{"id":65854,"date":"2022-08-13T13:55:16","date_gmt":"2022-08-13T17:55:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/?p=65854"},"modified":"2022-08-13T13:55:16","modified_gmt":"2022-08-13T17:55:16","slug":"its-greek-to-me-illuminating-exchange-w-eric-svendsen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2022\/08\/its-greek-to-me-illuminating-exchange-w-eric-svendsen.html","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;It&#8217;s Greek to Me&#8221;: Illuminating Exchange w Eric Svendsen"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><head><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><\/head><body><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/572\/2022\/08\/Cover-555-x-831-scaled.jpg\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-65857\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/572\/2022\/08\/Cover-555-x-831-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">[originally posted on 10 January 2005, incorporating material from 5 June 2003]<\/p>\n<p>A lamentable incident on a discussion board (one of many) revealed certain shortcomings in Dr. Eric Svendsen\u2019s dialogical tactics. One anti-Catholic slanderer wrote on a large Catholic Discussion Board, in early October 2003:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>It is true that I have taken Dave to task in the past for attempting, in his self-admitted near-total ignorance of the Greek language, to correct men who have studied Greek professionally for years as to their analysis of grammatical conventions and figures of speech and so forth, . . .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This is another falsehood that this person has been stating about me for about two years now. I have explained myself more than once, but to no avail. He keeps repeating this incident and putting his cynical slant on it. To hear\u00a0<i>him<\/i>\u00a0describe it, I do sound truly ridiculous and like some sort of arrogant know-it-all.<\/p>\n<p>This is based on an actual dispute and ugly Internet exchange, but when one learns\u00a0<i>all<\/i>\u00a0of the\u00a0<i>facts<\/i>, they gain an entirely different impression than the one left above. The last time he brought this up I was determined to retrieve the exchange to show people what had happened, but it was too old, and no longer online. The facts are these:<\/p>\n<p>1. I was in a discussion (in January 2002) on this board with Dr. Eric Svendsen about Luke 1:28 and the meaning of\u00a0<i>kecharitomene<\/i> (\u201cfull of grace\u201d or \u201chighly favored\u201d). It was an argument about Mary\u2019s Immaculate Conception (specifically, whether she was sinless). I cited Greek scholars in favor of the meaning of this phrase here as \u201ccompletely, perfectly, enduringly endowed with grace.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The scholars were <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/bdf-a-greek-grammar-of-the-new-testament-and-other-early-christian-literature\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Blass and DeBrunner (<i>Greek Grammar of the New Testament<\/i>)<\/a>, and H. W. Smyth (<i>Greek Grammar<\/i>\u00a0\u2014 Harvard Univ. Press, 1968). They are cited in footnote number 188 in my book,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2006\/07\/books-by-dave-armstrong-biblical.html\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\"><i>A Biblical Defense of Catholicism <\/i><\/a>(2003, Sophia Institute Press, page 178).<\/p>\n<p>Svendsen said that he had heard of Blass and DeBrunner, but not Smyth. He proceeded to minimize Smyth\u2019s importance and severely criticized me for trying to argue a point of Greek grammar with him (since he knows Greek).<\/p>\n<p>2. I quickly proved (from extensive Internet searches) that Smyth was a very well-known Greek scholar, whose work is used in many important colleges for Greek courses. Now, the point was that Svendsen had hardly even\u00a0<i>heard<\/i>\u00a0of the guy (if at all) and wanted to pretend he was a nobody. That was shown to be clearly false. But what does that show about Svendsen\u2019s attitude and competence in the field of Greek linguistics? When one acts like they know something that they don\u2019t know (in this case, concerning the importance of Smyth), isn\u2019t that at least\u00a0<i>pretentious<\/i>?<\/p>\n<p>3. Svendsen later found out (from James White, I think) that Smyth\u2019s\u00a0<i>Grammar<\/i>\u00a0was for\u00a0<i>classical<\/i>, not\u00a0<i>koine<\/i>\u00a0NT Greek. This he thought to be a knockout punch and proof of my ignorance and arrogance, in trying to delve into matters of Greek, where I knew nothing.<\/p>\n<p>4. I publicly apologized to him on the board at that time, for some of my words and attitudes, and for questioning his abilities in Greek.<\/p>\n<p>5. On the other hand, I also pointed out that the whole incident reflected much more badly on\u00a0<i>him<\/i>, since (despite claiming to be an expert on Greek) he had mocked this important, well-known, prominent scholar and hadn\u2019t even heard of him, and didn\u2019t know that his widely-used work (which is even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.perseus.tufts.edu\/hopper\/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0007\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\">available online now<\/a>) was for classical Greek in the first place. He was supposed to\u00a0<i>know<\/i>\u00a0this stuff, whereas I (as a non-scholar) had simply made an innocent mistake. And I apologized, whereas he did not.<\/p>\n<p>6. The most amusing thing in all this was that Eric\u2019s own research associate, Mike Taylor, was utilizing Smyth in some in-depth exegetical research he was doing concerning the Eucharist. So at the very same time I was being blasted as an ignoramus and pretender for merely citing Smyth, Eric\u2019s own comrade was citing him! When I pointed out the incongruity and irony of this to both of them, needless to say I didn\u2019t receive the warmest reception in world history.<\/p>\n<p>Proof of Mike Taylor\u2019s heavy use of H.W. Smyth, whom he used to support his contentions, can be found in a densely argued paper about the Eucharist and aspects of Greek grammar, entitled, <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20021212131451\/http:\/\/members.aol.com\/epologist\/Sungenistaylor.htm\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">\u201cSungenis and Taylor: An Exchange.\u201d<\/a> I have compiled below Mike Taylor\u2019s citations of Smyth (with added bolding). Nowhere does he argue that Smyth is 1) unimportant as a Greek grammarian, or, 2) that he is absolutely irrelevant because his grammar is for classical rather than<i>\u00a0koine<\/i>\u00a0Greek.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s true that he does mention the classical vs.\u00a0<i>koine<\/i> Greek distinction (#12, 14-15), and the implications of that with regard to using Smyth as an authority on the New Testament, but nowhere does he imply that Smyth has <i>no<\/i>\u00a0bearing on New Testament grammar\u00a0<i>at all<\/i> (let alone that he is a \u201cnobody\u201d). If he believed that, then he would have simply refused to engage the argument (classical Greek being irrelevant to it).<\/p>\n<p>He even cites Smyth in support of the interpretation of NT passages (see #3 below). His comrade, Dr. Eric Svendsen, on the other hand, argued both points as proof of my gross incompetence as an apologist, since I had dared to cite Smyth in support of my exegesis of Luke 1:28:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>1) I tracked down one of those grammarians (<strong>Smyth<\/strong>) who says no such thing, . . .<\/p>\n<p>2) I looked in <strong>Smyth<\/strong> to see if I could find any evidence for your \u201cspecial case\u201d and simply found no such thing. So if it turns out that you were wrong about <strong>Smyth<\/strong> (and you are) then would I be wrong to\u00a0<i>wonder<\/i>\u00a0if you might be wrong about the other grammarians?<\/p>\n<p>3) . . . this really isn\u2019t the section of <strong>Smyth<\/strong> that is most relevant to the point in question. In the quote above, <strong>Smyth<\/strong> himself refers us to section 1872 (p. 419) wherein we read the following: 1872. \u201cParticiple (not in indirect discourse).\u2013The participle, as a verbal adjective, is timeless. The tenses of the participle express only continuance, simple occurrence, and completion with permanent result. Whether the action expressed by the participle is antecedent, coincident, or subsequent to that of the leading verb (in any tense) depends on the context.\u201d The key words here are the following: \u201cnot in indirect discourse,\u201d (which would cover both Matthew 26:28 and Luke 22:19f); \u201cin any tense\u201d (which would cover the present indicative main verbs in both Matthew and Luke) and \u201cdepends on the context\u201d . . .<\/p>\n<p>4) Here is what <strong>Smyth<\/strong> says of the present participle in 1872a . . .<\/p>\n<p>5) We\u2019ve already seen Sungenis\u2019 mishandling of<strong> Smyth<\/strong>. Why, then, should we simply take his word for it that Shanz is on his side?<\/p>\n<p>6) But the rule you stated didn\u2019t register for me, so I got out <strong>Smyth<\/strong> (which was my textbook at Harvard) and Wallace (the current \u201cBible\u201d of NT grammars) and did some reading.<\/p>\n<p>7) With that in mind, I went back to <strong>Smyth<\/strong> a second time to see if I could find any evidence for such a distinction. So far, no luck. Then I went to Zerwick to see what he says.<\/p>\n<p>8) Essentially, Wallace is saying that the time reference for participles is\u00a0<i>usually<\/i>\u00a0determined by the main verb. This accords with what I learned in Greek class and with what I have read in <strong>Smyth<\/strong> and Zerwick.<\/p>\n<p>9) Rather than admit that his <strong>Smyth<\/strong> quote really does not support his claims, he instead attempts to play off<strong> Smyth<\/strong> against Zerwick.<\/p>\n<p>10) I would respectfully suggest that Mr. Sungenis is in no position to judge between the Zerwick and <strong>Smyth<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>11) Mr. Sungenis\u2019 attempt to pit <strong>Smyth<\/strong> against Zerwick is misguided. Mr. Sungenis rightly notes that <strong>Smyth<\/strong> claims that participles not in indirect discourse are \u201ctimeless.\u201d Unfortunately, Mr. Sungenis neglects to mention the following: \u201cWhether the action expressed by the participle is antecedent, coincident, or subsequent to that of the leading verb (in any tense)\u00a0<b>depends on the context<\/b>\u201d (<strong>Smyth<\/strong>: 1872, my emphasis). This is a crucial qualification. Would Zerwick disagree with <strong>Smyth<\/strong> on this point?<\/p>\n<p>12) Right away, then, we see that a direct comparison of <strong>Smyth<\/strong> to Zerwick is invalid. <strong>Smyth<\/strong>\u2019s grammar only deals with classical Greek, whereas Zerwick\u2019s Biblical Greek concerns\u2014you guessed it\u2014<i>Biblical Greek<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>13) Second, in full agreement with <strong>Smyth<\/strong>, Zerwick states that the context shows the sense to be future.<\/p>\n<p>14) Mr. Sungenis\u2019 case is weakened somewhat by two factors: First, to the extent that he is basing his case on a Smyth, he weakens his case in that <strong>Smyth<\/strong>\u2019s scope is classical Greek, not Koine. Second, the rules he had originally quoted from <strong>Smyth<\/strong> govern participles in\u00a0<i>indirect discourse<\/i>, whereas the participles in question are in\u00a0<i>direct discourse<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>15) There is therefore no fundamental disagreement here with<strong> Smyth<\/strong>, who in any case is dealing with classical Greek, not the Biblical Koine and its underlying Semitisms.<\/p>\n<p>16) Does this not suggest that Sungenis was unaware of the fact that the present participle can be future no matter what the tense of the main verb (cf. <strong>Smyth<\/strong> 1872, p. 419)?<\/p>\n<p>17) I went back to <strong>Smyth<\/strong> a second time to see if I could find any evidence for such a distinction.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Svendsen and I have never interacted in any substantive way since then. My calumnious detractor keeps bringing up this incident in order to \u201cprove\u201d something about me that is untrue. He never mentions, of course, my <i>apology<\/i>\u00a0(because that would ruin the effectiveness of the slander; apart from showing that it is highly unethical), and he never gets into the <em>gist<\/em> of what actually occurred (because that would make Eric Svendsen look really bad, just as he did at the time).<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve repeatedly urged him to drop it and decided not to post the argument at the time (as an act of charity), but since he won\u2019t let it drop, and keeps talking about this publicly, I must record the incident now, so it will be a matter of record.<\/p>\n<p>It may seem to be a minor point, but when the incident is fully explained, people can see what I was getting at, and that I was perfectly justified in my observation; it wasn\u2019t a case at all of trying to talk about something (on my own, without the aid of scholars) that I <em>knew <strong>nothing<\/strong> about<\/em> (Greek). If anything, Dr. Svendsen was the one who made statements he knew little or nothing about (about Smyth\u2019s credentials and importance).<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Practical Matters<\/em><\/strong>: Perhaps some of my 4,000+ free online articles (the most comprehensive \u201cone-stop\u201d Catholic apologetics site) or\u00a0<a class=\"decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2009\/06\/dave-armstrongs-catholic-apologetics-bookstore-49-books-paperback-e-pub-mobi-nook-book-amazon-kindle-itunes-pdf-rock-bottom-regular-prices-67-savings-for-e-books-2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fifty books<\/a>\u00a0have helped you (by God\u2019s grace) to decide to\u00a0<a class=\"decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2006\/11\/feedback-comments-on-my-writing-from.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">become Catholic<\/a>\u00a0or to\u00a0<a class=\"decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2014\/01\/feedback-comments-on-my-writing-from-2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">return to the Church<\/a>,\u00a0or better understand some doctrines and\u00a0<a class=\"decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2021\/02\/the-biblical-basis-of-apologetics-defense-of-christianity.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>why<\/em>\u00a0we believe them<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Or you may believe my work is worthy to support for the purpose of apologetics and evangelism in general. If so, please seriously consider a much-needed financial contribution. I\u2019m always in need of more funds: especially\u00a0<em>monthly<\/em>\u00a0support. \u201cThe laborer is worthy of his wages\u201d (1 Tim 5:18, NKJV). 1 December 2021 was my 20th anniversary as a\u00a0<a class=\"decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2006\/07\/my-literary-resume.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full-time Catholic apologist<\/a>,\u00a0and February 2022 marked the 25th anniversary of my blog.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/us\/webapps\/mpp\/sem\/account-selection-signup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">PayPal donations<\/a>\u00a0are the easiest: just send to my email address: apologistdave@gmail.com. You\u2019ll see the term \u201cCatholic Used Book Service\u201d, which is my old side-business. To learn about the different methods of contributing, including 100% tax deduction, etc., see my page:\u00a0<a class=\"decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link decorated-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2015\/08\/about-dave-armstrong-2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong \/ Donation Information<\/a>.\u00a0<strong><em>Thanks a million<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0from the bottom of my heart!<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p><em>Summary<\/em>: Anti-Catholic apologist Eric Svendsen &amp; his buddies claimed that I pretended to know Greek grammar. The incident in question provides a very different picture.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[originally posted on 10 January 2005, incorporating material from 5 June 2003] A lamentable incident on a discussion board (one of many) revealed certain shortcomings in Dr. Eric Svendsen\u2019s dialogical tactics. One anti-Catholic slanderer wrote on a large Catholic Discussion Board, in early October 2003: It is true that I have taken Dave to task [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2331,"featured_media":65857,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[231],"tags":[2357,2382,959,16444,16441,46,16438,4708,1634,2356,961],"class_list":["post-65854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anti-catholicism","tag-blessed-virgin-mary","tag-eric-svendsen","tag-full-of-grace","tag-greek-grammar","tag-h-w-smyth","tag-immaculate-conception","tag-kecharitomene","tag-koine-greek","tag-luke-128","tag-mariology","tag-marys-sinlessness"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>&quot;It&#039;s Greek to Me&quot;: Illuminating Exchange w Eric Svendsen &quot;It&#039;s Greek to Me&quot;: Illuminating Exchange w Eric Svendsen<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A lamentable incident on a discussion board (one of many) revealed certain shortcomings in Dr. Eric Svendsen&#039;s dialogical tactics. 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Formerly a campus missionary, as a Protestant, Dave was received into the Catholic Church in February 1991, by the late, well-known catechist and theologian, Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave\u2019s articles have appeared in many influential Catholic periodicals, including \\\"This Rock\\\" (now called \\\"Catholic Answers Magazine\\\"), \\\"Envoy Magazine\\\" (Patrick Madrid), \\\"The Catholic Answer,\\\" \\\"The Coming Home Journal,\\\" \\\"Gilbert Magazine\\\" (American Chesterton Society), and \\\"The Latin Mass.\\\" He also writes a featured column for every issue of \\\"The Michigan Catholic\\\": published by the archdiocese of Detroit, and was editor for most of the apologetics tracts published by the St. Paul Street Evangelization apostolate. Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \\\"Envoy Magazine.\\\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \\\"Catholic Answers Live\\\" (twice), \\\"Faith and Family Live\\\" (Steve Wood), \\\"Kresta in the Afternoon,\\\" \\\"Son Rise Morning Show,\\\" \\\"Catholic Connection\\\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \\\"The Catholics Next Door.\\\" His large and popular website, \\\"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\\\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \\\"Envoy Magazine.\\\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \\\"index\\\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \\\"Surprised by Truth\\\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \\\"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\\\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \\\"The Catholic Verses\\\" (2004), \\\"The One-Minute Apologist\\\" (2007), \\\"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\\\" (2009), \\\"The Quotable Newman\\\" (editor: 2012), and \\\"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\\\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \\\"The New Catholic Answer Bible\\\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \\\"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\\\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \\\"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\\\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \\\"Quotable Wesley\\\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. They have three sons and a daughter, and reside in southeast Michigan (metro Detroit).\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/author\/davearmstrong\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\"It's Greek to Me\": Illuminating Exchange w Eric Svendsen \"It's Greek to Me\": Illuminating Exchange w Eric Svendsen","description":"A lamentable incident on a discussion board (one of many) revealed certain shortcomings in Dr. Eric Svendsen's dialogical tactics. One anti-Catholic Anti-Catholic apologist Eric Svendsen & his buddies claimed that I pretended to know Greek grammar. 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Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \"The Catholic Verses\" (2004), \"The One-Minute Apologist\" (2007), \"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\" (2009), \"The Quotable Newman\" (editor: 2012), and \"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \"The New Catholic Answer Bible\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \"Quotable Wesley\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. 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