Academic year 2025/2026
Overview
Syriac is the main language the Fathers of the Syrian Orthodox Church spoke and wrote. Many important theological and spiritual works have been composed in Syriac. The course contains four levels, depending on the student’s pre-knowledge of classical Syriac. Thus, you can take this course if you wish to learn the basics of the Syriac alphabet and grammar, as well as if you wish to read and analyze Syriac texts and commentaries on an advanced level. At the beginning of the course, the teacher(s) will assess your pre-knowledge and place you at the most suitable level for your learning progress.
West Syriac pronunciation is used throughout the course, but participants can also use other pronunciations. From the outset, learners are encouraged to use their linguistic skills in the real-life social setting of their learning and liturgical community.
Within this course in classical Syriac, you will also have the opportunity to focus not only on linguistics but also on Biblical texts, patristic writings, and/or the Syriac hymnodic tradition. See below for a detailed description of these three sub-tracks of the classical Syriac course. Since this course has four different levels, the learning outcomes for each level are described below.
Learning Approach
At Sankt Ignatios Folkhögskola, the overarching principle that guides learning is that all knowledge is intersubjective.
Knowledge is dialogue, which requires humility and empathy.
This course is built on collaborative and dialogical learning where participants actively shape not only their common learning journey but also the course itself. The content, materials, and methods will be adapted in real time based on participants’ needs, interests, and input. Beyond mastering subject matter, a central goal is for each participant to become aware of how shared learning experiences and dialogue transforms their thinking, practice and identity. Through dialogue, narrative, group discussions, shared reflection, creative expression, and collective exploration, participants develop awareness of their own growth while supporting others’ development. The learning community becomes a space where everyone’s experiences and questions not only enrich understanding but actively guide the direction of the course, helping each person to integrate learning into their own life context in meaningful, personally transformative ways.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the participants are (individually and collectively) expected to be able to:
Level 1
- write and pronounce the Syriac alphabet letters correctly, and share how different communities pronounce them;
- use everyday greetings and simple phrases that build connections with other participants;
- create simple sentences that includes examples from their own cultural and social background;
- explain basic grammar rules and how they compare to languages and dialects they already know;
- read and write simple texts, and improve them by working with other participants;
- find and share good learning resources that help different types of learners; and
- look back at their progress in learning Syriac, reflecting on how group discussions helped their understanding, and on how Syriac connects to their personal identity and community life.
Level 2
(Level 2 builds on the skills and knowledge acquired at level 1)
- take part in conversations about topics that matter to the group;
- answer questions about everyday situations using what they’ve learned and their own experiences;
- understand medium-difficulty texts by using both personal skills and group discussions;
- write short texts that connect the language with personal stories and community experiences;
- use more words and phrases in situations that are meaningful to the group;
- talk about grammar patterns and work with other participants to understand how they function;
- listen carefully to Syriac conversations and understand different viewpoints;
- explain Syriac customs and traditions and how they compare to their own social and cultural experiences;
- take part in cultural activities that show understanding goes beyond just book learning; and
- compare what they knew about Syriac when they started with what they know now, and reflect on how working in a group has helped them connect the language to their personal values and daily lives.
Level 3
(Level 3 builds on the skills and knowledge acquired at levels 1 and 2)
- join and lead deeper conversations that include different viewpoints and experiences;
- share views clearly while respectfully engaging with different opinions;
- understand harder texts by using personal analysis and ideas shared in group discussions;
- write longer texts that improve after feedback from other participants;
- use specialized vocabulary and explain how these words relate to various social and cultural contexts;
- explain complex grammar patterns and how they create meaning in the language;
- take part in complex discussions while listening carefully to different ways people communicate;
- examine texts from different cultural, social, and historical viewpoints; and
- reflect deeply on how their relationship with Syriac has changed over time, and how studying together has helped them discover connections between the language and their personal values, beliefs, and cultural identity.
Level 4
(Level 4 builds on the skills and knowledge acquired at levels 1, 2 and 3)
- lead discussions where everyone can share their voice on important topics;
- adjust how they speak based on different situations and cultural settings;
- guide others in understanding difficult texts and their cultural and historical background;
- create well-developed texts that improve through group feedback;
- use precise words that show their cultural meaning and importance;
- explain difficult grammar to others and show how language patterns create meaning;
- recognize different dialects and adjust pronunciation with respect for regional differences;
- understand complex information by combining personal knowledge with group discussions;
- read old manuscripts and discuss different possible meanings with other participants;
- help others learn in ways that respect their learning styles and what they already know;
- analyze texts collaboratively to uncover cultural assumptions and social relationships;
- present their views while respecting different perspectives and showing how discussion improves understanding; and
- reflect on their journey with Syriac, explaining specific ways that working with others has transformed not just their language skills but also their personal outlook and community connections.
Sub-tracks
Biblical studies
This sub-track offers you an opportunity to study and develop your language skills in classical Syriac, with a focus on Biblical texts and exegesis by the Syrian Orthodox fathers. Classical Syriac is the language of the early translation of the Syriac Bible, also called the simple or Peshitta. We will use the Biblical text in Syriac and compare it with translations and also view the characteristics of the Syriac language in comparison with Swedish or English. You can take this course independent of your Syriac skills, since the texts will depend on your level of knowledge. The course will also introduce you to the other Syriac translations of the Holy Scripture that were made during the 5th and 6th centuries, namely, the Philoxenian and Harkelean. The course will also include a short introduction to the Diatessaron, a Syriac attempt to harmonize the four Gospels into one coherent story. West Syriac pronunciation is used throughout the course, but participants are allowed to use other pronunciations as well. From the outset, learners are encouraged to use their linguistic skills in the real-life social setting of their learning and liturgical community.
Learning outcomes, in addition to the above:
- translate Bible texts using methods that include different viewpoints to discover deeper meanings;
- compare different Syriac Bible translations and explain why having different versions is valuable;
- explain how grammar in the Peshitta helps express religious ideas;
- participate in reading groups where participants at different levels help each other understand the texts; and
- reflect thoughtfully on how studying Biblical texts with others has transformed their understanding, and share personal examples of how this collaborative learning has deepened their faith journey and participation in community worship.
Patristic texts
This sub-track offers you an opportunity to study classical Syriac, Kthobonoyo, through reading the texts of the Syriac fathers. Kthobonoyo is the main language of the Syrian Orthodox fathers and teachers, and in this course we will delve into the writings of the fathers in Syriac. Depending on your level of knowledge we will read the works of different fathers, who all wrote on different levels. Fathers such as Afrahat the Persian Sage wrote simple texts, whereas others such as Bar-Ebroyo or St Ephrem the Syrian, are known for a more advanced level of texts. The writings of the fathers will also be a springboard into the grammar and syntax of the Syriac language. We will also look into the lives and contexts of each writer to obtain a better understanding of their writings. West Syriac pronunciation is used throughout the course, but participants are allowed to use other pronunciations as well. From the outset, learners are encouraged to use their linguistic skills in the real-life social setting of their learning and liturgical community.
Learning outcomes, in addition to the above
- translate writings of Church Fathers through group exploration, reflecting on how working together reveals deeper meanings than solo study;
- show how grammar choices in Church Fathers’ writings express religious ideas, and discuss how these insights affect their own understanding;
- understand Church Fathers’ writings by sharing different interpretations in the group to discover multiple layers of meaning;
- explain how historical and cultural settings shaped what Church Fathers wrote, and connect this to their own cultural experiences; and
- share how studying Church Fathers’ writings with others has changed their thinking about their own faith tradition and how they live it out in daily life.
Hymnody and liturgics
This course offers you an opportunity to study classical Syriac, Kthobonoyo, with a special focus on Syriac hymnody and liturgical recitation. Depending on your knowledge, you will learn to recite hymns and liturgical songs of the Syrian Orthodox tradition and use hymnody as a springboard into learning more Syriac. The Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch has a long history of hymnology and poems. Many great fathers of the Church wrote and instructed the faithful using music and poetry. St. Ephrem the Syrian and St. Jacob of Serugh are two of the most famous hymnological writers in the Syriac tradition. Learning language by the usage of singing usually offers a better way of memorizing texts, because in singing, different parts of the brain are engaged at the same time. This course aims to provide participants with a practical and theoretical introduction to the hymnological tradition of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch and invites the participants to partake of this great tradition.
Learning outcomes, in addition to the above
- understand church songs through both studying the words and singing them to find meanings beyond just translation;
- show how different worship books connect to create complete church services;
- perform church songs that show how music adds meaning beyond just the words; and
- personally reflect on how singing hymns together has deepened their understanding in ways that just reading couldn’t, and describe how this musical experience has transformed their personal prayer life and sense of belonging in community worship.
Other requirements
Attendance is mandatory. Students are expected to participate in all course activities, both by being present and playing an active role in scheduled sessions and by completing assignments outside of scheduled lessons. If participants miss lessons, they may be required to complete extra assignments to fulfill the learning outcome requirements of the course. For the course to be considered complete, 80% attendance and participation are required.
The syllabus was established by the Teachers’ Collegium on December 20 2023.
The Deans Council revised the syllabus on February 26 2025, and March 18 2025.
