Theological Anthropology in Leadership & Education – CLED 800

Course Description

This course examines the implications of the doctrine of the image of God in all persons as the central concept for the development of a philosophy, theory, and practice of leadership and education. Building upon this study of the imago dei (Image of God), this course further considers factors that define and distinguish a Christian view of leadership and educational practice that are consistent with a belief that all persons are created in the image of God.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

This course provides an anthropological foundation for the development of a distinctively Christian approach to leadership and to education. It will build on the CLED 700, CLED 720 sequence in biblical and theological foundations of leadership and education by further developing the theme of the image of God in all persons as well as the sin nature. As a fundamental value of Christian leadership and of Christian education, the imago dei sets Christian leadership and education apart from all other leadership and educational paradigms. The course examines the theological concept of the image of God and its implications for how leaders and educators conduct themselves in relationship to their follower and their students. The course provides a realistic and balanced perspective between the inherent worth and dignity of all persons and the reality of the sin nature.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in Module/Week 1.

Discussion Board Forum (3)

Discussion boards are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each forum. Each thread must be at least 400 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 1 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 200 words.

Theological Essay

The student will write a 1,250–1,500-word essay of the doctrine of the image of God. The paper will summarize the major biblical, historical, and theological aspects of this doctrine. Further, the final page of this essay will assess how the doctrine of the image of God relates to education and leadership. The essay must be in current APA format

Rough Draft of Research Paper

The student will write a rough draft of his or her final Research Paper. This rough draft needs to have the major paragraphs and major argument stated within the paper. The rough draft needs to be 1,200–2,400 words with at least 10 references in addition to course textbooks and the Bible in current APA format. The goal of the paper is to clearly set forth a specific proposal for leadership and education and evaluate this proposal against a Christian worldview.

Annotated Bibliography

The student will compose an Annotated Bibliography consisting of 15–20 scholarly sources to be utilized in the Reading Paper. The bibliography must contain at least 5 academic books, at least 5 scholarly journals, and contain no more than 5 websites. Additionally, the student will provide a 2–3-sentence summary for each source to generalize the source as it relates to the research.

Research Paper

The student will write a 3,750–5,000-word research-based paper in current APA format that focuses on and is an evaluation of an educational or leadership theory. The paper must include at least 15 references in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible. The goal of the paper is to clearly set forth a specific proposal for leadership and education and evaluate this proposal against a Christian worldview.

Book Assessment

The student will write a 750–1,200-word book assessment in current APA format. This assessment will summarize the major contents of The Human Side of Enterprise. Half of the paper must be an assessment of the content of the book in light of theological anthropology.