SLP Courses Offered
Please note: Each week during the SLP, there are nine hours of class meeting and instruction time with the instructor of your course. This might be different during weeks with holidays and/or make-up meetings.
Some courses have additional mandatory or voluntary meetings with the TF or TA; or TF or TA office hour offerings, which happen outside of the class meetings and/or additional office hours with the instructor of each course.
Auditors are welcome in all SLP courses.
2026 Course Details
Information on course instructors, teaching fellows, course times, and required books are included below. Please refer to each syllabus for more information about the particular structure and organization of your course.
Instructor: Shahrad Shahvand (shahradshahvand@fas.harvard.edu)
Schedule: Noon-3pm; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Monday will be the section with the TF, also from noon-3pm.
Note: Three classes with the instructor plus a mandatory sectional with the teaching fellow
Meeting: Online
Teaching Fellow: Norman Sheidlower (sheidlower@post.harvard.edu)
Course Description
This course is designed to enhance students’ ability to read and comprehend classical Arabic texts through in-class translation, grammar exercises, and discussions of culture-specific concepts. By the end of the course, students will have developed a strong grasp of Arabic syntax and morphology, expanded their vocabulary, and acquired the analytical skills necessary for close reading of advanced texts across various genres.
Prerequisite
One year of Modern Standard Arabic or equivalent.
Expectations for Auditors
Auditors are expected to fully engage with the course as all other students do. Given the intensive nature of this class—meeting four days a week for up to three hours—consistent preparation and active participation are essential.
To maximize your learning experience, auditors should:
- Study assigned lessons from the textbook and memorize the vocabulary.
- Complete all exercises in advance. While some will be assigned as turn-in homework, auditors are responsible for working through all exercises.
- Read assigned texts carefully, using the glossary and grammar notes as guides.
- Come prepared with specific questions for class discussions or office hours.
Attendance and Assessment for Auditors
Auditors must attend all classes and sections. If you need to miss a session, please notify the instructor in advance.
Homework assignments must be completed and submitted. They will be corrected but not graded.
Quizzes are mandatory for auditors. They will be reviewed for accuracy but not assigned grades.
Midterm and final exams are optional but encouraged for those who wish to assess their progress.
Instructor: Giovanni DiRusso
Schedule: M, T, Th; 1pm-4pm. *Times may change in light of student availability.
Meeting: TBD
Teaching Fellow: TBD
Course Description
This course develops students’ knowledge of Coptic grammar, vocabulary, and literature by exposing them to a variety of texts, genres, and dialects. Texts to be read include, but are not limited to, homilies, Christian apocrypha, monastic literature, and non-literary texts. Students will have the opportunity to practice reading manuscripts and papyri and to critically use digital tools for the study of Coptic.
Prerequisites
This course has a prerequisite of two semesters, or one year of Elementary Coptic instruction at the college or university level. Therefore, during this course, the class generally transitions from textbook exercises and grammar instruction (which should already be known to participants) to direct engagement with primary sources, such as early Christian literature, Gnostic works, Manichaean texts, or documentary papyrology (letters, deeds, and ostraca).
Knowledge of Elementary Coptic equivalent to one year or two semesters at the college/university level is required as a prerequisite for this course.
Required and Recommended Reading:
All required readings will be made available in course packet format. For recommended reading:
Younan, Sameh. So, You Want to Learn Coptic?: A Guide to Bohairic Grammar. Sydney: Kirrawee Coptic Orthodox Church, 2005.
Müller, Matthias. Grammatik des Bohairischen. Lingua Aegyptia Studia Monographica 24. Widmaier Verlag, 2021. (chapters of a draft translation of this grammar will be made available as needed; no knowledge of German is presupposed)
Instructor: Pascale Torracinta (pascale_torracinta@hds.harvard.edu)
Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday; 12 pm-3 pm
Meeting: Online
Teaching Fellow: TBD
Course Description
An intensive eight-week introduction to reading and translating modern French texts for students who require knowledge of French for research purposes. It presents the main structures of French grammar in a systematic and coherent manner and, at the same time, gives reading and translation assignments in selected texts related to theological and religious studies, and/or by philosophers (such as Emile Durkheim, Alexis de Tocqueville, Albert Camus, Simone de Beauvoir, Pierre Hadot, Michel Foucault, Paul Ricœur, and Emmanuel Levinas – to name a few.)
We will meet online three times a week (Mon-Wed-Thu) from 12 pm to 3 pm, but these meetings will include one long break and a shorter one for snacks and rest.
Required Books
- Textbook: Sandberg, Karl C. and Eddison C. Tatham. French for Reading. Prentice Hall, 1997.
ISBN-10: 0133316033
ISBN-13: 978-0133316032
This book is no longer easily available for purchase, so online access will be provided for this course.
- Verb Book: Christopher Kendris. 501 French Verbs. Barron's Educational Series, 8th edition, 2020.
ISBN-10: 1506260640
ISBN-13: 978-1506260648
You can purchase any older edition of this book, or any other French verb book. Alternatively, you can use an online verb conjugator (a list will be provided in due course).
- Dictionary: Ideally, you would be working in a classroom with a hardcopy French-English dictionary. However, in this virtual and online environment, you may use online or e-dictionaries, like Word Reference, Reverso French-English Dictionary, or Collins French-English Dictionary.
If you prefer using a hardcover dictionary, you should opt for a good-sized French-English/English-French dictionary, with a minimum of 150,000–300,000 entries. With more than 820,000 entries, the Collins Robert French Unabridged Dictionary (any edition) is the best dictionary for scholarly work. Although less comprehensive, the Collins Robert French College Dictionary (350,000 entries) is another good choice, but you are welcome to use any dictionary of your choice or rely strictly on online dictionaries.
Please, note that due to the remote nature of this course, online versions of all the books used in this course will be available, so no purchase is strictly necessary. Please refer to the “Textbooks” link on the Canvas course website.
Expectations for Auditors
Auditors are welcome on this class! If you choose to audit this course, you will not receive a grade or course credit. You are otherwise welcome to participate in all aspects of the class.
Attendance and Assessment for Auditors
Attendance: Please attend class on a regular basis and feel free to meet with the TF during office hours for help with coursework.
Class participation: You are welcome to join in all class meetings, discussions, projects, and other tasks.
Homework: The more homework you do, the more you will benefit from this course, but none is required for auditors. If you submit your homework assignments, I will be happy to look at them, correct the work, and provide informal feedback.
Quizzes and Exams: I will correct all the vocabulary/grammar quizzes, as well as midterm and final exams that you choose to complete, and I will provide informal feedback about your progress.
Instructor: Karin Grundler-Whitacre (kgwhitacre@hds.harvard.edu)
Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday; Noon-3 pm (we meet three days each week and three hours each time)
Meeting: Online
Teaching Fellow: TBD
Course Description
This eight-week course in German translation balances the survey and instruction of German grammar, syntax, and basic vocabulary with the translation practice of texts by or about major German theologians and philosophers (e.g., Barth, Bonhoeffer, Hildegard von Bingen, Kant, Luther, Rahner, Schleiermacher, Soelle, and Tillich—to name just a few), as well as authors on various faith traditions and religious matters, or texts describing world religions in general. We will work intensively on translation, reading, and analytical skills during the duration of the course. There will be approximately six to seven weeks of grammar and syntax instruction and translation practice (with weekly vocabulary and translation quizzes), and the last two week of the course will focus on reviewing and practicing the newly acquired translation and reading skills.
We are also hoping to have a virtual meeting in the Harvard Divinity School Library to look at original texts in Fraktur-Script and to learn how to read and translate those documents. Just like last year, we hope to be able to invite visitors to come to class (via Zoom) and to talk about Germany and topics of interest to students and academic life.
Required Books
(We are working with the Harvard Divinity School Library regarding the reading list):
- Korb, Richard Alan. German for Reading Knowledge. 7th ed. Boston, MA: Heinle Cengage Learning, 2014.
ISBN-10: 1-133-60426-9
ISBN-13: 978-1-133-60426-6
The latest edition of this book (7th edition) is required! Please do not purchase previous copies, as they won't be useful in class. For more information about the book (print and digital version), see German for Reading Knowledge on the publisher's website.
- A dictionary: Ideally you would be working with a hardcopy dictionary. However, in this virtual and online environment, you may use any online German-English dictionary, such as LEO (or others).
- If you prefer to use a hardcover dictionary, you should opt for a good-sized, hardcover German-English/English-German dictionary. A hardcover dictionary with at least 300,000 entries (more is always better) is required. Some of the most commonly used are: Harper Collins, Langenscheidt, Oxford-Duden, PONS, Webster's. You are welcome to use any dictionary of your choice. In the past students preferred Duden, Langenscheidt, or Harper-Collins dictionaries, and mentioned problems with the Cassells dictionary–therefore, I no longer recommend it.
Recommended Books
(It is not necessary to purchase these books, but if you have access to them through a local library, or are able to come to the HDS Library, those would be helpful to consult and/or to review):
- Coles, Waltraud and Bill Dodd. Reading German. A Course Book and Reference Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
ISBN-10: 0198700202
ISBN-13: 978-0198700203 - Wilson, April. German Quickly. A Grammar for Reading German. New York: Peter Lang Publishers, 2004.
ISBN-10: 0820467596
ISBN-13: 978-0820467597 - Ziefle, Helmut W. Modern Theological German: A Reader and Dictionary. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Academic, 1997.
ISBN-10: 0801021448
ISBN-13: 978-0801021442 - Zorach, Cecila Zorach and Charlotte Melin. English Grammar for Students of German. 4th ed. Ann Arbor, MI: Olivia & Hill Press, 2001.
ISBN-10: 0934034311
ISBN-13: 978-0934034319 - Handbook of Reading Theological German, by Christopher Ryan Jones and Katharina Hirt, Zondervan Academic, 2021.
ISBN-10: 0310119383
ISBN-13: 9780310119388
Expectations for Auditors
Auditors are welcome in this class! If you choose to audit this course, you will not receive a grade or course credit. You are otherwise welcome to participate in all aspects of the class.
Attendance and Assessment for Auditors
Attendance: Please attend class on a regular basis and feel free to meet with the TF during office hours for help with coursework.
Class participation: You are welcome to join in all class meetings, discussions, projects, and other tasks.
Homework: The more homework you do, the more you will benefit from this course, but none is required for auditors. If you submit your homework assignments, I will be happy to look at them, correct the work, and provide informal feedback.
Quizzes and Exams: I will correct but not grade vocabulary and/or translation quizzes and/or the midterm and/or the final exam that an auditor completes, and to provide informal feedback about your progress towards meeting your goals. There will be no grade, nor course credit, for auditors.
Instructor: James Skedros (jskedros@hds.harvard.edu)
Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday; 12:30-3:30 pm
Meeting: Online
Teaching Fellow: TBD
Course Description
This is a course on the grammar and vocabulary of the Greek New Testament. It is the equivalent of a one-year introductory course in New Testament Greek. In addition, students will be introduced to a substantial amount of classical Greek grammar, syntax, and selected vocabulary.
Required Books
- Croy, N. Clayton. A Primer of Biblical Greek. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999.
ISBN-10: 0802860001
ISBN-13: 9780802860002 - Hansen, Hardy, and Gerald Quinn. Greek. An Intensive Course. 2nd rev. ed. New York: Fordham University Press, 1992.
ISBN-10: 0823216632
ISBN-13: 978-0823216635
At least One Greek New Testament (such as)
- Aland, Kurt, and Eberhard Nestle. Novum Testamentum Graece. With Dictionary 28th ed. New York: American Bible Society, 2012.
ISBN-10: 3438051605
ISBN-13: 9783438051608 - Aland, Kurt, et. al. eds. The Greek New Testament. With Dictionary. 5th rev. ed. New York: American Bible Society, 2014.
ISBN-10: 3438051176
ISBN-13: 9783438051172 - Aland, Kurt and Eberhard Nestle. Novum Testamentum Graece. 28th ed. New York: American Bible Society, 2012.
ISBN-10: 3438051400
ISBN-13: 9783438051400
Recommended Lexica
- Bauer, Walter. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Revised and edited by Frederick William Danker. 3rd ed. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2000.
ISBN-10: 0226039331
ISBN-13: 978-0226039336 - An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon: Founded Upon the Seventh Edition of Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon. Benediction Classics, 2010.
ISBN-10: 1849026262
ISBN-13: 978-1849026260
Expectations for Auditors
Auditors are welcome! If you choose to audit this course, you will not receive a grade or course credit. You are otherwise welcome to participate in all aspects of the class.
Attendance and Assessment for Auditors
Attendance: Please attend class on a regular basis and feel free to meet with the TF during office hours for help with coursework.
Class participation: You are welcome to join in all class meetings, discussions, projects, and other tasks.
Homework: The more homework you do, the more you will benefit from this course, but none is required for auditors. If you submit your homework assignments, I will be happy to look at them, correct the work, and provide informal feedback.
Quizzes and Exams: I will correct but not grade vocabulary and/or translation quizzes and/or the midterm and/or the final exam that an auditor completes, and to provide informal feedback about your progress towards meeting your goals. There will be no grade, nor course credit.
Instructor: Judy Haley (jhaley@hds.harvard.edu)
Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday; 12:00 pm-3:00 pm
Meeting: Online
Teaching Fellow: TBD
Course Description
This is a course on the grammar and vocabulary of the Greek New Testament. It is the equivalent of a one-year introductory course in New Testament Greek. In addition, students will be introduced to a substantial amount of classical Greek grammar, syntax, and selected vocabulary.
Required Books
- Croy, N. Clayton. A Primer of Biblical Greek. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999.
ISBN-10: 0802860001
ISBN-13: 9780802860002 - Hansen, Hardy, and Gerald Quinn. Greek. An Intensive Course. 2nd rev. ed. New York: Fordham University Press, 1992.
ISBN-10: 0823216632
ISBN-13: 978-0823216635
At least One Greek New Testament (such as)
- Aland, Kurt, and Eberhard Nestle. Novum Testamentum Graece. With Dictionary 28th ed. New York: American Bible Society, 2012.
ISBN-10: 3438051605
ISBN-13: 9783438051608 - Aland, Kurt, et. al. eds. The Greek New Testament. With Dictionary. 5th rev. ed. New York: American Bible Society, 2014.
ISBN-10: 3438051176
ISBN-13: 9783438051172 - Aland, Kurt and Eberhard Nestle. Novum Testamentum Graece. 28th ed. New York: American Bible Society, 2012.
ISBN-10: 3438051400
ISBN-13: 9783438051400
Recommended Lexica
- Bauer, Walter. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Revised and edited by Frederick William Danker. 3rd ed. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2000.
ISBN-10: 0226039331
ISBN-13: 978-0226039336 - An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon: Founded Upon the Seventh Edition of Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon. Benediction Classics, 2010.
ISBN-10: 1849026262
ISBN-13: 978-1849026260
Expectations for Auditors
Auditors are welcome! If you choose to audit this course, you will not receive a grade or course credit. You are otherwise welcome to participate in all aspects of the class.
Attendance and Assessment for Auditors
Attendance: Please attend class on a regular basis and feel free to meet with the TF during office hours for help with coursework.
Class participation: You are welcome to join in all class meetings, discussions, projects, and other tasks.
Homework: The more homework you do, the more you will benefit from this course, but none is required for auditors. If you submit your homework assignments, I will be happy to look at them, correct the work, and provide informal feedback.
Quizzes and Exams: I will correct but not grade vocabulary and/or translation quizzes and/or the midterm and/or the final exam that an auditor completes, and to provide informal feedback about your progress towards meeting your goals. There will be no grade, nor course credit.
Instructor: Matthew Percuoco (matthew.percuoco@gordon.edu)
Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday – 1-4 p.m. (ESDT)
Meeting: Online
Teaching Fellow: Byron Russell (brussell@fas.harvard.edu)
Course Description
The course offers an intensive introduction to Biblical Hebrew grammar, syntax, and vocabulary leading up to the intermediate level, or a third-semester course at Harvard University during the academic year. It presupposes no previous knowledge of the language, grammar, or the alphabet. The focus of the intensive class is on reading and analyzing Biblical Hebrew fluidly.
Required Books
- Brown, Francis, S. R. Driver, Charles A. Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1994 (978-1565632066). [It is fine if you have digital access to this lexicon, there is no need to have a print copy unless you prefer it.]
- Green, Jennifer S, G. Brooke Lester, Joseph F. Scrivner, and C. L Seow. Handbook to A grammar for Biblical Hebrew. Revised Edition. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005 (ISBN: 978-0687008346).
- Seow, C. L. A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew. Revised Edition. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995 (ISBN: 978-1426789076).
Please note: This course has been cancelled for SLP 2026. It will continue during SLP 2027.
Instructor: Matthew Percuoco (Matthew.Percuoco@gordon.edu)
Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday; 1-4pm
Meeting: Online
Teaching Fellow: TBD
Course Description
This eight-week intensive summer class covers a full year of intermediate Biblical Hebrew (equivalent to HDS 4020/HDS 4021 Intermediate Classical Hebrew I and II at Harvard Divinity School). The course aims to develop the students’ ability to read classical Hebrew prose and poetry. Through the close reading of Biblical texts, with a focus on the careful analysis of syntax and morphology, the course aspires to increase the students’ speed and accuracy in translation. The course also seeks to increase the students’ familiarity with the BHS, the critical edition of the Hebrew Bible, with attention to the textual apparatus and the Masorah.
Required Books
- Brown, Francis, S. R. Driver, Charles A. Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1994
(978-1565632066). - Kittel, Rudolf, et al. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1997
(ISBN: 978-1598561999). [Any print addition of a standard BHS is fine.] - Mitchel, Larry A. A Student’s Vocabulary for Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1993
(ISBN: 978-0310533870).
If a student has a question about the course or any of the required materials, they may send an email to Matthew.Percuoco@gordon.edu.
Instructor: Craig Tichelkamp (cht653@mail.harvard.edu)
Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday; Noon-3 pm
Meeting: Online
Teaching Fellow: Norman Sheidlower (sheidlower@post.harvard.edu)
Course Description
This course offers an intensive foundation for reading Latin. It combines a study of grammar with exercises, readings, and vocabulary from theological and religious studies. Students read from such sources as the Latin Bible, Cicero, and Augustine (and learn to read from medieval manuscripts and early modern books from Harvard libraries). Students will leave with the ability to read and translate intermediate Latin texts with the aid of a lexicon.
Required Books
- Keller, Andrew and Stephanie Russell, Learn to Read Latin, 2nd ed., New Haven: Yale University Press, 2015.
- Keller, Andrew and Stephanie Russell, Learn to Read Latin (Workbook Part 1), New Haven: Yale University Press, 2015.
- Keller, Andrew and Stephanie Russell, Learn to Read Latin (Workbook Part 2), New Haven: Yale University Press, 2015.
Suggested Book
- Collins, John F. A Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin, Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America, 1988.
Expectations for Auditors
Auditors are welcome in Christian Latin. Although “auditor” comes from the Latin for "hearer" or “listener,” in our course auditors are expected to actively participate in class and keep up with all regular coursework (homework, quizzes). They are welcome (but not required) to take the exams and complete a final project, but these will be assessed only informally, and no grade will be assigned.
Instructor: Beatrice Chrystall (bchrystall@hds.harvard.edu)
Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday; 1-4 pm
Meeting: Online
Teaching Fellow: TBD
Course Description
Pali is the language of the Buddhist canon of the Theravāda tradition of Sri Lanka, India and Southeast Asia—one of the most important canons in the Buddhist world. As such, it has had a central place in modern Buddhist Studies. Studying Pali is useful for those interested in Theravāda Buddhism, early Buddhism, South Asian Buddhism, Southeast Asian Buddhism or the relation of these traditions to other Buddhist traditions. In addition, Pali has recently garnered attention from psychologists and others interested in mindfulness meditation.
The Pali canon has a rich variety of genres, including evocative poems, philosophical and ethical discussions, and vivid and sometimes very humorous stories. Our textbook includes examples of all these genres, so the student will gain familiarity with a wide range of materials and styles.
The course is geared toward getting students to read Pali texts as quickly as possible, using passages chosen from key canonical texts. Students thus engage with key canonical material from the first class.
This intensive course in Pali is the equivalent of an academic year’s worth of language classes. It covers all the grammar and many of the language patterns found in Pali canonical prose and verse. At the end of the course, the student can expect to be able to read material from the Pali canon independently, and will be prepared to enroll in the Intermediate Pali class at HDS. There is no language prerequisite.
Required Books
- Gair, James W. and W. S. Karunatillake. A New Course in Reading Pali: Entering the Word of the Buddha. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2013.
ISBN-10:812081441X
ISBN-13: 978-8120814417 - Collins, Steven. A Pali Grammar for Students. Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books, 2006.
ISBN-10: 9749511131
ISBN-13: 978-9749511138
Recommended Dictionary
If you prefer to use a hardcover dictionary, you should use:
- Rhys Davids, T.W. and William Stede. Pāli-English Dictionary. Oxford: The Pali Text Society Ltd., 1921–25, reprinted 1992,1995, repr. with corrections 2015.
ISBN:0-86013-2–503-9
You may also use the online version of the above dictionary.
Instructor: Lana Jaffe Neufeld (lana_neufeld@hds.harvard.edu)
Schedule: New Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday; Noon-3 pm
Meeting: Online
Teaching Fellow: TBD
Course Description
This eight-week course introduces students to elementary and intermediate levels of Spanish grammar, syntax, and vocabulary and to the translation of texts related to theology and the study of religions. The course presupposes no previous knowledge of Spanish but progresses rapidly. Students will read and translate texts from a variety of religious traditions of the Spanish-speaking world, including creation stories from Latin America, Sephardic literature from Al-Andalus, the mystical texts of Saint Teresa of Ávila, and contemporary news articles. For their final translation assignment, students will choose their own text, based on their academic interests.
Required Book
- Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Spanish Grammar 4th Edition (ISBN: 978-1260463156). Available on Amazon.com in both hard copy and digital format as well as in digital format on Harvard Library Reserves
Expectations for Auditors
Auditors are welcome! Auditors do not receive grades or course credit for this class. They should, however, come prepared to participate in all aspects of our class sessions.
Attendance and Assessment for Auditors
As such, auditors must adhere to the following:
- Attendance: Auditors are expected to attend all class meetings.
- Homework: Auditors are expected to complete the grammar and translation homework assigned for each class meeting so that they can participate fully in class activities. Assignments will not be graded.
- Exams: Auditors are not required to take exams but can do so if they would like to track their progress in this way. Exams will be corrected but not graded.
- Participation: Auditors must participate actively in class meetings, with the camera on, as if they were taking this course for a grade. Auditors’ participation helps them progress in their language learning, and also contributes to creating the collaborative and collegial atmosphere that is vital to this course.