God’s Word in its original words

If you’re planning to attend seminary after you graduate from Concordia, theological languages is about as practical as it gets. Knowing the original languages of the Old and New Testaments will not only enrich your personal devotional studies, it will give you a firm foundation to build upon in seminary and eventually the pastoral office.

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Minor

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Program Overview

You’ll learn Hebrew, Greek, and either Latin or German in order to read the Bible and major theological works in their original languages. Reading these texts creates a closer connection to God’s Word, and offers a deeper understanding of the early Christian world and subsequent Church history. Concordia’s curriculum and faculty will help you attain a  high level of competency for reading and translating these original languages. Plus, this program is excellent preparation for seminary requirements and other graduate work in theology. This major can be combined easily with the applied theology major, the Christian thought major, or others.

What to Expect

Yes, you are going to be challenged. You’ll be learning two new alphabets that likely you’ve never encountered before. However, your future faculty, classmates, and tutors are eager to give you the support and resources needed to succeed. You’ll learn and practice self-discipline (which is necessary for language acquisition). In terms of benefits, you’ll experience the Bible and theological literature in a depth not possible with English translations. You’ll be preparing to spend a lifetime digging into Scripture and writings by Church Fathers with more clarity than before. Plus, through the study of other languages, your mastery of English will also improve. Alongside your languages courses, you’ll also get to take classes with our committed theology faculty.

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