Great Books of the Modern World

We have lost the skill of reading a book. This course focuses on using the tools in the literature tool box to maximize understanding of what we read, which results in a deeper love of the material. The particular time period is the twentieth century. Optimism in the goodness of humanity was crushed as the devastation of the Great War brought about an age of despair. In this course we will examine key works of literature that reflect the times. Understanding these works and philosophical shifts will give us a deeper knowledge of our current times. We end with works of two giants of the Christian faith, C.S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer.

Objectives

Students will:

• learn how to use the tools in the literature tool box in an effort to better understand what they read.
• grow to appreciate and love what they are reading due to increased understanding of how to read a book.
• better understand the impact of World War 1 on the philosophical environment of the western world.
• understand nihilism and existentialism and the impact of these worldviews on the 20th and 21st centuries.
• begin to formulate a Christian response to secular perspectives.

Texts

• Animal Farm
• The Wasteland
• The Stranger
• Short Stories of Flannery O’Connor
• 1984
• Letter from Birmingham Jail
• Mere Christianity
• How Should We Then Live?

Credits

This course is worth 1 credit in Literature, 1 credit in Bible /Theology, and .5 credit for History. Diploma Track students will need an additional .5 credit of History to meet the DT requirement.