Livonia — Sacred Heart Byzantine Parish is offering people a chance to rediscover the rhizoo of the Bible.

That’s the transliteration of “root,” for those still learning their Koine Greek.

Starting Jan. 13 and running through March 24, Karen Wang of Sacred Heart, an Eastern rite Catholic parish in Livonia, will offer an introductory course in biblical Greek, the original language of much of the New Testament.

“I’ve offered this course in the past, for many years at St. Thomas the Apostle in Ann Arbor,” Wang told The Michigan Catholic. “I have an academic background in classical Greek and Latin, a bachelor’s and a master’s. I like teaching classes every now and again to show how people can learn the original text of the Gospels.”

Classes will meet Saturday mornings, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Registration costs $24 and people are encouraged to sign up with the parish office by the first week in January.

The syllabus — a misreading of a Greek word in and of itself — will cover the Greek alphabet, pronunciation, how to make the Sign of the Cross and the Doxology, along with historical notes on how the Gospels were translated from oral tradition and materials used by the early Christian communities.

“We will be studying Koine Greek, the primary language of the old Church,” Wang explained. “Greek is the original language of the New Testament. We think the New Testament was passed along in Aramaic, but in the 3rd Century, it was written in Koine Greek.

“This is a way of getting to our Christian roots, studying the ancient language of the Bible,” Wang continued. “Those who take the course will be better able to understand the time period, the history, and the way of thought behind the Gospel.”

Besides gaining a basic understanding of the pronunciation and writing style of 3rd century Greek, Wang said learning about the original text of the Gospel forces people to rethink its message.

“Studying any foreign language challenges your assumptions,” Wang said. “This will challenge how people think about the Scriptures when the language changes. In our church, the Byzantine Church, we proclaim the Gospel through chant. So when reading the ancient Greek, you realized it was written to be chanted. Those words were chosen carefully. This shows the Gospels weren’t meant necessarily for private study, but meant to be shared in the community.”

The class will also review how to read and interpret traditional Greek icons and the history behind papyri, the paper used to write the Gospels.

“There will be some show and tell, along with basic grammar, but a lot of reading,” Wang said. “A lot of people, especially Catholics, are aware Greek was the original text of the New Testament and are curious about the influence Greek had on the Gospel message.”

Wang describes herself as a lover of different languages, saying translating the Gospel into the original Greek allows people to step back in time and be closer to the message the Church fathers were relaying to the early Christian communities.

“Greek was the primary language in the Mediterranean after Alexander the Great conquered a lot of those city-states,” Wang said. “So the disciples would write the Gospels in Greek to reach the widest audience.”

The Greek language works differently from the English language, Wang continued.

“When you read the Gospel in its original Greek, you see the original words the Holy Spirit inspired to put down onto papyrus,” Wang said. “It’s a very spiritual experience to see those words and to see others discover those words themselves.”

Introduction to biblical Greek course

Sacred Heart Byzantine Catholic Church, 29125 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia, is hosting an introductory class on biblical Greek on Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., from Jan. 13 to March 24. Call the parish office, (734) 522-3166 to register. “A Primer of Biblical Greek” by N. Clayton Croy is the accompanying textbook and is available to order at the classes for $24.