DBFA 300 Marriage, Family and Faith: Basic Worldviews

This course examines basic cultural and biblical worldviews regarding both marriage and the family as core societal institutions and lays a biblical foundation for understanding policy making and advocacy concerns. Philosophical and spiritual dynamics are examined from a Judeo-Christian perspective and in light with current social norms. Ethical concerns and multicultural factors are also considered.

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

The evolving definitions of marriage and the family are among the most controversial social issues in America today. How Christians navigate the complexities of these issues matters greatly for both an eternal impact on individual families and as it pertains to societal impact regarding the direction of a nation. There is a need to understand the history and current landscape of these conflicting worldviews and provide the foundations of a plan for the preservation of traditional Judeo-Christian values, as well as the well-being of the family. 

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

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Course Requirements Checklist

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

Discussion: The Broken Hearth/Family Driven Faith

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread of at least 400 words in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion, rationally articulating the student’s position and applying knowledge learned from the module course content. The student should devote 1 paragraph to each question in the Discussion prompt and support his/her assertions with at least 4 paraphrased textbook citations (1 citation for each paragraph) and 1 relevant verse of Scripture, with an explanation of each citation’s inclusion. In addition to the thread, the student is required to post replies of at least 200 words to the threads of at least 2 classmates, rationally articulating the student’s position with at least 1 reason of agreement or disagreement with the thread, bringing clarity to discussed issues, and raising new, additional, relevant points for discussion and exploration. The student must support his/her assertions with at least 1 paraphrased textbook citation, as well as 1 relevant application of Scripture, with an explanation of each citation’s inclusion. Replies should adhere to appropriate “netiquette” manners and avoid simple statements of agreement or congratulations, which will not receive credit. Acceptable sources include the textbooks and the Bible. Replies may also utilize any course texts, presentations, and/or appropriate research. All posts must use current APA format, including proper citations and references, and exhibit proper spelling and grammar with complete, clear, and concise sentences. (CLO: A, B)

Case Study Assignments (5)

The Case Study Assignments are exercises that give students practice in determining how to align different aspects of family life with a Christian worldview in order to develop, strengthen, and authentically live out a Christian worldview. For each Case Study Assignment, the student will create and analyze a family scenario related to the assigned module’s reading of Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God. Each Case Study Assignment will begin with an introductory section in which the student introduces a realistic yet fictitious family. The student will spend the next section(s) applying practical strategies from a specific chapter of Family Driven Faith to align the fictitious family’s lifestyle with a Christian worldview. The student will also connect the concepts to select chapters of The Broken Hearth: Reversing the Moral Collapse of the American Family. Finally, the student will end each Case Study Assignment with applicable Scripture and biblical wisdom that will support the family in their efforts to live out a Christian worldview. The student will structure each assignment in current APA format (including undergraduate title page, font and spacing, margins, headings, citations, quotations, and reference page). Each assignment must be a minimum of 600 words, excluding the title and reference pages. Each assignment will list the required number and format of citations in the assignment instructions. Acceptable sources include Baucham’s (2007) Family Driven Faith, Bennett’s (2002) The Broken Hearth, and the Bible. Each assignment must be free of errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation. The writing style must display exceptional composition with all of the following elements: coherent, cohesive, and effective sentence/paragraph structures, logical progression, and transitions. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

Structured Interview: Family Faith Habits Assignment

The student will conduct an in-person or online interview with a Christian parent about his or her family’s faith habits, to discover firsthand the realities of how families contribute to nurturing a Christian worldview in their children’s lives. Using specific topics addressed in each chapter of Family Driven Faith, the student will compile a list of 10 open-ended questions to be asked and submitted along with the paper (1 question for each chapter). The interview-question page containing the list of questions will appear immediately following the paper itself, before the reference page. Finally, the student will write a 3–5-page summary (not including the title page, interview-question page, and reference page) in current APA style documenting the interview, highlighting noteworthy observations, explaining how Family Driven Faith applies to each interview answer, and integrating appropriate Scripture that can be applied to the family’s faith habits. Each paragraph will begin with the interview question in bold print, followed by the exact answer from the parent interviewee, correctly cited, and an explanation and paraphrased citation from Family Driven Faith. The assignment must contain a minimum of 10 paraphrased textbook citations from Family Driven Faith (1 per interview question asked, providing location of citation within the book) and 2 biblical citations. Each paragraph, with the exception of the introduction, must contain at least one cited source. The assignment must be in current APA style, including undergraduate title page, font and spacing, margins, headings, citations, quotations, and reference page. Acceptable sources include Baucham’s (2007) Family Driven Faith course textbook, course presentations, and the Bible. The assignment must be free of errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation. The writing style must display exceptional composition with all of the following elements: coherent, cohesive, and effective sentence/paragraph structures, logical progression, and transitions. (CLO: A, C, E)

Quizzes (7)

Each quiz will cover the Textbook material for the assigned module, and Quiz: Final Assessment will cover the Textbook material from all modules. The first six quizzes will be open-book/open-notes, contain 5 multiple-choice or true/false questions, and have a 20-minute time limit. Quiz: Final Assessment will be open-book/open-notes, contain 10 essay questions, and there won’t be a time limit. Each quiz allows 1 attempt. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)