St. Raphael School
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If sections and pricing don’t appear, email support@scholeacademy.com and we’ll help you enroll.
This is a combined Middle School course for students who are already competent in Koine (New Testament) Greek grammar and fluency. It is taught in the received pronunciation (modern pronunciation) which is a living language within the Greek Orthodox Church worldwide.
View the SRS Greek Program Curriculum Map
The fact that our class meets twice a week defines the scope of our work together. The purpose of our class meeting is to offer live instruction from a skilled teacher, who can explain the content of the course in a responsive way, giving students closer guidance than they would receive from a textbook, in a difficult subject many parents do not feel equipped to teach. The class meeting is also a time to coach students in their practice of skills they will need as they study Greek on the other four days of the week.
Saint Raphael’s School teaches what is often called “Koine Greek.” It is the dialect of Greek which was spoken throughout the Eastern Mediterranean following the conquests of Alexander the Great in the late 4th century BC, and persisted throughout the Roman and Byzantine periods and eventually evolved into the Modern Greek language which is currently spoken in Greece today. Koine Greek is the dialect of Greek with which the New Testament was written (which is why Koine Greek is often called “New Testament Greek”).
What is the difference between New Testament KOINE Greek and Classical Greek?
Saint Raphael’s School teaches what is often called “Koine Greek.” It is the dialect of Greek which was spoken throughout the Eastern Mediterranean following the conquests of Alexander the Great in the late 4th century BC, and persisted throughout the Roman and Byzantine periods and eventually evolved into the Modern Greek language which is currently spoken in Greece today. Koine Greek is the dialect of Greek with which the New Testament was written (which is why is Koine Greek is often called “New Testament Greek”).
Along with the New Testament, the various services of The Eastern Church, hymns, prayers, and saints lives were also composed in Koine Greek. At Saint Raphael’s School, Koine Greek is taught using the “Modern” or “Received” pronunciation. This pronunciation is identical to that used by speakers of the Modern Greek language today, and it is also the pronunciation currently used for the liturgies and services of the Orthodox Church of Greece, and most of the Orthodox Churches under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch, including The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOARCH).
Schole Academy teaches both Classical and Koine Greek. Classical Greek is slightly different from and grammatically more complex than Koine Greek. While our course at Saint Raphael’s focuses on equipping Orthodox Christians with the tools to understand the New Testament, the church fathers, and the liturgy, Scholé course exposes students to the Greek of a lengthier period, from Homer (8th century BC) through “The Golden Age of Athens” (5th century BC) and into the Hellenistic/Koine period (including the New Testament and Patristics). Whereas our course uses the modern pronunciation employed in the Orthodox Church, Scholé Academy uses a pronunciation “reconstructed” to approximate that of the time period of 5th century Athens. We hope this description of the two sets of courses helps you decide which is more appropriate for your purposes.
Required Materials: Books and supplies are not included in the purchase of the course. These resources are listed to help inform your decision-making as you make course selections and build your course schedule. Please reach out to the instructor if you have any questions about materials.
Optional Resources
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Dustin Finch’s love for Greek began in the Fall of 2008 at Williams Baptist College (Walnut Ridge, AR), where he was later honored with the Zondervan Biblical Languages Award for Greek in 2009 and for both Greek and Hebrew in 2010. He graduated with an M.Div from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (Elkhart, IN) and was honored with the Gertrude Roten Excellence in Greek Exegesis award in 2019. Since becoming Orthodox, his love for Greek has only grown as he has read the Greek text of icons, hymns, liturgical services, the Symbol of Faith, lives of the saints, and the Fathers. Moreover, he has been learning to pray in Greek—using the Psalms and the prayers of the Church. He lives in Jonesboro, AR with his wife, Angela, his sons, Owen (14) and Wilkes (10), and his dog, Maggie. He is a member of St. John Orthodox Church in Memphis, TN.
First, read the available course descriptions, noting prerequisites, target grades, and course objectives. If you think your student is prepared for the course, go ahead and register. After registration, a placement assessment may be provided to students, depending on the course and the student’s previous enrollment with Scholé Academy. Registration is finalized when the student’s placement assessment has been returned by the course instructor with placement confirmation.
Make sure they don’t conflict with other activities in your schedule or other courses you are purchasing. Our system will not catch double-bookings!
Our Assistant to the Principal will be in touch with you after your enrollment to help you with next steps, including any placement evaluations that may be required for your course selections.
This registration will be finalized when the student’s placement assessment has been returned by the course instructor with placement confirmation.
Greek 1 offers a clear, sophisticated, and imaginative introduction to the Greek language for Upper school students....
Greek II follows upon Greek I in offering a clear, sophisticated, and imaginative introduction to the Greek language...
Greek III follows upon Greek II in offering a clear, sophisticated, and imaginative introduction to the Greek language...
