Summer 2007/Pasadena
LG567
Albritton
LG567: THEOLOGICAL LATIN. Joel Albritton.
DESCRIPTION: This interactive course will submerge the student in the Latin
language through daily readings in classical, medieval, and modern Latin texts.
Due to its intensive nature, this course will demand a more substantial time
investment than students may anticipate for a four-unit course.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who successfully complete this course can expect
to have
- navigated, with the aid of a dictionary, passages from Latin theological,
historical, and literary texts;
- developed strategies to identify quickly the lexical form of any word they
encounter in a text;
- employed their individual learning styles as they assimilate large amounts
of new information;
- gained a more immediate understanding of theological terminology and a
deeper appreciation for the English language's indebtedness to Latin; and
- most importantly, become active readers of Latin, not merely memorizers of
innumerable grammar paradigms.
RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: A basic knowledge of Latin is essential for the
advanced student of church history and Christian theology. Leaders in the
church today enhance their role as servant-scholars through a solid facility
with the language that is linked inextricably with the idiom of our faith.
COURSE FORMAT: This course will meet twice a week for two-hour sessions. At
least eight hours of study outside of class per week are typically required for
adequate class preparation.
REQUIRED READING:
- Collins, John F. A Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin.
Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1985.
- Prior, Richard E., and Joseph Wohlberg. 501 Latin Verbs. Barrons
Educational Series, Inc., 1995.
- Simpson, Donald P., ed. Cassells Latin Dictionary: Latin-English,
English-Latin. New York: Macmillan, 1977.
- Course Reader.
RECOMMENDED READING for students with little or no formal study of a second
language:
- Goldman, Norma. English Grammar for Students of Latin: The Study
Guide for Those Learning Latin. 3rd ed. Ann Arbor, MI: The Olivia and Hill
Press, 2004.
ASSIGNMENTS:
- Translation of one approximately 500-word Latin passage of the student's
choice (30% of grade).
- Brief daily quizzes and a student-designed mini-lesson (30% of grade).
- Final open-dictionary translation exam (40% of grade).
PREREQUISITES: None. Audits permitted only with transcript evidence of prior
study.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.
FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.