Contextualization -- Social & Scientific

This course will provide students a working foundation toward understanding global cultures, languages, worldviews and belief systems. Emphasis will be placed on comparing and contrasting these dynamics with an eye toward productive and proactive engagement with people of and in different cultures.

This course is designed to develop the student's understanding of what culture is and how communication occurs within it, and to increase sensitivity to and understanding of intercultural differences and similarities. This awareness will lead to more effective communication by helping the student build an effective approach to communicating in intercultural settings, including those where language barriers may exist. A focus will be placed on the many elements and processes involved in the sending and receiving of messages within intercultural contexts.

This course examines social issues such as poverty, inequality, and crime, and their impact on individuals and societies, as well as solutions to these problems.

This course will survey modern worldviews through the lenses of history, philosophy, religion, and popular culture over the centuries and evaluate their impact on the modern Christian worldview using the primary lens of Scripture for critical evaluation. Students will examine the nature and function of belief structures, then build a personal worldview from a biblical foundation.

An introduction to major contemporary worldviews shaping society today, with attention to their philosophical foundations, cultural expressions, and ethical implications. Students examine how worldviews influence public life and personal decision-making through a biblical lens.