I know it is of secondary importance, but what pronunciation convention do you use when reading the Koine Greek text out loud? How many conventions are there?

I think it might be good to hear the words in your head when you read or study the Greek. This could be aided by reading out loud when you are learning.

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Tim Lindsay
member, Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church, Halifax, NS, Canada
Living in Cape Town, South Africa
"under the Southern Cross, at the foot of Table Mountain, not far from the Cape of Good Hope"

Most people use the Erasmian. The so-called "modern" takes some getting used to (IMO).

Erasmian Modern
ai - aisle / ei - e in get
ei - freight / ei - i in machine
oi - oil / oi - i in machine
ui - suite / ui - i in machine
au - kraut / au - poverty or off
eu - feud / eu - effort or ev in fever
ou - food / ou - food

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Dennis E. McFadden, Ex Mainline Baptist (in Remission)
Atherton Baptist Homes, CEO
First Baptist Church of Alhambra, Member, Transformation Ministries (CA)

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I'm currently using the Revised Imperial Koine by Randall Buth. It has the advantage of making sounds distinct that would have been distinct to a first century speaker, while being pronouncable to an English speaker and recognizable to a Greek speaker (Erasmian isn't).

For an example of how the Revised is distinct, take Romans 5:1, in which there is a text variant. Some say εχομεν and some say εχωμεν. That's because they were both pronounced the same way in the Koine. Erasmian loses things like that by pairing vowel sounds that don't go together and separating ones that do.

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Charlie Johnson
Downtown Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, student

I've done personal study of both modern Greek and Biblical Greek, and found this:
1) Erasmian is easier to learn to study due to virtually no redundant letters and a seeming conformity to the Latin
2) Modern pronunciation sounds a LOT nicer spoken (IMHO) and is very close to Koine speech, if I understand it

Doesn't Zodhiates use modern pronunciation in his lexicons? (He's from Greek Cyprus, so it would make sense.)

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Johnathan Tate
Cornerstone Presbyterian Church (OPC), Arden, NC

Husband of one, father of 3 (1 in-utero); Time's "Man of the Year" 2006

Go to this link and scroll down to the table showing four parallel pronunciation conventions. It has a fairly good representation.

Greek Pronunciation

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Jim
1689 LBCF
Independent Bible Church
North Texas, USA

Buth's.

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David G.
Member, Orthodox Presbyterian Church; The Heidelberg Catechism

Erasmian.

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We shall not adjust our Bible to the age; but before we have done with it, by God's grace, we shall adjust the age to the Bible. - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Lawrence Underwood, Jr.
Pastor - Providence Family Fellowship / Mobile, Alabama
1644/46 LBC
My Blog - Imprimis

I can't say I know the difference. I just say what I was taught in Greek 101.

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Davidius
Husband of Emily
Member of All Saints Anglican Church - Chapel Hill (AMiA / Anglican Church of North America)
Student: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, German and Classics

Thanks for the info, everyone!

I use modern greek pronunciation... I was originally tutored in Koine greek by a pastor who is Greek, and I never could switch to Erasmian, it just sounds wrong.

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Rob VanDoodewaard
Free Reformed Church
PRTS Student
Grand Rapids, MI

Modern Greek pronunciation. I highly recommend Dr. Spiros Zodhiates' recording...

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Brian Bosse
Faith Community Church
Tucson, Arizona

It is usually whatever you started with. I began (20+ years ago) with Erasmian, and can't stand modern. But then again, I hate ecclesiastical Latin pronunciation also!

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Fred Greco
Senior Pastor, Christ Church PCA (Katy, TX)
Christ Church Blog

"The heart is the main thing in true religion...It is the hinge and turning-point in the condition of man's soul. If the heart is alive to God and quickened by the Spirit, the man is a living Christian. If the heart is dead and has not the Spirit, the man is dead before God." (J.C. Ryle)

So do you pronounce Latin in a more Italian way?

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Moderator
F.P.C.I.
Indiana

Vanities and disguises have covered us, and thereby we are naked; licenciousness hath inflam'd us, and thereby we are frozen; voluptuousness hath fed us, and thereby we are sterved, the fancies and traditions of men have taught and instructed us, and thereby we are ignorant.
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Calvinistas Conversando
Teología en Mexico
The Howling Wilderness

The biggest difference is in the "C"

Cicero is pronounced "Kikero" not "Chichero."

Caelum (sky) is "kailoom" not "chailum"