Abstract
This is an important book for anybody who reads New Testament Greek. Often such debates around linguistics, semantics, and lexicography can appear otiose and having little impact on the business of understanding the meaning of the text. Campbell compellingly shows that perspective is false. Moreover, he guides readers skilfully through a host of recent developments in the study of the Greek language as they pertain to the New Testament.
Following on from the introductory matter, the book comprises ten chapters. The first provides an excellent potted history of the study of Biblical (Koine) Greek from the beginning of the nineteenth century onwards. The second chapter, on linguistic theories opens up heavy meta-level descriptions of language. While this will be new territory for many readers—Campbell provides examples to illustrate the application of these theories. The chapter on lexical semantics and lexicography will bring readers back into what may be more familiar debates. The discussion builds on the work of James Barr and discusses the major innovations in Louw and Nida’s lexicon. The fourth chapter on deponancy and the middle voice opens up a topic that those involved with teaching Greek will know only too well. Here Campbell describes the remarkable and fast-paced paradigm shift that advocates the abandonment of deponancy and the refocusing of teaching on the idea of voice—the middle voice being at the heart of the debate. Chapter Five is one in which Campbell is heavily invested. This concerns debates around verbal aspect. Campbell is totally up-front about his own views, but his discussion of the views of others is incredibly balanced and judicious. Key terms such as tense, aktionsart, and aspect are defined in very clear ways. Campbell notes the large amount of consensus among those involved in the study of verbal aspect. He does, however, explain one of the key points of contention that surrounds understanding the Greek perfect. Considerable time is spent on ‘verbal aspect and exegesis’, yet it is difficult to perceive the new or fundamental insights verbal aspect provides. Campbell and other scholars may be correct that, structurally, the Greek tense system is better understood through the lens of aspect, rather than that of tense, but the exegetical pay-off is still to be established. There are further exegetical examples in Campbell’s Basics of Verbal Aspect, but perhaps a thorough-going commentary is required that demonstrates that application of the theory creates deeper or new insights.
The remaining chapters cover the following topics: idiolect, genre, and register, discourse analysis I: Hallidayan approaches; discourse analysis II: Levinsohn and Runge; pronunciation; teaching and learning Greek. Discussing pronunciation, the way Campbell sets up the tension between pedagogical utility and accuracy helpfully highlights what is at stake. This book is an extremely helpful handbook, reference work, primer, and a very engaging presentation of information that could not be considered dry. Campbell has communicated these ideas in a readily comprehensible and easily digestible manner. This is an excellent book.