrai Michael Kramer's response was very good. Let me add to it. 1. The major works on Greek grammar and philology have been German. I think of the Schwyzer-Debrunner grammar of Greek in the Handbuh der altertumswissenschasft, for example. 2. There is no substiteute for the massive Paulys-Wissowa-Kroll-Mittelah,us-Zziegler edited Realencyzclopaedie der klassischen Altertumswissenschaft [100+ volumes], soon to be updated with a new 10 volume edition. 3. Many excellent mongraphs never get translated inteo English. I just reviewed Peter Pilhofer, PHILIPPI. Band I: DIE ERSTE CHRISTLICHE GEMEINDE EUROPAS (Tuebingen: Mohr, 1995) for the Journal of Religion. No one can write in Philippians in the future unless they have worked throuigh this book. And that is only one of many. 4. There are great commentaries, up-to-date, that never get translated, e.g. in the Handbuch zum Neuen Testament, Meyer, EKK (3 volumes on Romans, 3 on 1 Corintehians), Neues Testament Deutsch, Theologiscdher Handkommentar, etc. 5. Two of the premiere journals in NT studies are the Zeitschrift fuer die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft and Biblische Zeitschrift. One simply must read them. And, if one is interested in the world of the NT, many of the best editions of ancient authhors and commentaries on them are in German, e.g. Eduard Norden, DIE ANTIKE KUNSTPROSA and AGNOSTOS THEOS. I am sure that others on this list will be able to give multiple titles of this sort. I would extimate that 35 to 40% of my professional library is in German. I hope this clarifies my phrase "minimal German" minimally. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Edgar Krentz Acting Dean, Fall Quarter 1998 Professor of New Testament Emeritus Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago 1100 E. 55th Street Chicago, IL 60615 USA 773-256-0752 e-mail:FFFF,0000,0000 ekrentz@lstc.edu (Office) FFFF,0000,0000emkrentz@mcs.com (Home) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ --- B-Greek home page: http://sunsite.unc.edu/bgreek You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: [cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu] To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-b-greek-329W@franklin.oit.unc.edu To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu