Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin

By John F. Collins

Book Overview

The chief aim of this primer is to give the student, within one year of study, the ability to read ecclesiastical Latin. Collins includes the Latin of Jerome's Bible, of canon law, of the liturgy and papal bulls, of scholastic philosophers, and of the Ambrosian hymns, providing a survey of texts from the fourth century through the Middle Ages.

An "Answer Key" to this edition is now available. Please see An Answer Key to A Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin, prepared by John Dunlap.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813206677
• ISBN13: 9780813206677
• Release Date: March 2022
• Publisher: Catholic University of America Press
• Length: 451 Pages
• Weight: 1.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

One of a kind

This book was much needed at its publication, and is one of a kind. No other book on Church Latin covers grammar, vocabulary and the syntax of Christian Latin as comprehensively as Dr. Collins. The book starts off slowly with the concepts of Grammar, and speeds up once you get to the 6th unit, and is rather intensive. There is lots of vocabulary in each unit, however if you eat it up you will learn the language quickly. I used this book in college and learned to read and speak Latin in 6 months. Since Classical Latin and Ecclesiastical Latin differ little in grammar, Dr. Collins take the best of Classical approaches, and teaches with a Christian vocabulary toward reading the Vulgate and other Patristic sources and Medieval sources. One who successfully completes this book can easily go back and learn Classical vocabulary and syntax, and read Cicero and Caesar in a month! The Excercises are germain, and tailored to the grammar and syntax just learned, and are often in later chapters selections from scripture, and also selections from hymns, and various liturgical documents. The only drawback is that Dr. Collins looks ruefully at the Traditional Mass and Breviary, which will offend most Traditional Catholics, a significant group who will want this book. All the liturgical exercises are taken from the New Order of Mass (1970), and nothing is given from the Traditional Mass (1570) or other ancient sourcebooks like the Ambrosian Liturgy, the Gelasian Sacramentary, and other liturgical fragments that survived. The Vulgate readings however are well selected, and words that the student has not encountered yet are footnoted with translation. This is an excellent resource either for a class or for someone to teach themselves Latin.

A Standard Text for Ecclesiastical Latin

Collins has prepared a wonderful text for students of Church history, medieval theology, the Vulgate Bible, liturgical texts, etc. all of which require an understanding of Ecclesiastical Latin.This text is formatted in such a way that the reader learns the language is a systematic fashion. In other words, each unit builds on the previous unit. The thorough student will master each unit before moving on to the next. Moreover, everything anyone could ever want to know about the language is present in this text. For instance, kinds of sentences, nouns, verbs, adjectives and all their declensions, pronunciations, irregular and deponent verbs, etc., all are clearly and carefully covered in this text. As the student of this text reads and learns, Collins periodically places drills and sections called "notes" to quiz the reader on what was just covered. The text demonstrates an emphasis on vocabulary as well, has an English-Latin and Latin-English vocabulary section as well as a nice index on words and subjects.This is probably the best overall text on Ecclesiastical Latin available, I highly recommend it!

GREAT RESOURCE! One of my Favorites!

After spending dollar after dollar, trying to find easy-to-use and comprehensible Resources for learning Latin (Especially Ecclesiastical Latin), I was fortunate enough to come across this little Treasure!"Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin", by John F. Collins is rich with information as well as vocabulary, Biblical Text and a sample of Writings from Doctors of the Church: St. Ambrose, St. Thomas Aquinas and others.I take it to Holy Mass with me every time I go; it has the text of the Liturgy in an easy to follow format.The reader will find this book extremely useful and beneficial. I love it and highly recommend it to all; whether you're a beginner or an old pro! :)

An excellent text book and teaching resource.

Those learning or teaching Latin for ecclesiastical usage are very quickly faced with the problem that most text books are intended to teach *classical* and military Latin, usually preparing introductory students to first read the works of Julius Caesar and then of the other classic writers. If this course if followed, it is then necessary to acquire later a new set of vocabulary, modes of expression, and pronunciation rules when one finally deals with ecclesiatical texts.Collins' well written and organized book short-circuits this process, starting the student out immediately with eccliastical vocabulary and usage. I found this book when preparting to teach an informal class in ecclesiastical Latin at my parish, and I fully intend to use it again -- and more extensively -- the next time I do so.

Terrific for self-study or classroom use.

I first learned Latin with this book in a graduate classroom, I have reviewed various points on my own numerous times with the help of this wonderfully organized work, and over the last few years I have even successfully taught Latin to adults and children using Collins' work. There is, I feel, no better text for ecclesiastical Latin on the market, and it deserves to be ranked on par with such academic standards as Wheelock or Henle (both of which stress classical, not ecclesiastical, Latin).