Hartford Seminary is happy to offer this opportunity to learn Farsi, which is important for students of Islamic Studies as well as anyone who would like to become acquainted with Persian poetry, history and culture.

This course is intended to teach students the basics of the Persian (Farsi) language. It is a non-credit course that meets weekly on Fridays from 4-7 p.m., starting on Jan. 23, for 10 weeks. The cost of $150 can be paid at the registration link below by credit card. Students who would prefer to pay by check or cash should contact Susan Schoenberger at sschoenberger@hartsem.edu or 860-509-9519.

The course will cover the skills of speaking, reading, writing and listening. The day and time of the subsequent classes may be negotiated during the first class.

 

 

More information about Farsi (Persian):

Persian as one of the major languages of the contemporary world is spoken throughout Iran and over large areas of Afghanistan. One of its branches, Tajik, is widely spoken in Central Asia. Persian also was the language of government and administration in much of Central Asia and most of India until the 19th century. Because in structure it is an Indo-European language (although written in the Arabic script), Persian is one of the easiest Middle Eastern languages to learn. Students also benefit from the fact that the written and spoken forms of the language are close and have remained relatively constant over time, so they are quickly able to read a range of classical and modern materials. There are none of the difficulties of a multiplicity of dialects or of a great chasm between classical and modern.

Since Persian is the second language of Islam with many important works of history, literature, philosophy and Sufism (Islamic mysticism) in Persian, it would be beneficial for the students of Islamic Studies to know this language. For those who are interested in Shi`ism and Islamic philosophy, studying the language would complement the fact that Iran has been a major center for Shia Islam as well as Islamic philosophy. Its literature contains some of the finest epic and lyric poetry and its general intellectual and artistic contribution to Islamic culture is unmatched.

Course Materials will be distributed in class.

Morteza Rezazadeh, who is a native Persian speaker, will teach the course. He is now a student of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary. He has Bachelor of Arts degrees from the Islamic Seminary of Qom and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Religions and Denominations in Iran.