HONORS DCM: “Called to Serve—Called to Lead” (IDIS 150-31 - 8:30 a.m. to noon with Prof. Sig Berg; 3 credit hours). Through tears of shattered dreams, empty success, cruel injustice, and broken promises, the world cries for a sense of meaning, a sense of hope, and new life. Where are the leaders who can show us a “new land”, a “new beginning’, and a “new hope” for a better tomorrow? Exploring the commands of Jesus, the Biblical message, and Reformed theological insight, this course will examine (in practical terms) two propositions: (1) “Leadership is not simply a question of how can “leaders better serve”, but rather how can “servants better lead” and (2) “Today’s leaders are already in our midst.” Class sessions will incorporate guest speakers, lectures, one-on-one and small group discussions, videos, and readings from Neal Plantinga, Jim Collins, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Timothy Keller. Students will be evaluated on the basis of performance during in-class discussion, group work, writing assignments, and final exam. This section is restricted to members of the Honors Program. Over the course of his career Prof. Berg has been an officer on nuclear submarines, a Lutheran minister, the head of a nuclear power company, and today is active in teaching around the world. This course fulfills the core requirement in DCM.
HONORS off-campus DCM: “1492” (IDIS 150-17 H with Professors Henry Luttikhuizen and James Vanden Bosch; 3 credit hours). In this course, students will examine art and literature produced around 1492. They will study images and texts from places around the globe. Special attention will be given to the relationship between sacred and secular culture during this period. In addition, we will also investigate the interaction between western and non-western cultures to deepen our understanding of international trade, the establishment of missions, and the processes of colonialism. We will spend several days working together on campus in early January, and then we will travel to museums and galleries in Philadelphia, New York, Washington D.C., and Charlottesville before returning to campus to conclude our studies. Fee: approximately $2,000 for transportation, lodging, and admissions. This course fulfills the core requirement in DCM. (A continuation of this course is available in a spring honors cluster.)
HONORS off-campus - LONDON: History of Science, Medicine and Religion (STBR 310 H with Prof. Bud Bouma; 3 credit hours). London, one of the world’s foremost cities, is a treasure trove of the history of religion, science and medicine, as well as all facets of culture. Throughout the Scientific Revolution and beyond, most scientists were individuals of significant Christian faith who perceived their work as both discovering the Creator’s handiwork and worshipping God. Many struggled with apparent tensions between their discoveries and traditional teachings of the church. This course will utilize London and its surrounding environs to explore predominantly the history of British medicine, science, and religion but also British life and culture. On-site visits within greater London will include the British Museum, British Library, Buckingham Palace, Churchill Museum, Florence Nightingale Museum, Hunterian Museum, Imperial War Museum, London Museum, National Gallery, Natural History Museum, Royal Observatory, Royal Society, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower of London, Victoria and Albert Museum, Westminster Abbey, and Windsor Castle. The course will include at least five day-long field trips to Stonehenge and Salisbury, Oxford, Cambridge, Downe, and Windsor. Class sessions will consist of lectures and discussions of assigned readings. Students will write a paper primarily on a prominent person in the history of science/medicine or religion, do brief on-site presentations related to their prominent person, maintain a journal, and engage in cross-cultural reflections. Two pre-course meetings in fall, 2012, and pre-course readings and research required. This course is a graded honors course and may be used to fulfill an honors requirement. Prerequisites: one course in the Natural World and one course in Religion, Philosophy or History, or permission of the instructor. Fee: $3,925. This course fulfills the core requirement in Cross-Cultural Engagement.