This class will help you better understand God's mission (missio Dei) and the vital role he calls his church to play in advancing his kingdom. We will explore cross-cultural mission from four perspectives. First, we will look at what Scripture says about the mission of God (biblical/theological perspective). Second, we will trace the global history of Christian mission from the first century to the twenty-first century (historical perspective). Third, we will examine culture and how we can more effectively communicate the gospel cross-culturally (cultural perspective). Finally, we will explore how Cru fits into the global story of missions and how we, as Cru missionaries, can participate in God's mission to gather a redeemed people from every nation for his glory.
This course will equip you to confidently and winsomely respond to common objections to the Christian faith, identify and appropriately challenge the worldviews from which they arise, and better understand how cultural contexts shape unbelief. Topics we will explore include the existence and nature of God, the relationship between science and Christianity, miracles, the problem of evil and hell, religious and moral relativism, the trustworthiness of the Bible, and the historicity of the resurrection.
Required Texts:
- Keller, Timothy. The Reason For God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. New York, NY. Dutton, 2008. (IBSN: 9781594483493)
- Turek, Frank. Stealing from God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case. Colorado Springs, CO. Navpress, 2014. (ISBN: 9781612917016)
- Allberry, Sam. Is God Anti-Gay? Epsom, Surrey, U.K., The Good Book Company, 2013. (ISBN: 9781908762313)
This class introduces the doctrine of the Bible (Can we trust it? How do we view it? How does it function in our lives?), the doctrine of God (Who is God? How do we relate to him? How does he relate to us?), and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit (Who is the Spirit? What does he do? How does he relate to us?). Students will learn more about God but also find their hearts moved to worship this God.
Required Text:
- Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine - by Wayne Grudem
- (also available electronically as either a Kindle Book or a Nook Book)