Course Catalog 2008-2009 - Concordia University

15.04.38 ReligionREL 1301 New Testament History and Reading 3,0The background, growth and content of the NewTestament. Sources and chronology of the ApostolicAge and Primitive Jewish Christianity.REL 1311 History and Literature of the OldTestament 3,0A literary-historical interpretation of the OldTestament, with special emphasis on its religioussignificance.REL 1331 Introduction to Christianity 3,0An introduction to the historical background, sources,literature, and basic beliefs of the Christian tradition.Intended for students with little or no background inthe knowledge and experience of the Christian faith.(Students seeking certification by ConcordiaUniversity Texas for professional work in TheLutheran Church - Missouri Synod must satisfy allreligion credit requirements by means other than thiscourse.)REL 2352 History and Philosophy of theReformation 3,0History, philosophy, theology, and literature of theProtestant Reformation.REL 3302 Luke-Acts 3,0Study of the two-volume work of Luke stressing thegrowth of the church. Prerequisite: REL 1301.REL 3303 Major Pauline Epistles 3,0Examination of major Pauline Epistles. Emphasis ontheological perspective these contributed to theApostolic Church and Protestant Reformation.Prerequisite: REL 1301.REL 3305 Law, Justice and Grace in the BiblicalPerspective 3,0This course exposes students to the biblical conceptsof law, justice, grace and the role of religion inmodern American law. Students will read and discussbiblical passages dealing with the divine role of civilgovernment, the law of God, civil disobedience, thedeath penalty, and the place of grace in a Christian'slife. The course will also focus on freedom of religionand the proper roles of church and state.REL 3312 Wisdom Literature 3,0A study of Israelite wisdom writings, especially thebooks of Job, Ecclesiastes and Proverbs, and theapplication of their themes to contemporary issues.Prerequisite: REL 1311.REL 3313 Major Prophets: Isaiah 3,0The interpretation of the prophecies of the Book ofIsaiah with attention to historical events, literary style,and ancient and modern religious significance.Prerequisite: REL 1311.REL 3333 Introduction to Christian Ethics 3,0A study of ethical behavior and norms provided by theChristian faith. Attention given to both Christianethical theory and contemporary personal and moralissues. Prerequisite: REL 1301 and REL 1311.REL 3335 Christian Apologetics 3,0 This course will survey the nature, objectives, andsignificance of presenting a viable defense of theChristian faith against objections of the majorphilosophies and ideologies that conflict with the faithin this "post Christian" and "post-modern" age.Prerequisites: REL 1301 and REL 1311.REL 3341 Lutheran Doctrine 3,0Systematic analysis of the major doctrines of theLutheran faith as derived from the Bible. Prerequisite:REL 1301 or equivalent.REL 3345 Theology of Worship 3,0The biblical foundations of worship are carefullyexamined. Then current worship practices areexperienced and analyzed in light of Scripture.Prerequisites: REL 1301 or REL 1311.REL 3353 American Christianity 3,0A study of the major denominations within AmericanChristianity. Prerequisite: REL 1301 or REL 1311.REL 3354 History of Christianity 3,0An overview of the history of Christianity from theNew Testament era to the present. The course willfocus on the central persons, ideas, issues, and eventsthat have shaped the Christian Church and its worship,doctrine, ethics, organization, and mission.Prerequisite: REL 1301. Cross-listed as HIS 3354.REL 3361 The Writings of C. S. Lewis 3,0Studies the life, the works, the literary criticism, thethemes, and the thought of C.S. Lewis, with attentionto the various literary genres within which Lewiswrote. This course is also available on-line.Prerequisite: An introductory literature course.REL 3362 The Christian Imagination 3,0This course offers a close look at the impact of suchauthors as Joseph Campbell, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R.Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, and the Scriptures upon theworld of religion, imaginative literature,communication, and our way of life by studying therole of imagination and myth. Prerequisite: REL 3361recommendedREL 3381 Major World Religions 3,0Introduction to the history, faith, and culture of the2008-2009 Catalog Page 130