Campbell: Advances Chapter 4

[Paul-Nitz]

This thread is for discussing Con Campbell's book, Advances in the Study of Greek (2015) Chapter Four:
“Deponency and the Middle Voice”

The chapter seemed to be a good overview of the issue. I hadn’t realized how widespread the debunking of deponency had gone.

If I hadn’t studied this issue as much as I have, I think I may have been lost without more Greek examples.

I thought the “Remaining Challenges” section was unconvincing. Carl Conrad’s two-voice, three paradigm view completely satisfies me. “Mixed deponents” is entirely answered (for me) by lexical considerations. I have no problem seeing how a Greek would say φαγομαι on the one hand and εξω on the other. I’m more involved in the future act of “eating” than I am in a general bland act of “having.” The θῆναι paradigm, I would have thought, is nicely explained by Conrad’s view.

The “Teaching and Learning” section was disappointing. It didn’t bring up the elephant in the room, that so much literature uses misleading terms – surely one obstacle to a change in teaching. It mentioned Decker’s book as a good example of a way forward, an opinion I don't share. It also mentioned the Porter/Reed/O'Donnell book, Fundamentals of NT Greek as a good example. Don't have that book.

[Stephen Carlson]

It mentioned Decker’s book as a good example of a way forward, an opinion I don't share.

It's been a while, but I thought Decker was better on voice than any other primer at the time (e.g. no "deponent").

[Stephen Carlson]

This chapter lives up to the promise of the book's title. It is current and reasonably correct to boot.