LA211 Introducing New Testament Discourse Grammar
Overview
Compare any languages and you’ll find they have similar tasks that need to be accomplished. Whether it’s creating anticipation, highlighting something important, or structuring the overall flow, the discourse devices that accomplish these tasks help us understand the meaning of the text. In this course, Dr. Runge helps you understand how these discourse devices function both in English and Greek so you can better exegete the Greek New Testament and communicate it’s meaning from the pulpit or in the classroom. Dr. Runge explores these discourse devices in easy-to-understand language and with illustrations of how we use them in English. He then shows you the exegetical significance of these devices for interpreting the Greek New Testament.
Top Highlights
“Howard Hendricks had this quip about [how] ‘Rules are many, principles are few, rules will change, principles never do.’” (source)
“It can be used to join two items of equal status—meaning, two noun phrases, two clauses, two paragraphs—and it’s going to be the default connective strategy used in nonnarratives, so meaning the Epistles and also in John’s Gospel.” (source)
“So, when you come across development markers—whether it be οὖν, δέ, narrative τότε, whatever it would be—you need to look at what things are being connected. The only constraint that it brings is that it’s connecting two items of equal status, but you’ll need to decide what level of the discourse you’re connecting, whether it’s two subordinate clauses or two main clauses or two paragraphs.” (source)
“When it’s being used as a conjunction, those two things are right next to each other. When καί is used adverbially, it’s still signaling the close connection, but the only difference is, those two things are not right next to each other.” (source)
“Asyndeton is the simplest and the unmarked connection. It’s the connection I would use, the connection strategy I would use when the writer thinks that there’s no need to provide any instruction.” (source)
- Title: LA211 Introducing New Testament Discourse Grammar
- Author: Steven Runge
- Series: Logos Mobile Education
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Print Publication Date: 2016
- Logos Release Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Courseware
- Subjects: Education › Greek language, Biblical--Discourse grammar; Education › Greek language, Biblical--Grammar; Greek language, Biblical › Discourse grammar; Greek language, Biblical › Grammar
- Resource ID: LLS:LA211RUNGE
- Resource Type: Courseware Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-02-12T04:16:04Z
Steve Runge has a Doctor of Literature degree in biblical languages from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa, supervised by Christo Van der Merwe. He currently serves as a research associate affiliated with the department of ancient studies at the University of Stellenbosch.
In preparation for his doctoral research, Steve completed several years of study in the linguistic fields of pragmatics and discourse grammar. This culminated in attending a workshop on discourse analysis offered by SIL/Wycliffe Bible Translators, facilitated by Stephen H. Levinsohn. He has also earned a Master of Theological Studies degree in biblical languages from Trinity Western Seminary in Langley, BC, and a BA in speech communication from Western Washington University.
Steve has served as a visiting professor teaching Greek discourse grammar at Knox Theological Seminary, Dallas Theological Seminary, and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He also served as an adjunct faculty member at Northwest Baptist Theological College, Trinity Western University, and Associated Canadian Theological Schools (ACTS) while completing his education. He is very active in the church. He and his wife were married in 1990. They have two daughters, and live in Bellingham.