Welcome to Senior Seminar, Class of 2013
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Welcome to Senior Seminar, Class of 2013
Course Outline
I. Biblical Apologetics (1st semester)
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...”
(1 Peter 3:15)
Apologetics as a discipline is concerned with the defense of the divine origin and authority of the Christian faith. Here one examines the truth claims of Christianity and interacts with other competing systems of belief. The goals of the apologetics component are as follows:
1. To impress upon students the necessity of understanding the Christian worldview in order to properly evaluate any human endeavor, whether in knowledge, ethics, science, or the arts.
2. To give students tools with which to answer the objections of unbelievers at all levels of educational sophistication and to demonstrate the folly of unbelieving thought.
3. To expose students to some of the most common expressions of unbelief and prepare them for the encounters they will experience in the world.
4. To help students to become more comfortable in discussions of this type.
II. Public Policy Forum (3rd Quarter)
These discussions and presentations will focus on important decisions affecting everyone, such as health care, the state of the environment, and the sanctity of life. Here you will be able to fashion and test your critical thinking skills by evaluating potential policies. Central to this whole conversation will be the appropriate role of government in determining these policies.
III. Reading Seminar (2nd semester)
C.S. Lewis’ modern classic Mere Christianity is not only excellent in its apologetic approach but also excellent in its expression of that apologetic. We will study this book in depth in the 3rd quarter in order to glean not only from the wisdom of Lewis, but also from his masterful command of the English language. Our consideration of the work will be primarily in a Harkness discussion format. In the 4th quarter we will read Sinclair Ferguson’s Discovering God’s Will, which ought to produce several fruitful discussions concerning living the Christian life.
IV. Senior Thesis Projects (2nd quarter & 4th quarter)
Senior Seminar includes two thesis papers. The minor thesis will be completed in the 2nd quarter, and the major thesis in the 4th quarter. The major thesis is a graduation requirement. The minor thesis defends a position in the field of apologetics (defending the faith), and the major thesis is much broader. Both papers will be defended before both peers and instructor. (See Appendices.)
V. Harkness
Last year you were introduced to the Harkness Table, which we will use much more extensively this year. Plan on a Harkness discussion about once a week in the 1st semester, and twice or more in the second. Harkness materials are attached to this syllabus for review.
Texts
The Holy Bible. NIV. You will need to bring your Bibles to class. For other texts, you need only bring those
including assigned readings for that particular day.
Apologetics:
Bahnsen, Greg. Always Ready
Kreeft, Peter & Blaise Pascal. Christianity for Modern Pagans
Pratt, Richard. Every Thought Captive
Sproul, R.C. Defending your Faith
Public Policy:
Pearcey, Nancy. Total Truth
Current articles
Reading Seminar:
Ferguson, Sinclair. Discovering God’s Will
Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity
Scripture Memory
Students will be quizzed first thing every Tuesday on their memory of verses announced the previous week (see attached schedule, also posted on bulletin board). Quizzes are designed to encourage long-term retention of the passages. The following passages will be covered this year:
Romans 1:18-23
Romans 12
1 Corinthians 15:1-26
2 Corinthians 10:5
1 Peter 3:15-16
* The Scripture Memory Final for the 1st semester may be taken at any time before 11 December. An ‘A’ (45 points or better) will result in 100% on the remaining quizzes for the 1st semester (so you do not have to take them). Same goes for the 2nd semester Memory Final. You may only take each Memory Final once.
Writing Assignment Format
All writing assignments completed out of class are to be presented neatly, from a word processor, on standard 8½ x 11 white paper, in 12 pt Times New Roman or Garamond fonts, double spaced, with no more than 1 inch margins. Sequential numbers are to appear at the top of each page, accompanied by student’s last name (e.g. Smith 4). This is a standard college requirement.
Apologetics Lesson Summary & Assignments
This course requires quite a bit of reading. Most days you have a reading assignment due, and there may be a reading quiz whenever reading is assigned. You may use your own handwritten notes when you take reading quizzes. You are encouraged to work ahead so that a given night’s work does not become overwhelming.
Because quizzes are so frequent, you are expected to take a missed reading quiz the day you return to school. I may make exceptions, but they are exceptions.
There is a quiz re-take policy, with which I will acquaint you if necessary.
Subject Assignments
I. Apologetic Foundations
Defining the gospel none
The Necessity of Apologetics Pratt 1
Theological Foundations I: Creation Pratt 2 & 3
Theological Foundations II: Fall and Redemption Pratt 4 & 5; Sproul Int, 1 & 2
II. The Method of Philosophy: Reason and Natural Theology
Principles of Knowledge I Sproul 3-5
Principles of Knowledge II Sproul 6-8
Natural Theology Sproul 9-10
Explaining Reality: Illusion & Self-Creation Sproul 11-13
Explaining Reality: Self Existence & Creation Sproul 14-15
III. The Method of Philosophy: The Proofs
The Moral Argument Sproul 16-19
The Cosmological Argument handout
The Teleological Argument handout
The Ontological Argument handout
TEST 1______
IV. The Presuppositional Method: The Transcendental Argument
Introduction to Presuppositionalism Bahnsen 16-17
Presuppositionalism II Pratt 11-13
Neutrality Bahnsen 1-3
Two Apologetic Methods Pratt 9
V. The Method of Paradox: Greatness and Wretchedness
Introduction to Pascal handout, Pensees 25-32 (6, 12); 37-38 (130)
Greatness and Wretchedness Pensees 47-49 (401); 52-53 (678, 121); 55-57 (200, 113); 64 (122)
Vanity Pensees 73-75 (40, 47); 77-78 (661); 85 (48); 101-104 (44, 551)
Alienation Pensees 120-140 (199, 201, 68)
Death & Sin Pensees 141-143 (152); 145-146 (166); 158-160 (562, 597); 161-163 (617)
Diversion & Indifference Pensees 167-182 (70, 132, 133, 134, 136); 186 (414, 57); 188-202 (427)
How to Find the Truth; Clues Pensees 223-24 (377); 231-32 (423); 249-253 (446, 781); 279-80 (351, 192)
The Wager Pensees 291-306 (387, 418)
VI. Special Issues for Apologetics
God Speaks: The Reliability of Scripture handout (or web posting/link)
The Problem of Evil Frame handout
TEST 2______
VII. Comparative Religion
Hinduism/ New Age handout
Buddhism handout
Islam handout
Mormonism handout
Jehovah’s Witnesses handout
The Occult handout
Atheism Russell, “Why I Am Not a Christian”
Darwinism handout
Roman Catholicism handout
Eastern Orthodoxy handout
TEST 3______
VIII. Minor Thesis Presentations
The Harkness Table
As your experience at the table increases, I expect your discussions to improve. I have intentionally selected topics for Harkness which are suited to discussion, and have kept material more fit for lecture in that format. I think that you will find the Pascal material especially interesting.
As a component of Apologetics, your discussions will help you practice the kinds of conversations you will hopefully have with unbelievers. Much of Pascal treats enduring questions and universal human experience; these are topics thoughtful people outside of a Christian context would discuss.
Grading
I don’t want to put much thought into Harkness grading, and I don’t want you to think much about how you are graded. Let’s be sure we come prepared, we follow the rules, and we engage the material. If the discussions are consistently good, maybe I will just give A’s all around.
The Rules
1. Mocking or teasing other students is forbidden. Any comment that ‘shuts down’ another student is out of line. If you want to disagree, do so politely, after the student has finished the thought.
2. Do not monopolize the time. If all students are involved, no one will be talking for more than 10% of the time.
3. Participate and pay attention. Doodling and daydreaming ruin the discussion for others.
4. Use the text. Whenever possible, refer to the reading to answer the question.
5. * I will create more rules if necessary.
Class Calendar
A Class Calendar is posted on my webpage. It includes reading assignments, Harkness group attendance requirements, memory quizzes, and tests. Reading quizzes are not posted. I will modify the calendar if there are major changes, but not if we are only slightly behind.
Infinite Campus
Assignments will be posted on Infinite Campus on the day when they are given. Due dates and point values are included in all postings. See this syllabus or the Class Calendar for additional details about any posted assignment, if necessary. Reading assignments (which are ungraded) are not posted, so you cannot rely exclusively on IC. You can check your progress at any time using Infinite Campus. The majority of graded assignments are actually already posted as of the first day of school.