Students may now enroll in an online Greek course that will be taught during the 2019-20 academic year at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Longtime Greek instructor and Graduate Professor of Exegetical Theology Dr. James W. Voelz will teach the sessions.

The course is designed to serve three groups of students: those who have completed the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) Program and are continuing on with the Specific Ministry Pastor to General Pastor Certification (SMP-GPC) Program, and those who have applied for the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) or the Residential Alternate Route (RAR) programs at Concordia Seminary. The course will help prepare students to take the Entrance Level Competency Exam (ELCE) in Greek, an entry-level requirement.

Voelz, a pre-eminent Greek scholar who has taught the language for more than 40 years, serves the Seminary as the Dr. Jack Dean Kingsbury Professor of New Testament Theology. He is the author of What Does This Mean? Principles of Biblical Interpretation in the Post-Modern World as well as Fundamental Greek Grammar and Mark 1:1-8:26 in the Concordia Commentary series. Volume two of Voelz's commentary on the Gospel of Mark will be available November 2019.

The schedule for this course consists of a live online tutoring session which takes place Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. CT beginning Aug. 29, 2019. Classes meet each week through the academic year for 30 total sessions. Students should plan to commit eight hours in additional study each week.

"This course has developed nicely," said Voelz, who has taught the course since 2015. "The most recent class has been diligent in attendance, which is very positive; that kind of devotion leads to good test results."

Registration is now open for the fall semester and will be available through Aug. 9. Registration for Part II of the course, taking place during the spring semester, will be available in October. The course fee is $1,200 per semester and the class size will be limited to 15 students. Note: When the revised 4th edition of the textbook becomes available later this year, it will be the preferred textbook for students.

The course is designed primarily for current SMP and prospective incoming students. However, if space is available, the course will be open to anyone wishing to learn Greek. While it is a noncredit course with no prerequisites, a solid understanding of English grammar is essential to success.

To request an application or get more information, contact Gina Matzenbacher in the Registrar's office at 314-505-7107 or [email protected].

Residential summer term and fall semester Greek courses continue to be offered by Concordia Seminary and are requirements of both the M.Div. and RAR curriculum. RAR students, however, are ineligible to take the Greek course in the fall semester and are encouraged to register for the online Greek course or enroll during the summer term for the residential Greek course.

For information on these classes, contact Rev. Bill Wrede, director of Ministerial Recruitment and Admissions, at 314-505-7200 or [email protected].

About Concordia Seminary

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis provides Gospel-centered graduate-level theological education for pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and other leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). To learn more, visit www.csl.edu.