Christian Worldview class affects daily life
By Heather Ellsworth

If you heard about a course that powerfully affected the life of everyone who had taken it, would you be interested? What if you heard that this course revolutionized the way students look at the world? What if you were told that afterward, students who took it know not only what they believed, but also why they believed it? Not only that, but they are now integrating their faith into every area of life and are able to logically present their views to the rest of the world. What would you think?

The good news is that such a course does exist! It is not a course for those who are comfortable in their ignorance. It is a class offered to those who desire to love the Lord with all of their minds. It is called Christian Worldview in the 21st Century.

Taught by Professor Pam Smucker, whom students describe as "knowledgeable and passionate," the course is designed to make theology and philosophy practical. As students, we tend to compartmentalize our lives, keeping our Christianity separate from our academic and social lives. We can fight that by integrating a Christian worldview into every area of life. Students from majors as different as Education and International Relations all have found that the course applies to them directly, both now and in their future callings.

Christian Worldview in the 21st Century is based upon Charles Colson's book "How Now Shall We Live?" which addresses foundational questions that affect lives and worldviews. Because the class is centered around discussion, students are able to synthesize the information they glean from various other books, lectures and phenomenal guest speakers in the class and apply it to their own lives.

Since it is impossible for a class of this nature to adequately examine every issue, each student chooses a topic that interests him or her to study. At the end of the semester, students present their findings to each other so they can benefit from the research of the others as well as the in-depth knowledge they have gathered in their particular areas of interest. With this format, the class encourages students not only to solidify their stance on issues, but also to prepare themselves to challenge others and lead them to Christ.

If you are interested in viewing the world in an entirely different, more Christ-like manner, you can enroll in this class for the Spring 2003 semester. The class will be offered at 8:50 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It is listed under International Community Development as IS 301. Heed the observation Beth Holter made about the class after she completed it last spring: "I walk away from this semester with a totally different perspective on life. I am convinced that I will never see another movie, talk to another person, read another book or listen to another speaker the same way again."

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