Astronomy

Why should Christians study astronomy? What is the relationship between the Bible and outer space (or, as the Medievals would put it, the heavens)? What can the sun, moon, planets, and stars tell us about God? About Man? About our proper place in this universe?

In this course, students will spend a year learning about the heavens. The course begins with the history of astronomy, focusing primarily on the uniquely humble, God-fearing view of the universe that the Medievals cultivated. The course then shifts into astronomy from the Earth's surface, which includes the motion of the sun, moon, stars, and planets, the phases of the moon, mapping the moon, particular stars and constellations, eclipses, and more. The course ends with a host of fun and surprising facts about the various astronomical objects in the universe, tying together all the information presented throughout the term into a distinctly Christian worldview.

Course Objectives:

1. The student will gain an appreciation and love for the design and beauty found in nature on a macroscopic scale.
2. The student will gain an understanding of the medieval view of astronomy, and understand how it vastly differs from our often emaciated modern view.
3. The student will gain an understanding of the position and motion of various objects and phenomena visible in the night sky.
4. The student will gain an understanding of the progression of astronomical thought and discovery throughout history.
5. The student will gain an understanding of the scientific process of developing theories to interpret observations by studying the specific example of the geocentric to heliocentric shift of the solar system.
6. The student will develop and practice in-class discussion of various topics.

Texts:

• Coming soon

Introduction Video