AE501‒ Comparative Religious Systems 1
Required for MDiv― 3 credits. No prerequisite.
As Christian leaders in today’s world, awareness of the fundamentals of competing religions or cultish deceptions is mandatory.
This course provides a sound foundation in apologetics for the Christian faith as compared to opposing world religions, religious philosophies and cults. The curriculum for this course is divided into 3 volumes: 1) Counterfeits of Christianity, 2) Moralistic, Mythical, and Mysticism Religions, and 3) Atheist and Humanistic Religions.
Included in these volumes are nearly 50 of these. While studying about 20 of them in the course, the rest are available for future reference. The material includes origin accounts, and is presented from a presuppositional apologetics perspective with each topic presented thoroughly by individual authorities.
Strategies to reach each group are included. You will find this relevant, fascinating and easy to comprehend. This represents COURSE 1 of a 2-course series.
Textbook: World Religions and Cults: Counterfeits of Christianity- box set (3 volumes), Bodie Hodge, Roger Patterson, 2015 total pages, Paperback, Amazon Prime $36.28, used or new from $33.53 + shipping.
AE502‒ Comparative Religious Systems 2
Required for MDiv― 3 credits. Prerequisite― AE501.
As Christian leaders in today’s world, awareness of the fundamentals of competing religions or cultish deceptions is mandatory.
This course provides a sound foundation in apologetics for the Christian faith as compared to opposing world religions, religious philosophies and cults. The curriculum for this course is divided into 3 volumes: 1) Counterfeits of Christianity, 2) Moralistic, Mythical, and Mysticism Religions, and 3) Atheist and Humanistic Religions.
Included in these volumes are nearly 50 of these. While studying about 20 of them in the course, the rest are available for future reference. The material includes origin accounts, and is presented from a presuppositional apologetics perspective with each topic presented thoroughly by individual authorities.
Strategies to reach each group are included. You will find this relevant and fascinating. This represents course 2 of a 2-course series.
Textbook: World Religions and Cults: Counterfeits of Christianity- box set (3 volumes), Bodie Hodge, Roger Patterson, 2015 total pages, Paperback, Amazon Prime $43.87, used or new from $33.53 + shipping.
ORDER THIS COURSE
AE503‒ Introduction to Christian Apologetics
Required for MDiv― 3 credits. No Prerequisite.
There is a scriptural mandate to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you,” 1 Peter 3:15. This course thoroughly prepares students to give concrete reasons for their faith.
This course-series enables students to confidently address the issues skeptics of Christianity may bring up. The orderly and comprehensive fashion in which the authors present answers to key arguments is one reason we chose this curriculum.
The down-to-earth style of the authors additionally makes the study both highly informative and easily-understood. The workbook format successfully facilitates student retention, something especially critical to apologetics.
Topics covered include: answering life’s big questions, fallacies and logic, cosmic issues, intelligent design, the origin of life, evolution, relativism, miracles, the historic reliability of Jesus, eyewitness testimony of Jesus, the reliability of the New Testament, the resurrection, the divinity of Jesus, Jesus’ perspective on the Old Testament, the issue of evil and more.
FYI- AE503 and AE504 are the only graduate-level correspondence courses we offer. All others involve interaction on the IUS website. So for this‒ Order the textbooks by using the Amazon links. Follow the instructions in the workbook for reading and workbook assignments. When you complete the entire workbook, we will need to see your workbook for credit for both courses.
AE504 represents course 1 of a 2-course series. The books below apply to both courses.
AE504‒ Defending The Faith With Confidence
Elective for MDiv or DMin― 4 credits. No Prerequisite.
There is a scriptural mandate to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you,” 1 Peter 3:15. This course thoroughly prepares students to give concrete reasons for their faith.
This course-series enables students to confidently address the issues skeptics of Christianity may bring up. The orderly and comprehensive fashion in which the authors present answers to key arguments is one reason we chose this curriculum.
The down-to-earth style of the authors additionally makes the study both highly informative and easily-understood. The workbook format successfully facilitates student retention, something especially critical to apologetics.
Topics covered include: answering life’s big questions, fallacies and logic, cosmic issues, intelligent design, the origin of life, evolution, relativism, miracles, the historic reliability of Jesus, eyewitness testimony of Jesus, the reliability of the New Testament, the resurrection, the divinity of Jesus, Jesus’ perspective on the Old Testament, the issue of evil and more.
Textbook: I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, Norman Geisler, Frank Turek, 2013, 448 pages, Paperback, Amazon Prime.
Workbook: I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist Curriculum, Frank Turek, Chuck Winters, 2012, 280 pages, Paperback, Amazon Prime.
We additionally suggest students motivated toward evangelistic outreach additionally take “Practical Evangelism” because leading people to the Lord may require more than spouting off information.
For unbelievers, intellectual obstacles may not be what’s holding them back from embracing the Christian faith. The issues unbelievers bring up, then, most likely represent an excuse to avoid confronting spiritual truth. In reality, there are generally emotional reasons people remain negative to Christ, and these need to be explored and resolved. An individualized approach to evangelism may prove effective.
AE505‒ Practical Evangelism
Elective for MDiv or DMin― 3 credits. Prerequisite: AE505- Christian Apologetics 2.
Equipped with the facts of scriptural and archaeological apologetics; how then do we effectively share the gospel? Simply share our logic and brilliance which defies reasoning away? Develop loving relationships through years of contact, hoping they will eventually open to and ask about the good news of Christ?
These methods work occasionally, but is there a more effective way? Perhaps we need to understand how those we encounter think, where they are coming from, and how can we strategically reach them as individuals… and as Jesus did? The curriculum revisits evangelism and provides an approach demonstrated as effective by a passionate soul-winner. Adding a Ministry Lab for 1 credit is an option.
A unit explaining the perimeters of America’s Religions Freedom is included.
Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People’s Hearts the Way Jesus Did, Randy Newman, 2017, 269 pages, Paperback, Amazon Prime $14.56.
AE506‒ Archaeology and the Bible
Elective for MDiv or DMin― 2 credits. No Prerequisite.
If you’re only marginally interesting in archaeology, you’ll be enthused after browsing this book which serves as a catalog of archaeological discoveries in Israel. The colorful and engaging pages of this important and easy-to-read book corroborates biblical details and builds faith.
The finds‒ 2-3 pages each‒ are organized categorically, and are intriguing and adorned with photographs. The resource will be a great addition to your library.
Evaluation for this course is based on four homework assignments‒ one for each section of the book. FORUM posting on 4 TOPICS is also required.