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 surveys the historical development of scientific thought, primarily in the western tradition, from its origins in ancient Greece to the twentieth century. While the course does examine major figures and their scientific achievements, it does not do so in the context of “science as the inevitable march from primitivism to progress,” i.e. science as the continuous accumulation of knowledge and mastery of the natural world. Rather these events will be studied in the context of the prevailing worldview or philosophical paradigm which provided the framework for scientific inquiry and discovery in various cultural periods. As such particular attention will be given to the interplay between philosophical-religious and scientific ideas.

This course describes and analyzes the range and nature of Christian expression around the world. This will be done in three ways: 1) by briefly describing the four main streams of Christianity evident today; 2) by examining the variety of expressions of indigenous Christianity in the various geographical regions of the globe, and major challenges Christians face in each region; and 3) by getting a brief introduction of how Christianity spread from its Hebrew roots in Palestine to becoming a global faith which is known today as World Christianity (Christianity whose agenda is no longer determined by churches in the nations of the West). The underlying question for Christians living in the West is, ‘What is our place and role in this recently altered global landscape of Christianity?’ This course will offer some possible answers to that question.

This introductory course will assist in nurturing leadership character, convictions and competencies. The foundational content will explore a theology and philosophy of leadership, investigate the formation of a Christian leader and survey the primary tasks of leadership. Building on this foundation, you will receive contextualized training for the specific leadership ministry in which you will be serving during the academic year. You will be challenged toward becoming a godly influencer of others.

The course is an introductory overview of Cultural Anthropology—the study of human beings from a holistic perspective. We will study theory, insights, and methods used to understand people and their relationships in human cultures. We will learn to understand some basic rationale for different ways of life and how to apply general anthropological knowledge and skills to everyday life in Canada or overseas. The topics include the concept of culture, world view, social organization (kinship, economic, social groups, political, and religious/ideological organization), communication, life cycle, expressive culture, and change.

This course is a directed study to be done while on the GlobeTREK internship. Students will do participant observation, spontaneous short interviews, long interviews, life stories, and use any other ethnographic research method. The student will work on this throughout their time—always asking the question, “What is going on here?” The student will study one area of the culture and propose a hypothesis. The ethnography will attempt to prove or disprove the hypothesis using social science research methods.