April 20 - May 21, 2008
(Please consult individual course descriptions for times and starting dates.)

Theme Courses marked with this symbol (at left) are directly related to the theme for the 2007 - 2008 year Changing Times...Changing Seasons, which focuses on Daniel 2:21.

Bible

B121 • Jesus, the Skeleton Key Who Unlocks the Scriptures
Jane and Roland Perdue
Sundays, 1:00 pm
April 20 to May 18

Church History

CH244 • The Church’s Role in the Civil Rights Movement: Help or Hindrance?
J. Oscar McCloud
Mondays, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
April 21 to May 19

While some perceive religious institutions as hindrances to social change, one of the largest factors in the successes of the civil rights movement was the participation of Christian churches and synagogues. This course will explore the involvement of churches in the struggle to achieve political and social justice for African Americans and poor people in the 1960s, and how that involvement impacted the churches’ own ministries. The class will examine how the civil rights movement helped unite various Christian churches and people of other faiths in organizing a collective movement. The course will explore theological themes that motivated and formed the strategy of non­violence and the lessons for the churches’ future involvement in social change.

Literature and the Arts

LA101 • Creative Writing
Emily Dunlap
Second and Fourth Tuesdays 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm
April 8, 22, May 13

Continuation of the course begun in Term 1 (see here).

Class is limited to 12.

One fee for the year: One material fee is charged whether entry is in September or April. 

LA218 • Biblical Tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Gordon Franz
Saturday, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm
April 19

Have you ever wanted to go back in time to see what life was like in Biblical times? Here is your chance. This one-day tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art will emphasize the Biblical material in that museum. The excellent Egyptian gallery will show the world of Joseph and Moses. Objects from other lands of the Bible, including Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Judah, Greece and Cyprus will illustrate events and places from both the Old Testament and New Testament.

Class size: 25

Notes will be handed out at the beginning of the tour. In addition to the course fee there will be a $10 fee for the museum entrance, even if you are a member or your corporation is a sponsor.
 
LA385 • Rabbit Run: A Uniquely American Quest for God
Richard Laine
Wednesdays, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
April 23 to May 21

John Updike’s novels portray a Christian sensibility. In his early novel Rabbit Run, Updike explores how conflicting values in American culture seemingly promote, but ultimately may conflict with, Christian values. This theme of the impact of individualism versus social responsibility on the Christian message will be further amplified by reading Jean-Paul Sartre’s short play, No Exit, and through discussion of the writings of several other writers. These writers include: Ralph Waldo Emerson; Walt Whitman; several philosophers and theologians, including Soren Kierkegaard and William James, St. Augustine and Karl Barth; Robert Bellah; and several literary critics, including Harold Bloom.

Class Size: 15

Practical Theology

PTCL124 • Overview of the Muslim World Via the Gallup World Poll
Jamie Kravitz
Tuesdays, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
April 22

This thought-provoking program looks into the views of the Muslim world on the most topical issues of today. Though the Gallup World Poll, those in attendance will discover details of the views of the Muslim world with a depth of insight not usually reported by mainstream media. The Gallup World Poll is the largest undertaking of its kind. The Gallup Organization is measuring the well­being and overall status of the world’s citizens for the next 100 years. Continually polling a sample representing 95% of the Earth’s adult population, the Gallup World Poll provides access to the voices, hearts, and minds of citizens in more than 130 countries and areas. Asking the same core questions across nations over time enables leaders to compare data and identify emerging trends.

PTCL272 • From the Bible to the Balance Sheet: Navigating Your Finances in New York City
Anne Westall, Coordinator
Mondays, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
April 21 to May 19

Living in New York City is stimulating, hectic, exciting, and expensive. Attempting to balance our expenses with a desire to take advantage of opportunities the city offers while also saving for the future and giving towards God’s work as good stewards, can be somewhat overwhelming. Thankfully, the Bible is filled with principles that speak to money and the impact it has on our lives. We will explore the different ways God speaks to us about money, discuss how these words can positively impact our lives, and develop hands-on practical solutions geared towards your current financial situation. This course is designed to provide you with tools to help you feel better about how and why you spend your

PTCL333 • A New World Order: Scenarios for the Future
Robert F. Smylie
Sundays, 11:15 am - 12:30 pm
April 20 to May 18

Over sixty years after the end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations and fifteen years after the ending of the “Cold War,” and well into the first decade of the 21st century, the course of the future is still to be determined, a concern of necessary interest for the Church - both ecumenically and domestically. Pundits, scholars, and diplomats wrestle with a number of scenarios and the implications of each. Are there theological and ethical considerations that can help Christians in their response to these forces? The course will examine the implications of each scenario and consider some of the basic literature related to each through both Christian lenses and American lenses.

Theology

T106 • What We Believe (Intensive Course)
Randolph L. C. Weber
Sunday, 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm
April 13 and April 20

Same description as Term 1 (see here).

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