Philosophy
This course improves your God-given ability to think. You learn how to
use logic and critical thinking to formulate clear, sound arguments,
evaluate others' reasoning and evidence, and detect fallacies in flawed
arguments. You will learn key elements of argument structure, inductive
reasoning, probability, deductive reasoning, formal logic, and
categorical logic.
This class examines big questions philosophers have asked about reality, being, God, cosmology, reason, mind, heart human identity, time, and ethics. The class will explore various answers offered by secular and Christian thinkers in various cultures throughout history.
The very idea that there can be such a thing as a Christian Philosophy has long been denied and seldom tried. This course will explain why some Christian philosophers of the 20th century concluded that a Christian philosophy is possible, and will end with a brief account of one proposal of such a theory, the Christian theory of reality developed by Herman Dooyeweerd (1894 - 1977).
In short, the study of Ancient Philosophy is important and practical because it can help us to understand our world, develop critical thinking skills, and live better lives.
The study of Modern and Postmodern Philosophy offers critical insights into the intellectual movements that have shaped contemporary thought. This course covers pivotal developments from the Renaissance to the present, examining how philosophers like Descartes, Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, and Derrida contributed to evolving views on reality, human knowledge, morality, and the divine.
Sexual Ethics provides an overview of a biblical and theological approach to questions of marriage, sexuality, and gender. This includes questions of marriage and singleness, bioethical questions surrounding procreation, contraception, and assisted reproductive technologies, and questions surrounding sexual and gender identities. These matters are engaged from both an intellectual and pastoral standpoint with the goal of understanding both Scripture and our contemporary culture so that we can better minister in the present cultural moment.
This course uses philosophical dialogue to show that religious
experience can produce self-evident knowledge of God.
This course introduces five major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Similarities and differences are explored.