Birmingham Theological Seminary 2200 Briarwood Way Birmingham, Alabama Course Purpose. Course Objectives.

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1 Birmingham Theological Seminary 2200 Briarwood Way Birmingham, Alabama AP8533 Christianity and Contemporary Worldviews Work Phone: Professor: Rev. Thad James Jr. (PhD Cand) Cell Phone Class Hours: 2 - Fall tjames@briarwood.org Course Purpose A comparison and critique of the major non-christian worldviews, including Deism, Naturalism, Pantheism, Process Theology and Polytheism. Attention will be given to Apologetic strategy for engaging adherents of the Worldviews. Course Objectives 1. The student will gain an understanding of Worldviews and their impact upon man. 2. The student will gain an understanding of the main non-christian Worldviews. 3. The student will gain an understanding of an overview of Western culture and its current impact. 4. The student will gain an understanding of the role of media in culture and how it shapes culture. 5. The student will gain an understanding as to how a Christian is to live biblically in a pagan world. Course Texts Sire, James The Universe Next Door IVP Academic ISBN Schaeffer, Francis How Should We Then Live Crossway Books ISBN Little, Paul E. Know Why You Believe IVP Books ISBN Crouch, Andy Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling InterVarsity Press ISBN * Recommended Texts: Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London Vyhmeister, Nancy J. Quality Research Paper Zondervan, Grand Rapids Adler, Mortimer J. and Charles Van Doren How to Read A Book Touchstone Publishing MacArthur, John The Truth War Thomas Nelson Publishing Pearcy, Nancy Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity Crossway Books StyleEase for Chicago and Turabian Style CD StyleEase Software, LLC Course Requirements 1. Plan your time wisely for weekly assignments, book critique, Mid-term and your exegetical paper. Do not wait until the end of the semester. Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. 2. Submit a 400 word essay of your personal learning objectives, what you expect to learn and how this course may enhance your Christian service. Please think this through (due week two, typed)

2 3. *Book Critique is to be a three-page critique of the book. Do not merely summarize the contents; rather evaluate the book s strengths and weaknesses. As you read, ask yourself and answer these questions, read critically: a. What is the book about as a whole? (Description) b. What is the author saying in detail and how is it said? (Interpretation) c. Is the book true, in whole or in part? (Critical thinking, Agree? Disagree? Why & what is the foundation for your response?) d. What is the significance of the book? (Personally, Spiritually, & Academically) (What are the formations and or applications to your life and ministry?) e. As you write your paper your goal is to answer these four questions concisely and achieving Master s level requirements. This is not a book report, think through critically. f. The book critique will also be an oral presentation; be prepared to discuss the war between Christianity and culture (media, ads, fads, consumerism, materialism, narcissism etc.) 4. Research paper: will be pages not including cover page, table of contents and bibliography. You should have a minimum of seven (7) scholarly references other than your required texts, along with proper citations of footnotes and bibliography. One (1) of the references must come from a scholarly journal; one (1) reference may come from a commentary or the internet; Wikipedia is not a scholarly resource. Your paper will be a comparison and critique of one of the Worldviews discussed in class with Christianity or one of the current cultural climates (media, ads, fads, consumerism, materialism, narcissism, spirituality etc.) with Christianity. What is the role of the Christian and how do you engage people from these belief systems in this 21 st Century world? What is the impact of the particular belief system upon the culture? 5. Weekly: write a one (1) page personal reflection paper on the week s reading assignment. 6. Mid-term based on Francis Schaeffer s book How Then Should We Live. 1. Class preparedness 20% 2. Book Critique 20% 3. Research paper 35% 4. Mid-term 25% Course Grading BTS Format and Style Standards Note: All research papers must be formatted in accordance with Turabian Chicago standards including the title page. All papers are to be #12 font Times New Roman and Double-Spaced. Any paper not conforming to these standards will automatically be dropped one letter grade. All course materials must be submitted by the last day of class. Thereafter, course materials may be submitted for up to six (6) weeks after the end of the semester directly to the office of the Registrar with the permission of the professor. If a student submits course materials after the end of the semester but within the six (6) weeks grace period, the student s grade will be lowered by one letter grade. The course materials will not be accepted after the six (6) week grace period and a failing grade will be posted to the student s transcript.

3 Reading Assignments Date Readings Assignments 9/10 Introduction/Syllabus Begin Worldview Introduction 9/17 Chapters 1-5 Schaeffer (Reflection Paper) (400 wd. essay) 9/24 Chapters 6-10 Schaeffer (Reflection Paper) 10/1 Chapters Schaeffer (Reflection Paper) 10/8 Chapters 1-5 Sire (Reflection Paper) 10/15 Fall Break 10/22 Mid-Term Schaeffer (Reflection Paper) 10/29 Chapters 6-8 Sire (Reflection Paper) 11/5 Chapters 9-11 Sire (Reflection Paper) 11/12 Chapters 1-6 Little (Reflection Paper) 11/19 Chapters 7-12 Little (Reflection Paper) 11/26 Lecture Worldviews Postmodern World 12/3 Oral Presentations of Book Critiques 12/10 Research Papers Due

4 Select Bibliography Alter, Robert. The Pleasures of Reading in an Ideological Age, Norton, Bradshaw, Tom, and Nichols, Bonnie. Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America, Washington, D.C.: National Endowment for the Arts, Research Division Report #46, Cross, Gary. An All-Consuming Century: Why Commercialism Won in Modern America, Columbia University Press, Ellul, Jacques. The Technological Society (1954). Trans. John Wilkinson. New York: Knopf, Ferre, Frederick. Philosophy of Technology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Fitch, David E. The Great Giveaway: Reclaiming the Mission of the Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, Fukuyama, Francis. Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution. H.B. Fenn, Herzfeld, Noreen. In our Image: Artificial Intelligence and the Human Spirit. Augsburg Fortress, Horowitz, Roger. Boys and their toys? : masculinity, technology, and class in America New York : Routledge, Lundin, Roger. Literature through the Eyes of Faith, Harper and Row, McGrath, Alister. A Passion for Truth: The Intellectual Coherence of Evangelicalism. InterVarsity Press, McLuhan, Marshall and Quentin Fiore, The Medium is the Massage. New York, Bantam Books / Random House, 1967, Gingko Press, McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, Introduction by Lewis Lapham, Cambridge: MIT Press, Mouw, Richard J. Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility In An Uncivil World. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, Ritchie, Daniel. Reconstructing Literature in an Ideological Age, Eerdmans, Ryken, Leland. The Discerning Reader, Baker Books, 1996., Realms of Gold: The Classics in Christian Perspective, Harold Shaw, 1994., Windows to the World: Literature in Christian Perspective, Word, 1990.

5 Schultze, Quentin J. Habits of the High-Tech Heart: Living Virtuously in the Information Age, Baker Books, Sire, James. Naming the Elephant: Worldview as a Concept. InterVarsity Press, Staub, Dick. The Culturally Savvy Christian. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Taylor, Barry. Entertainment Theology: New-Edge Spirituality in a Digital Democracy. Grand Rapids: Baker, Veith, Gene Edward. Reading Between the Lines: A Christian Guide to Literature, Crossway, Winter, Richard. Still Bored in a Culture of Entertainment: Rediscovering Passion and Wonder, InterVarsity Press, Zengotita, Thomas de. Mediated: How the Media Shapes Your World and the Way You Live in It, Bloomsbury, 2005.