Christian Worldview I

SCHEDULE :: REGISTRATION :: TESTIMONIALS

Christian Worldview I provides students with a grounding in their faith, helping youth to understand, appreciate, and graciously communicate their beliefs. Students will learn that theirs is a reasonable faith, both answering the challenges and satisfying the yearnings of a lost world.

In a culture that too often forgets the interrelatedness of Christ's commands to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,” students will find that a deeper understanding of their faith will spark a deeper love in heart, soul, and strength, as well as mind.

In the words of C.S. Lewis, “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” Christian Worldview I begins with Lewis' classic articulation of Christian doctrine, Mere Christianity, as he gives a simple yet compelling defense of the belief that Christianity is indeed not only true, but infinitely important.

The second part of this class prepares students to confidently resist the world's attacks on their faith. Living in a culture saturated with “pop-relativism” – nowhere more so than in our university system – students need to be prepared for the unique challenges their generation will face. True for You, But Not for Me, an examination of faith and truth in a relativistic culture, will prepare students for the questions posed by relativism. Students will not only be equipped to respond to challenges to their own beliefs, they will learn tools for graciously dealing with relativistic presuppositions as they witness to those around them.

Topics that will be addressed during the semester include,

• The relationship of faith and reason
• Natural Theology; particularly the Moral Argument
• The Problem of Evil
• The Historicity of Jesus
• Morality and ethics
• Philosophical roots of postmodernism
• Responses to postmodernism

A note on theology: I recognize that students in my classes will mirror the legitimate theological disagreements that are present in the Church at large. Because of this, as a teacher I focus on what might be called "first-order" Christian doctrines, beliefs with which any orthodox Christian would agree. (See my Statement of Faith for some specifics.) I avoid taking positions on "second-order" doctrines about which there is legitimate disagreement within the Church, because I feel that such questions are better discussed in other forums such as the family or the local church. If you are curious about how I will address any particular issue in class, feel free to contact me to inquire.

The class meets for one hour and thirty minutes weekly for 16 weeks. Students will be assigned several four-page papers on relevant topics, and grades will be given based on the quality of the papers and participation in classroom discussion. Tuition is $189.