Creation, Cosmology and Genesis – OBST 651

Course Description

An intensive, comparative study of creation issues. Attention will be directed to a proper exegesis of pertinent Genesis texts, to comparing/contrasting the Genesis account to other Ancient Near East creation stories, and to an evaluation of modern theories of creation.

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

Rationale

This course provides the student with the knowledge and tools to understand and apply this foundational Christian doctrine located in the book of Genesis. The Christian ministerial student should be able to understand and properly interpret this crucial doctrine from Genesis for apologetics, evangelism, preaching, teaching, and pastoral counseling.

Course Assignment

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion topic. 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 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 150 words. (CLO's: D, E)

The student will write an 1,800–2,100-word summary (digest) of the assigned textbooks. The book digest will be arranged according to the Table of Contents. The written summary will distill the main points and sub-points made in each chapter of the book from the introduction to the conclusion. The summary is not a book review or critique, so the student’s views on the author’s subject matter must not be included in the digest. (CLO's: A, B, C, D, E)

The student will write a 3,600–4,500-word research-based paper using current Turabian format that focuses on a topic selected from those provided. The paper must include at least 10 graduate-level sources, only 5 of which may be from course textbooks and the Bible. (CLO's: A, B, C, D)

Each quiz will cover the lectures, video materials, and textbook readings for the prior modules: weeks up to and including the module: week of the quiz. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes and contain a combination of 50+ multiple-choice, true/false, and essay questions. Each quiz will have a 1-hour and 15-minute time limit. (CLO's: A, B, C, D, E)