16/09/2026
'It wasn't until the latter part of my twenties that I realised I would love to turn back the clock and study theology. By this point, I was married with a young child, two babies, and working in a job I had no passion for. I thought I would have to shelve my dream until my children were all grown up enough for me to go and do a degree on campus – so when I discovered that I could actually get my degree via distance learning with Otago, I was incredibly excited and leapt at the chance!
'When it came to paper selection, I was a little surprised to see Biblical Hebrew and Greek among the choices. I decided to choose Hebrew as one of my papers. At the opening of my first class, Dr Katie Marcar was enthusiastic in telling us that there was simply "nothing like reading the Hebrew Bible in its original language." I didn't think too much of it, we already had English translations, right? Funnily enough, Hebrew turned out to be my favourite paper, bar none! I took it in semester 2 as well and was very satisfied when my comprehension began to flourish enough to read little bits of scripture in its original form. Dr Marcar was right, there really is nothing like it. The phrase "lost in translation" doesn't begin to cover how many layers of nuance, wit, poetry, and variations of meaning can be uncovered by studying scriptures in their original language. The other papers I chose unlocked more understanding as I began to learn about the history and context of the cultures within which they were born.
'I have continued on with more advanced Hebrew papers, and the discussions we have each Zoom meeting both quench the growing thirst for deeper understanding of the scriptures and pour more gasoline on the fire. Did the earth exist in some sense before God began his creation? Was it a chaotic abyss, or a primordial ocean? Was God hovering over it, or was it a mighty wind? Who even is Adam? The amount of information that can be coded into a single word of classical Hebrew is amazing, and I never would have known what a huge role grammar and syntax play in our understanding of the biblical narrative.
'I plan to continue studying Hebrew as far as it is offered! I have loved every minute of studying at Otago, and my dream job would be to one day teach what I am learning. As my children grow, I intend to nurture my curiosity through my study and grow my knowledge and understanding.'
--Heather Brown, Otago Theology student
