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Leshono Suryoyo Syriac Flashcards
2–3 minutesUnder the sage direction of Dr. Cole, I’m taking Syriac this semester at SEBTS. One thing I never head into language-learning without is a good set of flashcards. These can take tons of time to make and while making your own is a good exercise, let’s face it, it’s also taxing. After seeing how popular the Seow Hebrew flashcards I posted are, I’ve decided to share my Syriac flashcards as well. They are based on John Healey’s Leshono Suryoyo published by Gorgias Press. My Syriac flashcards come in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. You may not have known that…
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Book Review: In the Beginning Was the Word
6–9 minutesThere are very few books that I look forward to reading. I mean really look forward to, like the way a tweenie looks forward to the next Twilight. Though not so much interested in adolescent vampire fiction there was one book published at the end of last year that I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into: Vern Poythress’ In the Beginning Was the Word: A God-Centered Approach to Language. (You can grab a free PDF of the entire book through Poythress’ site.) Having come through the undergraduate linguistics program of a state school I can tell you that the…
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Taking the Right Name in Vain
3–5 minutesConsider: You know his name wasn’t really Jesus Christ, right? Jesus is just the Greek translation of Yeshua, which translates from Hebrew to Joshua. But his name wasn’t Josh Christ, either, since his parents weren’t Joseph and Mary Christ. So it’s really not blasphemy to say “Jesus Christ”, because it’s not taking the right name in vain. Isn’t religion fun? To be honest I felt giddy when I read the above. It’s perfect to blog. It involves linguistics and Jesus and it’s moronic; the first two I love, the last just makes good blog fodder. Why’s the above moronic? The…
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Listening to the Lectionary
1–2 minutesphoto credit: Lawrence OP Sing for Joy Every Sunday morning the pretentiously titled local classical station–The Classical Station–airs several syndicated programs featuring sacred music. One of those is Sing for Joy, a production of Minnesota’s St. Olaf College. Every week the College Pastor presents choral music selected to coincide with the readings from the revised common lectionary. The result is a beautiful production that is well worth your listen, especially if you come from a non-liturgical tradition such as I. I’ve found that keeping up with the common lectionary vocally enhanced by world-class choirs is a delightful way to connect…