This course focuses on a variety of aspects of academic research. The student will critically assess a variety of sources that mostly pertain to the task of apologetics. The primary focus of this course is research and writing, and the secondary focus is apologetics. This means that the student will assess, analyze, summarize, and review source documents that pertain to apologetics. The student will learn how to write academically and how to properly paraphrase source documents in order to enhance their critical thinking skills. Additionally, the student will be familiarized with the library and information literacy. In sum, this course is designed to introduce the student to the task of sound research and proper academic writing.

This course covers, in survey fashion, the events and themes which make up the early part of the story of the western world. The chronological range extends from the period of the earliest known ancient near eastern civilizations through to the end of the medieval period (mid-15th century) in Europe. While related historical events in other parts of the globe will be used as reference points, the primary geographical stage will be the regions of the Middle East, the Mediterranean basin and the wider European subcontinent. The course focuses on key events, people and ideas which played a formative role in developing this collective entity referred to as Western Civilization.

This course picks up the narrative of western civilization where HF 231 left off. It covers the period from the late Middle Ages to the late 20th century. Two key questions which the course raises and then seeks to answer is: 1) what is modernity? and 2) how has it formed western civilization and then the world beyond the west? Or, to put it another way, ‘how did The West become The West?’ While using political events as the primary reference points in mapping the historical narrative, the course will also explore a variety of other cultural events, people and movements which shaped the modern age. These include: religious/philosophical ideas, especially as they are expressed in art, architecture, music and literature; developments in the fields of science and commerce; and key social institutions/practices. In addition to studying these developments through the writings of academic historians, students will also have an opportunity to practice the craft of producing an historical account of their own.

This course is a survey of the major historical and thematic contours in western philosophy from a Christian perspective. The first part of the course focuses on the major historical milestones in the history of western philosophy beginning with the Pre-Socratics and continuing with philosophers from Classical Antiquity, the Medieval Period, The enlightenment, and Modernity. Throughout the course, particular attention will be paid to relationship between Christianity and the philosophical themes under consideration.

As the title indicates, the content of this course deals with the story of Christianity’s growth from a small Jewish sect to a global faith movement. Beginning with the New Testament period and proceeding through the 14th century this course will examine the significant events, personalities and cultural issues which played a role in defining and spreading the Christian faith.

Lecture material interspersed with some classroom discussions will cover both the institutional development of the church as well as the practices and missional spread arising from the bottom-up social context of community life and migration. A dominant theme of the course is examining how the Christian community of each generation and culture dealt with the tension between what historian Andrew Walls identifies as the “indigenizing principle” and the “pilgrim principle”: i.e. translating or accommodating the gospel message to the contours of specific cultures it penetrated, while at the same time speaking prophetically in calling people to a kingdom-of-heaven counter-cultural way of life. In summary the course looks at the history of Christianity as it simultaneously confronts and finds a home in the cultures to which it spreads. The Christian story is one of global migration; however, given the constraints of time this course will focus primarily on the events in the Near East, North Africa and Europe.

This course covers the history of the church, in both its western and global expressions, from the period of the Reformations of the sixteenth century to the beginning of the twenty-first century. Particular attention will be given to the theme of Christianity as a missionary faith which moved across cultures and adapted to different settings, while at the same time transforming the cultures into which it moved. A second theme will be that of stagnation and renewal through church and para-church initiatives. Course content is a combination of theological developments painted in broad brush strokes and more detailed sketches of particular people and their practices who had a notable influence on church life and Christian cultural engagement.

In this course students will study the fundamental principles of human behavior and cognitive processes. Students will learn to recognize and interpret various psychological theories and approaches, apply basic psychological principles and strategies to contemporary issues, accomplish a research project involving a major psychological concept and work cooperatively with classmates to begin to formulate an integrative approach to psychology.