CoursesSummer 2013

Introductory Old Testament Hebrew I

This intensive Hebrew course is intended to take you from no knowledge of the language to a place where you could sit with a Hebrew Bible and dictionary and make sense of a narrative passage. We will work through basic morphology and syntax with an eye to comprehension in addition to analysis. Techniques will involve primarily reading and writing, and secondarily listening, speaking, and acting, hoping to deepen your connection to the language for long-term retention and greater fluency of reading. From an early point we will be looking at the text of the Hebrew Bible to create a familiarity with it and to provide a concrete connection for the principles discussed in class. Underlying the whole course is an attention to understanding the Old Testament text in a way that is unavailable without a knowledge of the biblical languages.

This course has a maximum enrollment of 25 students.

Introductory New Testament Greek I

In this intensive course, you will learn the foundational vocabulary, morphology, grammar, and syntax you need in order to translate large portions of the Greek New Testament by the end of the summer. The pace is rapid and the workload is heavy, but many students find the immersion experience to be richly rewarding. 

Note: It is crucial to prepare ahead of time by memorizing the Greek alphabet and reading through the first seven chapters of the textbook by Bill Mounce (The Basics of Biblical Greek, Zondervan, 2009, 3rd ed.) before the first day of class.

This course has a maximum enrollment of 25 students.

J.R.R. Tolkien: Writer for Our Time of Terror

With uncanny foresight, J.R.R. Tolkien anticipated that ours would be a time of terror, with frightful forces of evil striking both from within and without. Discover the ancient Christian virtues that Tolkien proposed as ways for “the little people of the world” (i.e., Christians) to respond to terroristic violence, whether moral, religious, or physical.

Sample a free audio lecture by Ralph Wood.

Augustine's Pilgrimage of Grace

Consider the intellectual influences on St. Augustine as he became disillusioned with Manicheism, sought to return to the faith of the Christian church, and was converted. Focusing on the variety of the writings of Augustine, we will reflect on doctrinal questions that perplexed Augustine, his self-knowledge, and prominent themes such as friendship, grief, and the end of human life.

Augustine's Pilgrimage of Grace

Consider the intellectual influences on St. Augustine as he became disillusioned with Manicheism, sought to return to the faith of the Christian church, and was converted. Focusing on the variety of the writings of Augustine, we will reflect on doctrinal questions that perplexed Augustine, his self-knowledge, and prominent themes such as friendship, grief, and the end of human life.

2 Corinthians

The unique quality of 2 Corinthians among Paul’s pastoral letters results from his knowledge that the unruly Corinthians have become cool towards him, and from his fear that they will reject him and his apostolic pastoral ministry entirely. Humbly, tactfully, with overwhelming love and great authority, Paul labours to restore the pastoral relationship between himself and the estranged Corinthians.

Sample a free audio lecture by J.I. Packer.

Faith, Hope, and Poetry

This course will restore your confidence in the imagination as a truth-bearing faculty by addressing the divide between so-called “subjective” and “objective” knowledge. We will also attempt to redress an imbalance between reason and imagination as ways of approaching truth. You will apply the insights of poetry to contemporary issues, and you will discover the contribution poetry can make to our religious knowing and the way we do theology.

Philippians

Explore Paul’s letter to the Philippians as it addresses current questions on the person of Jesus Christ, discipleship, and leadership in the church. Examine the letter’s historical context, its exegetical questions, the theological issues raised, and the application of the letter’s teachings for today’s global church context.

Professor Cohick will also be delivering a lecture called "Women in the Ancient World" on July 3rd as part of Regent's Free Evening Public Lecture Series. See the video below for a preview of that lecture.

Technology, Wilderness, and Creation

This course will use an eight-day voyage in open rowing/sailing boats as an occasion for study and reflection on our relationship to God and creation. The trip will be in the Gulf Islands—wild or rural places that have been tenuously preserved (through isolation and much local struggle) from the development that is transforming much of the region. The course will also provide occasion to reflect prayerfully on the nature of place and pilgrimage in the Christian life and will draw especially on the writings of those many Christians whose own understanding of God has been focused by the experience of voyaging on the sea. No previous sailing/rowing experience required.

Major teaching times in the course will occur at the beginning and the end of the course as well as during a three-day period in a remote location on Saturna Island. These more traditional teaching times will be led and facilitated by Loren and Mary-Ruth Wilkinson. Further teaching will occur during the actual voyage of the boats, which will be led and facilitated by Craig Gay and Julie Lane Gay.

Maximum enrollment: 12 credit students.

Additional course fee: $450

Location: This course takes place off-site, on a boat sailing between the Gulf Islands.

2 Timothy: Doing Ministry Paul's Way

In his final letter, Paul sets out the pattern for faithful gospel ministry in the post-apostolic age. While considering questions surrounding the book’s authorship, historical background, and key points of interpretation, discover the vital lessons in 2 Timothy concerning faithful ministry in our day—lessons that the church must learn and re-learn in every generation.

Spirituality in the Life and Thought of the Church Fathers

"Spirituality” has been a hot topic over the past few years. In this course, we will explore a specific type of Christian spirituality practiced by Christians living from roughly the third to the seventh centuries AD. Discover how these early Christians prayed, dealt with temptation, and understood and developed Christian character, and how their insights can be translated into the context of the modern world.

Sample a free audio lecture by Christopher Hall here.

Spirituality in the Life and Thought of the Church Fathers

"Spirituality” has been a hot topic over the past few years. In this course, we will explore a specific type of Christian spirituality practiced by Christians living from roughly the third to the seventh centuries AD. Discover how these early Christians prayed, dealt with temptation, and understood and developed Christian character, and how their insights can be translated into the context of the modern world.

Sample a free audio lecture by Christopher Hall here.

Modern Literature and the Question of Belief

Unbelief has emerged in the past 150 years as an intellectually viable and socially acceptable reality. As an exercise in literary, theological, and cultural understanding and as an occasion for Christian self-reflection and growth, we will study some exceptional poems, stories, and works of theology to explore this new dynamic of belief and doubt at work in modern culture and in our individual lives.

Six Continent Christianity

Looking at all six continents, gain a panoramic view of Christian history from the apostolic age to the nineteenth century. We will emphasize the cross-cultural diffusion of the faith and the consequent demographic and cultural changes within the Christian community. Develop a cultural sensitivity in the reading of the global history of Christianity while exploring issues of gospel and culture over two millennia.

Please note that this course was originally scheduled to be taught by Andrew Walls.

Believing in Documentary: Truthful Witness, Fearless Speech, and the Transforming Imagination

Documentary has been described as a combination of realism, creativity, and social purpose in which human stories in all their complexity take centre stage. At its heart are three commitments with profound biblical resonance—truthful witness, fearless speech, and visionary imagination. Through a study of the history of documentary and engagement with a wide range of films, we will develop a critical and theological understanding of the possibilities and challenges of this important genre.

Teaching, Imagination, and Christian Practice

How can faith inform not just what we teach, but how we teach? The concrete practices of teaching can be reshaped through a vibrant and theologically grounded Christian imagination and engagement with the pedagogical wisdom of historic Christian practices. Deepen your theological imagination and gain fresh perspective on how the act of teaching can be truly Christian. This course is suitable for those who teach or plan to teach in any formal context.

Teaching, Imagination, and Christian Practice

How can faith inform not just what we teach, but how we teach? The concrete practices of teaching can be reshaped through a vibrant and theologically grounded Christian imagination and engagement with the pedagogical wisdom of historic Christian practices. Deepen your theological imagination and gain fresh perspective on how the act of teaching can be truly Christian. This course is suitable for those who teach or plan to teach in any formal context.

The Soul of Innovation: Entrepreneurial Leadership in Churches, Not-for-profits and Business

Innovation is critical to all human organizations, businesses, not-for-profits, and the church, but where does innovation come from, how should it be undertaken, and what makes up its theological and biblical foundation? Consider the need for and practice of entrepreneurial leadership from multiple viewpoints: practical, systemic, cultural, theological, and sociological. Gain practical wisdom on managing innovation and recognizing the hazards, temptations, and spiritual resources for being a change agent.

The Soul of Innovation: Entrepreneurial Leadership in Churches, Not-for-profits and Business

Innovation is critical to all human organizations, businesses, not-for-profits, and the church, but where does innovation come from, how should it be undertaken, and what makes up its theological and biblical foundation? Consider the need for and practice of entrepreneurial leadership from multiple viewpoints: practical, systemic, cultural, theological, and sociological. Gain practical wisdom on managing innovation and recognizing the hazards, temptations, and spiritual resources for being a change agent.

SEMINAR: The Soul of Innovation: Entrepreneurial Leadership in Churches, Not-for-profits and Business

Innovation is critical to all human organizations, businesses, not-for-profits, and the church, but where does innovation come from, how should it be undertaken, and what makes up its theological and biblical foundation? Consider the need for and practice of entrepreneurial leadership from multiple viewpoints: practical, systemic, cultural, theological, and sociological. Gain practical wisdom on managing innovation and recognizing the hazards, temptations, and spiritual resources for being a change agent.

SEMINAR: The Soul of Innovation: Entrepreneurial Leadership in Churches, Not-for-profits and Business

Innovation is critical to all human organizations, businesses, not-for-profits, and the church, but where does innovation come from, how should it be undertaken, and what makes up its theological and biblical foundation? Consider the need for and practice of entrepreneurial leadership from multiple viewpoints: practical, systemic, cultural, theological, and sociological. Gain practical wisdom on managing innovation and recognizing the hazards, temptations, and spiritual resources for being a change agent.

Introductory Old Testament Hebrew II

This course is a continuation of LANG 510. This intensive Hebrew course is intended to take you from no knowledge of the language to a place where you could sit with a Hebrew Bible and dictionary and make sense of a narrative passage. We will work through basic morphology and syntax with an eye to comprehension in addition to analysis. Techniques will involve primarily reading and writing, and secondarily listening, speaking, and acting, hoping to deepen your connection to the language for long-term retention and greater fluency of reading. From an early point we will be looking at the text of the Hebrew Bible to create a familiarity with it and to provide a concrete connection for the principles discussed in class. Underlying the whole course is an attention to understanding the Old Testament text in a way that is unavailable without a knowledge of the biblical languages.

Maximum enrollment: 30 students.

Introductory New Testament Greek II

This course is a continuation of LANG 550. In this intensive course, you will learn the foundational vocabulary, morphology, grammar, and syntax you need in order to translate large portions of the Greek New Testament by the end of the summer. The pace is rapid and the workload is heavy, but many students find the immersion experience to be richly rewarding.

Maximum enrollment: 30 students.

The Recent World History of Christianity

Over the course of the twentieth century, the shape of Christianity in the world has changed more dramatically and more rapidly than at any period since the very first centuries of church history. The long-time Christian heartlands of Europe and North America have undergone unprecedented secularization. The once-missionary regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America have more vibrant Christian communities than now exist in “the Christian West.” In this course, we will examine some of these developments and try to answer how Christians should live in their own cultures.

Connect! Improve in One Week Your Speaking Skills for Life

Whether you’re a newcomer to speaking, an experienced preacher seeking refreshment, a teacher in search of fresh insight, an executive needing to sharpen your presentation skills, or a professional increasingly in demand as a speaker, come sharpen your focus and increase your skills to accomplish God’s purposes through what is still the most powerful way to communicate.

Connect! Improve in One Week Your Speaking Skills for Life

Whether you’re a newcomer to speaking, an experienced preacher seeking refreshment, a teacher in search of fresh insight, an executive needing to sharpen your presentation skills, or a professional increasingly in demand as a speaker, come sharpen your focus and increase your skills to accomplish God’s purposes through what is still the most powerful way to communicate.

Learning from the Stranger: Christian Faith and Cultural Diversity

Since culture is bound up with beliefs and values, how can Christians learn to navigate effectively the cultural differences in schools, churches, or the workplace? Examine various Christian responses to cultural diversity, gain a more nuanced understanding of cultural difference, and acquire a range of theological and practical tools to support a Christian response.

Learning from the Stranger: Christian Faith and Cultural Diversity

Since culture is bound up with beliefs and values, how can Christians learn to navigate effectively the cultural differences in schools, churches, or the workplace? Examine various Christian responses to cultural diversity, gain a more nuanced understanding of cultural difference, and acquire a range of theological and practical tools to support a Christian response.

Light from the Dark Ages: An Exposition of Judges and Ruth

The author of the books of Judges and Ruth teaches theology through the enthralling exploits of usually less-than-ideal leaders during Israel’s Dark Age (1300–1250 BC), when warlords ruled nominal Israel. While analyzing the author’s brilliant literary techniques to write his theology on the hearts of the people of God, discover what these books mean to the church and why the writer of Hebrews celebrates these flawed leaders as exemplary heroes of faith.

Living Elders in a Dying Church

As society ages, the role or lack of role of its “seniors” will become a serious burden for church and society alike. While biblically, the church should see the role of “elders” as the dynamic of its spiritual health, our hope often lies in a youth culture. Is the church prepared for the rapid increase of “seniors” who have never been equipped to be “elders”?

Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church

With the demographics of Christianity changing throughout the world and specifically in North America, there is an increased need for ministries to develop cultural intelligence. However, the current construct of North American evangelicalism poses numerous obstacles to developing multiethnic churches. Explore the process of socio-cultural exegesis, engage in theological reflection, and initiate the practice of developing culturally intelligent communities for effective ministry.

Hollywood Cinema and the Christian Imagination

The commercial success of movies like The Passion of the Christ and The Chronicles of Narnia put churchgoers on Hollywood’s radar in a big way. Taking note of the trend, a national film critic remarked: “Hollywood doesn’t necessarily want to make Christian movies. It wants to make movies Christians think are Christian.” What might this comment suggest about Hollywood perceptions and the ways that “Christians” engage movies? This course develops an approach to Hollywood as popular art, culture, and industry with a focus on Christian perspectives in aesthetic, historical, cultural, and theoretical contexts. Following this line of inquiry we will address methods of “religious” film criticism, issues of censorship, and consider the history of church efforts to influence Hollywood.

The Kingdom of God in the Teachings of Jesus

We will examine the biblical and Jewish contexts for Jesus’s kingdom vision and explore the significance of the kingdom of God for comprehending the New Testament and the eschatological vision of the Bible. We will also consider how the kingdom of God has been understood in the church’s theology and its significant relationship with the church today.