MAJOR CULTS. Student to Resource. Student to Professor

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1 MAJOR CULTS MI/PH 431 Two Credit Hours Fall 2015 Mr. Nathan Mestler Instructor and Contact Information: Mr. Nathan Mestler Masters of Divinity, Calvary Baptist Seminary, D.Min. (cand.) Office Location: D-103 Office Hours: by appointment Office Number: Address: is the preferred method of communicating outside office hours. When sending an , please include BI 212 in the subject or body of the message. Students may also contact the professor through their NetClassroom account. Course Location and Times Course Location IBCS Classroom: D-160 Course Days August 27 - December 10, 2015 Tuesdays and Thursdays Course Times 12:45 1:35 PM Curriculum Mapping And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. Luke 2:52 TBC Vision TBC Mission IBCS Mission IBCS Program Learning Outcomes To glorify God by building a New Testament Church that assists its members and other fundamental churches in the West and around the world in fulfilling the Great Commission. Exalt the Triune God through lifestyle worship; Edify believers through correct doctrine, discipleship, fellowship, and unity; Evangelize unbelievers through prayer and the proclamation of the Gospel. The mission of International Baptist College, in both its undergraduate and graduate programs, as an integral ministry of Tri-City Baptist Church, is to develop graduates and Christian leaders who glorify God and demonstrate their love for God and others by living a biblical lifestyle, by obeying the Great Commission, and by championing the fundamentals of the historic Christian faith as they serve God in their families, their local churches, the West, and the world Instill knowledge, discernment, and wisdom so that the IBCS student may be able to critically read, write, and reason within a culturally and philosophically diverse society, Cultivate a genuine love for God and mankind through a dependent relationship with the Holy Spirit that demonstrates itself by living and ministering like Christ daily, Prepare disciples to be theologically committed and culturally conversant while engaging, evangelizing, and educating others, and Mentor God-fearing leaders by developing them mentally, physically, socially, and spiritually to minister in the west and around the world IBCS Course Comparative studies of cults and sects in the light of fundamental biblical Christianity. Description Luke 2:52 Bloom Relation CLO Assessment Jesus Increased Mentally Physically 1. Knowledge Reading assigned textbook 2. Comprehension Recognize and restate key components of Christian theology 3. Application Demonstrate the skill of accurate exegesis Student to Resource Student to Professor Familiarity with basic facts about major cults Detailed knowledge of the tenets of Mormonism Create an original, resource file on Mormonism Read the textbook Pass tests Read additional books/authors Conduct scholastic research Compile a resource file on Mormonism Page 1 of 8

2 Spiritually Socially 3. Application Demonstrate the transfer of concepts to real life 6. Evaluation Justify theological consistency and cultural discernment Student to Self and Others Student to Professor Demonstrate the ability to analyze and confront a erroneous cult group Present effectively and accurately on a cult group Present on a cult group not discussed in class lecture Present on a cult group not discussed in class lecture Additional Information None Course Resources Required Resources Martin, Walter. The Kingdom of the Cults. Grand Rapids, MI : Bethany House Publishers, Students, Please Note: It is your responsibility to order the required textbook(s) prior to the first day of class. Please refer to our Resource Page on our official IBC / IBCS website for all orders ( Course Pre- and Co-Requisites: None Grading And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. Genesis 1:31 Letter Grade Numeric Grade Quality Points per credit hour A A B B B C C C D D D F I (Incomplete).00 W (Withdrew).00 P (Passed).00 WP Withdrawal with a passing grade WF Withdrawal with a failing grade Page 2 of 8

3 Course Assessments and/or Assignments But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:14 All information regarding course requirements and course evaluations may be found on individual student s NetClassroom Accounts. It is the student s responsibility to track, submit, and understand these according to the professor s instruction. NetClassroom Designation TR AR RP OP EXAMS Assessment / Assignment Details Value in % Textbook Reading: Each student will read the textbook in its entirety except for the sections on Hinduism and Islam Additional Reading: Each student will read 200 additional pages beyond the textbook. 100 pages of this reading will be directed to Mormonism and 100 pages will be used for the preparation of your presentation on a particular cult group. Students must maintain a detailed log of the pages read for this assignment. Mormonism Research File: Each student will produce a research file on Mormonism. This file is designed to provide the student with a file that can be readily accessed for use in witnessing to Mormonism. This file must not contain fluff. Each item included must come from good, quality resources. Special care should be taken with online resources. Cult Presentation: Each student will become an expert on a cult that is not discussed in class. The student will prepare a 20 minute lecture on that cult and present it in class. The presentation must have a visual element, such as PowerPoint or Prezi and must have notes for the students. Failure to be prepared on your scheduled presentation date will result in a failure for this project. Three exams will be given throughout the course. Test one Mormonism Test two Jehovah s Witnesses and SDA Test three Christian Science, Scientology, SBNR. 10% 30% 30% 30% (10% each) AFP = Application Forum Presentation AP = Application Paper APR = Application Paper Reading APRR = Application Paper Reading Report AR = Additional Reading ARR = Additional Reading Report BR = Bible Reading BRR = Bible Reading Report CP = Capstone Project CPOA = Class Participation or Activities DA = Daily Assignment DEV = Devotional EP = Exegetical Paper EPR = Exegetical Paper Reading EPRR = Exegetical Paper Reading Report EXAM = Mid-term or Final Exam LR = Listening Reports OP = Oral Presentation QUIZ = Quiz RP = Research Project RPR = Research Project Reading RPRR = Research Project Reading Report SLQ = Songleading Quiz SM = Scripture Memory TR = Textbook Reading TRR = Textbook Reading Report UT = Unit Tests WA = Weekly Assignment WJE = Weekly Journal Entry Writing Guide Papers in this course must be written according to MLA Formatting and Style Guide IBCS has obtained permission to use the Purdue Online Writing Lab as our template. Instructions and a through sample paper may be obtained by following these links: Please be certain to write with precision and accuracy. All grammatical, spelling, and formatting errors will be penalized heavily. Academic Expectations This is a two-credit-hour, senior level course; therefore, over the course of the semester, each student may expect to receive a minimum of 1500 minutes of direct instruction from the professor. The student may also expect to contribute a minimum of hours of homework to the professor. Page 3 of 8

4 Attendance Students who are tardy to class may receive demerits. Being tardy three times will equal one absence. Being tardy to class by more than fifteen minutes will be considered an absence. All students are permitted one excused absence for each credit hour associated with the course. For example, if a course is a 2 credit hour course each student has 2 excused absences for the semester. Any absence beyond these is an unexcused absence. Unexcused absences due to illness, a death in one s family, or the like may be designated as excused by the Academic Dean. Written requests for this designation, accompanied by documentation such as a doctor s note, may be submitted to the Academic Dean. Each unexcused absence will reduce the student s final course grade by 2%. Being absent 25% or more of any class during the course of the semester will result in the loss of credit for the course. Electronic Usage There will be no communication with those outside of the classroom, nor will there be any unrelated searches conducted during class. Violation of this understanding will result in an absence recorded for that class period. Repeated violation will result in further disciplinary action(s). Submitting Assignments The professor will primarily use NetClassroom for assignment management. Please consult the rest of the syllabus and his direct instruction regarding how to submit assignments. Plagiarism Neither shalt thou steal. Deuteronomy 5:19 As per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, ("Plagiarize." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 29 July ( PLAGIARISM is: to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own, the use (another's production) without crediting the source to commit literary theft, to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source. The practice of plagiarism is not to be tolerated; therefore, all students must, produce original work, cite all sources, and walk in integrity as it pertains to their scholastic ability. If a student s work is found to be not their own it will receive 0% credit and additional academic penalties will apply. Late Work Let all things be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40 Unless otherwise stated, all assignments (papers, projects, reading reports, etc.) are due as specified in NetClassroom. All papers are to be submitted electronically via NetClassroom. Assignments handed in hardcopy form to the professor or ed to the professor will not be accepted. Late work will be penalized. For every 24 hours an assignment is late the overall grade of that assignment will be reduced by 10%. Assignments that are late by 120+ hours (approximately 5 days) will be given a 0%. Any work missed because of an absence must be submitted immediately upon the student s return to class. The instructor is under no obligation to accept any late work. The instructor may alter due dates at his/her discretion. Bibliography Resources are in bold to indicate primary recommendations by the professor Adair, James R. We Found Our Way Out (of 14 different Cults. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, Anderson, J.N.D. The World's Religions. London, Eng: Inter-Varsity Fellowship, n.d. Bach, Marcus. Report to Protestants. Indianapolis, IN; Babbs Merrill Publishers, Page 4 of 8

5 Bayly, Joseph. What About Horoscopes? Elgin, IL: David C. Cook Publishing Company, Bjornstad, James and Shildes Johnson. Stars, Signs and Salvation in the Age of Aquarius. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany Fellowship, Boa, Kenneth. Cults, World Religions and the Occult: What They Teach and How to Respond to Them. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, Bounds, E.M. Satan - His Personality, Power and Overthrow. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, Brooks, Keith L. The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error! Leaflet in vertical file Burnett, David. Unearthly Powers: A Christian's Handbook on Primal and Folk Religions. (Nashville, TN: Nelson Publishers, Chagall, David and Juneau. The Sunshine Road. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1988 Chafer, Louis Sperry. Satan! Grand Rapids, MI: Dunham Publishers, Chambers, Roger R. The Plain Truth about Armstrongism! Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, Clark, Elmer T. Small Sects in America. New York, NY: Abingdon Press, Darms, Anton. The Delusions of British Israelism. New York, NY: Our Hope Publishers, n.d.. Davies, Horton. The Challenge of the Sects. Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, Dillon, William. Demon, Demon, Where's the Demon? River Grove, IL: Voice of Melody Publishers, Dolphin, Lambert. Astrology, Occultism and the Drug Culture. Westchester, IL: Good News Publishers, Duncan, Homer. Humanism in the Light of the Holy Scriptures. Lubbock, TX: Missionary Crusader, Secular Humanism: the Most Dangerous Religion in America Today! Lubbock, TX: Missionary Crusader, Enroth, Ronald. Youth, Brainwashing, and the Extremist Cults. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, Gauss, J. H. God's Truth versus Man's Theories. St. Louis, MO: Faithful Words Publishers, Gerstner, John. The Theology of the Major Sects. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, Gilpin, Richard. Biblical Demonology or a Treatise of Satan's Temptations. Minneapolis, MN: Klock & Klock Christian Publishers Inc., Gruss, Edmond C. The Ouija Board. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, *Hoekema, Anthony. The Four Major Cults. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Larson, Bob. Larson's Book of Cults. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Lewis, Gordon R. Confronting the Cults. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, What Everyone Should Know About Transcendental Meditation. Glendale, CA: G/L Publications, Lightner, Robert P. Meditation that Transcends. Denver, CO: Accent Books, Lovett, C. S. Dealing With the Devil. Baldwin Park, CA: Personal Christianity, Martin, Walter. Cults Reference Bible. Santa Ana, CA: Vision House Publishers, *. The Kingdom of the Cults. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, Unity. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, Herbert W. Armstrong and the Radio Church of God in the Light of the Bible. (Wayne, NJ: Church Research Press, McDowell, Josh. Handbook of Today's Religions. San Bernardino, CA: Here's Life Publishers, Moon, Sun Muyung. Divine Principle. New York, NY: Rose of Sharon Press, God's Warning to the World. New York, NY: Rose of Sharon Press, Olson, Ken. Exorcism: Fact or Fiction? Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, Rice, John R. False Doctrines. Murfreeboro, TN: Sword of the Lord Publishers, Lodges Examined by the Bible. Murfreesboro, TN: Sword of the Lord Publishers, Some Serious, Popular False Doctrines Answered from Scripture. Murfreesboro, TN: Sword of the Lord Publishers, Ridenour, Fritz. So What's the Difference? Glendale, CA: G/L Publications, Rosten, Leo. A Guide to Religions in America. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Religions in America. New York, NY: Touchstone Books, Sanders, J. Oswald. Cults and Isms. London, Eng: Lakeland-Marshall, Morgan & Scott, Schnell, William J. Christians Awake! Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, Into the Light of Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, Sire, James W. Scripture Twisting - 20 Ways the Cults Misread the Bible. Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, Sloan, Mersene Elon. Modern Theosophy. St. Paul, MN: The Way Publishers, Smith, Paul B. Other Gospels. London, Eng: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, n.d.. Talbot, Louis T. Heresies Exposed. Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, Page 5 of 8

6 Tanis, Edward J. What the Sects Teach. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, Unger, Merrill F. Biblical Demonology. Wheaton, IL: Scripture Press, Demons in the World Today. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, *Van Baalen, J. K. The Chaos of Cults. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Wilburn, Gary A. The Fortune Sellers. Glendale, CA: G/L Publications, Williams, Paul J. What Americans Believe and How They Worship. New York, NY: Harper & Row Publishers, Wright, J. Stafford. Christianity and the Occult. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES: Biederwolf, William E. Russellism Unveiled. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. n.d. Dencher, Red. The Watch Tower Heresy versus the Bible. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, *Gruss,Edmund. Apostles of Denial: an Expose of the History, Doctrines and Claims of Jehovah's Witnesses. Philadelphia, PA: Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing House, We Left Jehovah's Witnesses - A Non-Prophet Organization! Philadelphia, PA: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, Heydt, Henry J. Jehovah's Witnesses, their Translation. New York, NY: American Board of Missions to the Jews, n.d. *Hoekema, Anthony. Jehovah's Witnesses. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Irvine, William C. Heresies Exposed. Bangalore, India: Scripture Literature Report, Lewis, Gordon R. The Bible, the Christian and Jehovah's Witnesses. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, *Martin, Walter R. Jehovah's Witnesses. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, Mayer, F.E. Jehovah's Witnesses. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Press, McKinney, George D. The Theology of Jehovah's Witnesses. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, *Metzger, Bruce M. Jehovah's Witnesses and Jesus Christ. Princeton, NJ: Theological Book Agency, Schnell, W.J. How to Witness to Jehovah's Witnesses. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, *. Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, Stevenson, W.C. The Inside Story of Jehovah's Witnesses. New York, NY: Hart Publishers, Stilson, Max. How to Deal with Jehovah's Witnesses. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, Walkem, Charles W. Jehovah's Witnesses. Los Angeles, CA: Walkem Publishing, Wimbish, John S. What Is A Jehovah's Witness? Murfreesboro, TN: Sword of the Lord Publishers, ORIGINAL SOURCES / JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES: Babylon the Great has Fallen - God's Kingdom Rules! New York, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years has Approached. New York, NY: The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Good News to Make You Happy. Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, *Let God Be True. pp , , & Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Listening to the Great Teacher. New York, NY: The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Russell, Charles Taze. The Time is At Hand. pp & Philadelphia, PA: Paul Johnson Publishers, The Emphatic Diaglott. Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, The New World Translation of Holy Scriptures. Brooklyn, NY: The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, The Truth that Leads to Eternal Life. New York, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Your Youth - Getting the Best out of It. Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, MORMONISM: Anderson, Einar. History and Beliefs of Mormonism. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel House Publishers, I Was A Mormon! Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, Mormonism. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, Biederwolf, William E. Mormonism Under the Search Light! Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing House, n.d.. Budvarson, Arthur. The Book of Mormon, True or False? Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, Coe, Jolene and Greg. The Mormon Experience. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, *Decker, Ed and Dave Hunt. The God-Makers. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, *Fraser, Gordon. Is Mormonism Christian? Chicago, IL: Moody Press, What Does the Book of Mormon Teach? Chicago, IL: Moody Press, Geer, Thelma. Mormonism, Mama, and Me. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, Gruss, Edmond C. What Every Mormon Should Know. Denver, CO: B/P Publications, Page 6 of 8

7 *Hoekema, Anthony. Mormonism. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing House, Hougey, Hal. Archaeology and the Book of Mormon. Concord, CA: Pacific Press, Jonas, Larry S. Mormon Claims Examined. Salt Lake City, UT: Modern Microfilm Company, Lewis, Gordon R. The Bible, the Christian and Latter Day Saints. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, n.d. *Martin, Walter. The Maze of Mormonism. Ventura, CA: Regal Books, Mason, Hal. Mormonism - A Major Cult. Cleveland, OH: Baptist Mid-Mission Press, Naifeh, Steven and Gregory White Smith. The Mormon Murders. New York, NY: Penguin Books, Smith, John L. Brigham Smith. Marlowe, OK: Utah Missions Inc., Has Mormonism Changed? Clearfield, UT: Utah Evangelical Press, Hope or Despair! Clearfield, UT: Utah Evangelical Press, I Visited the Temple! Marlowe, OK: Utah Missions Inc., Witnessing Effectively to Mormons. Marlowe, OK: Utah Missions Inc., Stilson, Max. How to Deal with Mormons. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, *Tanner, Jerald and Sandra. The Changing world of Mormonism. Chicago: Moody Press, ORIGINAL SOURCES / MORMONISM: Richards, Le Grand. A Marvelous Work and a Wonder. Pp , , , & Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company, n.d.. Smith, Joseph. Joseph Smith Tells His Own Story. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret News Press, n.d... The Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City, UT: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Talmage, James. Jesus the Christ. pp Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company, Wood, Wilford C. Joseph Smith Begins His Work. Two vols. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret News Press, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE: Biederwolf, William E. The Unvarnished Facts About Christian Science. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, n.d.. Dakin, Edwin F. Mrs. Eddy, the Biography of a Virginal Mind! New York, NY: Scribner's Sons Publishers, Martin, Walter R. and Norman H. Klann. The Christian Science Myth. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, ORIGINAL SOURCES / CHRISTIAN SCIENCE: Eddy, Mary Baker. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. pp & Boston, MA: The Christian Science Publishing Society, SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISM: Biederwolf, William E. Seventh Day Adventism. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. n.d.. Bird, Herbert S. The Theology of the Seventh Day Adventism. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Canright, D. M. Seventh Day Adventism Refuted in a Nutshell! n.c.: Gospel Advocate, n.d.. Seventh Day Adventism Renounced. n.c: Gospel Advocate, Douty, Norman F. Another Look at Seventh Day Adventism. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, Rowell, J. B. Seventh Day Adventism Examined. Susanville, CA: Challenge Publications, ORIGINAL SOURCES / 7 TH DAY ADVENTISTS: White, Ellen G. The Desire of the Ages. Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, The Great Controversy. pp & Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, Seventh-Day Adventists Believe...A Biblical Exposition of 27 Fundamental Doctrines. pp , , , , , , & Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, n.d... Steps to Christ. Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Association, Please Note Disclaimer: The instructor reserves the right to alter the course schedule or assignments at his or her discretion. Page 7 of 8

8 COURSE SCHEDULE So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalm 90:12 The course will tentatively follow the schedule listed below. The instructor reserves the right to alter the assignments, the course content, and due dates as necessary. 08/25 Registration and Orientation 08/27 Course Introduction / Syllabus No Class 09/01 Introduction 09/03 Mormonism 09/08 LABOR DAY NO CLASS 09/10 History of Mormonism 09/15 History of Mormonism 09/17 History of Mormonism 09/22 Book of Mormon 09/24 Book of Mormon 09/29 Other Mormon Books 10/01 Eternal Law of Progression 10/06 Mormon Doctrine 10/08 FALL SEMINAR NO CLASS 10/13 Mormon Doctrine 10/15 Modern Mormonism 10/20 Mormonism Test Mormonism Research File Due 10/22 Jehovah s Witnesses 10/27 Jehovah s Witnesses 1 and 2 Samuel Test 10/29 Jehovah s Witnesses 11/03 Jehovah s Witnesses 11/05 SDA 11/10 SDA 11/12 JW and SDA Test 11/17 Christian Science 11/19 Christian Science 11/24 Scientology 11/26 SBNR 12/01 SBNR 12/03 Presentations 12/08 Presentations 12/10 Presentations 12/15 FINAL EXAM C.S., Scientology, SBNR Test ALL WORK DUE BY 12/18 NO WORK WILL BE RECEIVED AFTER 12/18 Page 8 of 8