Integrated Humanities: Introducing Western Civilization

Through taking Integrated Humanities: Introducing Western Civilization, students will engage with primary and secondary sources reflecting the history, literature and theology over the entire sweep of Western Civilization. Each unit of the course is guided by a specific passage of Scripture. The weekly rhythm includes a recorded lecture as an introduction of the material for discussion, accompanied by a class session for Socratic discussion. Students will develop their critical thinking and presentation skills through the various assignments, both written and oral, for the course. These conversations and activities all move toward equipping the student to develop a thoroughly biblical worldview.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, students will be able to…

1. Identify the historical context for our authors and texts.
2. Discuss at least one commonplace for each text.
3. Recite two passages of Scripture.
4. Explain the key theme(s) in their course texts.
5. Sketch a plot triangle for select readings.
6. Examine theological concepts in their course readings.
7. Evaluate texts based on a biblical worldview.
8. Develop a persuasive paper, integrating multiple course texts.

Texts:

Students will be reading all or select portions of the following texts:

• Apostolic Fathers, Early Christian Writings
• Augustine of Hippo, The Confessions
• Bede, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People
• Cicero, “On Duties, II”
• Copernicus, Nicolaus, “Commentariolus”
• Douglass, Frederick, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
• Edwards, Jonathan, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
• Foxe, John, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
• Grafton, John, ed., The Declaration of Independence and Other Great Documents of American History, 1775-1865
• Herodotus, The Histories
• Homer, The Odyssey
• Lewis, C.S., The Screwtape Letters
• Livy, The Early History of Rome
• Luther, Martin, “Two Kinds of Righteousness” and “The Ninety-Five Theses”
• Orwell, George, Animal Farm
• Schaeffer, Francis A. How Should We Then Live?
• Shakespeare, William, Richard III
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
• Twain, Mark, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
• Virgil, Georgics

The instructor may provide PDF documents and expects the student to have a Bible for class (the instructor will use ESV).