Fall 2019/Fuller Online

PH510

Gutenson

PH510: CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS (4 Units: 160 Hours). Charles (Chuck) Gutenson.

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DESCRIPTION: This course explores the major challenges that Christianity faces in North America in the beginning of the twenty-first century. The approach is to develop an apologetic framework by (1) surveying the way Christians have defended the faith throughout the history of the church; (2)proposing three models—Classical, Modern, and Postmodern—that have been used to defend the faith; and (3) developing a pastoral strategy for defending the truth of Christianity and thus commending the faith to unbelievers.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Through discussion, reading and writing students will be able to; (1) understand the role the Western philosophical tradition played in the development of Apologetics; (2) develop the ability to think critically and non-defensively about their faith, with a pastoral sensitivity to the intellectual and cultural frameworks people bring to questions of faith; and (3) reflect critically and write clearly and persuasively on some specific apologetic issue.

RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: This course will teach students concepts and skills for Apologetics, which is consistent with the SOT/SIS PLOs that state that, “Students will have demonstrated capacities to cultivate a theologically reflective practice of Christian discipleship.” (MDiv, MAT, MATM, MAICS), “Students will have demonstrated capacities to engage diverse cultural contexts for transformational discipleship, mission, and ministry,” and “Students will have demonstrated capacities for being theologically reflective practitioners for Christian ministry.”

COURSE FORMAT: This course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar for a total of 40 instructional hours, which is outlined below in the assignment and assessment section. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, reading, and other assignments that promote active learning.

REQUIRED READING: 1,200 pp. required.

Descartes, Rene. Discourse on Method. Oxford, 2008. ISBN: 978-0199540075, Pub. Price $8.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [100 pp.].

Penner, Myron. The End of Apologetics. Baker, 2013. ISBN: 978-0801035982, Pub. Price $23.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [174 pp.].

Ramachandra, Vinoth. Faiths in Conflict?: Christian Integrity in a Multicultural World. IVP, 2000. ISBN: 978-0830815586, Pub. Price $22.00. [200 pp.].

Smith, James K. A. How (not) to be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor. Eerdmans, 2014. ISBN: 978-0802867612, Pub. Price $16.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [150 pp.].

Van den Toren, Bernard. Christian Apologetics as Cross Cultural Dialogue. T & T Clark, 2011. ISBN: 978-0567169167, Pub. Price $43.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library. [75 pp.].

Apologetics Reader including Plato, Einstein, Westphal and others [200 pp.].

Additional reading from recommended list for projects and critical review [300 pp.].

RECOMMENDED READING (For projects and critical review):

Berger, Peter, ed. The Desecularization of the World. Eerdmans, 1999. ISBN: 978-0802846914, Pub. Price $20.00.

Dawkins, Christopher. The God Delusion. Mariner Books, 2008. ISBN: 978-0618918249, Pub. Price $16.95.

Dennett, Daniel. Darwin’s Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life. Simon and Shuster, 1996. ISBN: 978-0684824710, Pub. Price $19.00.

Edgar, William. Reasons of the Heart: Recovering Christian Persuasion. P & R Publishing, 2003. ISBN: 978-0875525952, Pub. Price $12.99.

Grenz, Stanley. A Primer on Postmodernism. Eerdmans, 1996. ISBN: 978-0802808646, Pub. Price $21.00.

Harris, Sam. The End of Faith. W. W. Norton, 2005. ISBN: 978-0393327656, Pub. Price $16.95.

Hitchens, Christopher. God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. Twelve, 2009. ISBN: 978-0446697965, Pub. Price $16.00.

Murphy, Nancey. Theology in the Age of Scientific Reasoning. Cornell University Press, 1993. ISBN: 978-0801481147, Pub. Price $31.50.

Russell, Bertrand. Why I am Not a Christian. Touchstone, 1967. ISBN: 978-0671203238, Pub. Price $16.00.

Stackhouse, John G. Humble Apologetics: Defending the Faith Today. Oxford, 2006. ISBN: 978-0195307177, Pub. Price $14.95.

Westphal, Merold. Overcoming Onto Theology: Toward a Postmodern Christian Faith. Fordham University Press, 2001. ISBN: 978-0823221318, Pub. Price $45.00.

Zuckerman, Phil. Society without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us About Contentment. New York University Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0814797235, Pub. Price $26.00.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: The course grade is dependent on the following:

1. 1,200 pp. of required reading [This assignment relates to all three learning outcomes.] [70 hours].
2. Instruction involves class weekly video lectures. [This assignment relates to learning outcomes 1 and 2] [20 hours].
3. Mid-term exam (20%) after the first section of the course. [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1] [5 hours].
4. Two 150-250 word interactions (20%) in the weekly online forums. [This assignment relates to learning outcome number 3.] [20 hours]
5. 5–7 page (1,500 word) critical book review (20%) of one of the books in the recommended reading list due during the 8th week of class. [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2 & 3] [15 hours].
6. 12–15 page (3,000 word) paper/project (40%) on a particular apologetic problem, which may be done in learning groups of 3 or 4, due the last day of exam week. [This assignment is related to learning outcome # 3] [30 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the TH5 or C3 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program. Meets PHIL in the 144 MDiv and MAT (Winter 2010) Programs. Option to meet the TH5, or EVG requirement in the MDiv or MATM (Fall 2018).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.