TH 300D: American Faiths in the 21st Century

Instructor: Harold J. Berry

Semesters: Spring and Fall

Course Description

This class provides a landscape of faith systems in the current culture of popular American religions from an evangelical Christian viewpoint.  Various faith and belief systems will be taught from their history and doctrines, including what make them different from biblical Christianity.  Through this academic process, students will gain a deeper understanding of their own faith in the light of other beliefs.

Required Textbooks

·         What They Believe (Lincoln, NE: Back to the Bible, 2006) ISBN: 978-0-8474-6700-6

·         Encyclopedic Dictionary of Cults, Sects, and World Religions (Grand Rapids: MI: Zondervan, 2006) ISBN: 978-0-310-23954-3

·         A Pocket Style Manual, 5th edition (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004) ISBN: 0-312-40684-3

Class Schedule

Unit

Topic

Learning Objectives

1

Introduction/Biblical Christianity

·         Students introduce themselves to the class.

·         Students correctly answer questions over the required reading.

·         Students evaluate the views of the author(s) on a selected topic.

·         Students memorize two Bible verses about the source of authority, through which they will internalize what God’s Word says about this doctrine

2

Roman Catholicism

·         Students correctly answer questions over the required reading.

·         Students defend their position on a selected topic.

·         Students evaluate the views of the author(s) on a selected topic.

3

Seventh-day Adventism

·         Students correctly answer questions over the required reading.

·         Students defend their position on a selected topic.

·         Students evaluate the views of the author(s) on a selected topic.

4

Mormonism

·         Students correctly answer questions over the required reading.

·         Students defend their position on a selected topic.

·         Students evaluate the views of the author(s) on a selected topic.

5

Jehovah’s Witnesses

·         Students correctly answer questions over the required reading.

·         Students defend their position on a selected topic.

·         Students evaluate the views of the author(s) on a selected topic.

·         Students memorize two Bible verses about the source of authority, through which they will internalize what God’s Word says about this doctrine

6

Masons

·         Students correctly answer questions over the required reading.

·         Students defend their position on a selected topic.

·         Students evaluate the views of the author(s) on a selected topic.

7

Secular Humanism/Unitarian Universalists

·         Students correctly answer questions over the required reading.

·         Students defend their position on a selected topic.

·         Students evaluate the views of the author(s) on a selected topic.

8

The Way International

·         Students correctly answer questions over the required reading.

·         Students defend their position on a selected topic.

·         Students evaluate the views of the author(s) on a selected topic.

9

Unification Church

·         Students correctly answer questions over the required reading.

·         Students defend their position on a selected topic.

·         Students evaluate the views of the author(s) on a selected topic.

10

Christian Science/Unity School of Christianity

·         Students correctly answer questions over the required reading.

·         Students defend their position on a selected topic.

·         Students evaluate the views of the author(s) on a selected topic.

11

New Age Movement/Transcendental Meditation

·         Students correctly answer questions over the required reading.

·         Students defend their position on a selected topic.

·         Students evaluate the views of the author(s) on a selected topic.

12

Islam

·         Students correctly answer questions over the required reading.

·         Students defend their position on a selected topic.

·         Students evaluate the views of the author(s) on a selected topic.

13

An Evangelical Response

·         Students correctly answer questions over the required reading.

·         Students defend their position on a selected topic.

·         Students evaluate the views of the author(s) on a selected topic.

14

Final Project

15

Final Project