Wednesday, November 17, 2010

New link - Studium Excitare

Upon request, a new link has been added on the right-hand column under "Primary sources."

Here's the description from their website:

Studium Excitare is a quarterly journal dedicated to the translation of Orthodox Confessional Lutheran writings, focusing on the teaching of today's Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Studium Excitare is published by the students and alumni of the confessional language studies at Martin Luther College, New Ulm, MN.

Intrepid Lutherans strongly supports the study and use of the original Biblical and confessional languages, especially by the students and alumni of our worker training schools. May their efforts prosper and increase!

(And may the requirement for learning both Latin and German be restored to MLC's pastor-track program!)

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Paul,

We are considering placing our 8th grader at LPS in Watertown, WI next year and I notice they must take Latin in their freshman year. I hope to encourage him to continue in Latin beyond that 1st year, even if he becomes a teacher. Having the German would be great to, as to read the reformers in their language.

Thanks for all you do,

Perry Lund

Rev. Paul A. Rydecki said...

Perry,

Many blessings on your 8th grader, whether you send him to LPS or not! Latin will do him good, no matter what he does.

I've been told that many of our prep graduates elect the Confessional Languages option at MLC which includes German and Latin. I'm glad our prep schools still offer both. When I went to high school our Area Lutheran High Schools also offered both for the most part, but now that they're no longer required at MLC, I'm guessing one or both have been replaced with a "living language" in many schools.

Benjamin Rusch said...

Martin Luther College has begun requiring students to have taken one year of Latin before beginning Greek studies. I can confidently say that Latin has helped me understand Greek, and Greek has helped me understand Latin.

Now, hand-in-hand, they both help me understand Western history from Judea's Hellenization even past the reformation. Yes, languages are a great help.

There hasn't been a better theological learning experience for me than handling a Chemnitz manuscript with rubber gloves, photographing and hand-copying the Latin (and cursive Greek, and Hebrew, and German), and lose track of time translating. Especially when Latin is such a concise language that one page has rendered into about 5 single-spaced.

Mr. Benjamin Rusch (MLC Student)

Unknown said...

Ben - in regards to MLC requiring students to take one year of Latin prior to Greek studies, I assume that is primarily for pastor track students. Also, a question: If someone at MLS or LPS would take 4 years of Latin, would that student need to take the MLC Latin course? The point of LPS's language curriculum is to have students take 4 years of language, encouraging students over their four years to take Latin, German or Spanish as it pertains to their future calling, whether MLC or another college.

Best wishes in your studies at MLC.

Anonymous said...

Perry,

"It depends." Is the best answer for a few of your questions.

Yes the Biblical and confessional languages at MLC are (usually) just for Pastor Track students. However, in my time there, I had a girl (aghast!) in my German, Latin, and even my Greek classes. So, if the interest is there, teacher track students can take those languages as well!

As for the prep education. Everything hinges on how many credits you take in high school AND aptitude measured by a test given at the end of your senior year.

I took four years of Latin and two years of German at MLS. At MLC, I had one required semester of Latin and three of German.

I also took a Latin elective "Post-Reformation Lutheran Latin Writings." German electives are also available.

Schottey

Benjamin Rusch said...

Perry,

Going to an area Lutheran high school, I had the equivalent of four years of Latin before beginning at MLC. I was able to step right into Greek studies without any prerequisite Latin. One classmate of mine had one year of Latin in his senior year of high school, and had fulfilled the prerequisite just with that.

Concerning post-Prep Latin, I took MLC's placement test and earned college credit for Vergil's Aeneid. The test also placed me in higher-level Latin studies such as "Ecclesiastical Latin" (Pre-reformation church fathers' writings).

If you're at all unsure, better to email one of the Deans of Students at the college than to take me at my word.

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