Here at K-State, it’s easy to separate your academic life and your spiritual life. Most classes don’t lend themselves to the teachings of Christianity, much less examine them. However, there are a few classes that do discuss Christian beliefs. I have had the opportunity to take a couple of these courses, and would strongly recommend them to anyone looking to grow in their faith and earn college credit at the same time.

The Bible – ENGL 470

As a student majoring in print journalism, part of my requirements from the college of Arts & Sciences is to take at least one English class in addition to Expository Writing 1 &2. It may seem backwards since I’m a print journalism major, but I don’t enjoy English, and I wasn’t looking forward to it. I don’t enjoy doing large amounts of reading. However, since it was required, I decided that reading a very large chunk of the Bible would be better than reading a stack of six novels.

Typically, the class is completely discussion-based. We sit in a large circle and discuss what we’ve read, usually a large portion of a book from the Bible. The twist is that it is an English class, not a religion class. So a bulk of the discussion is based on the character’s traits, and how they interact with each other. It is an interesting and different way to approach reading the Bible. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to familiarize themselves with a large chunk of the Bible in just one semester.

Philosophy of Religion – PHILO 115

Philosophy is another area that Arts & Sciences students are required to explore. However, this class has also turned out to be extremely interesting. It is completely discussion-based, with the ideals and teachings of religion, specifically Christianity, at the focal point. The class is a healthy mix between religious people and Atheists, with some classes becoming almost like a debate.

The professor does an excellent job of introducing concepts and asking questions that make you think. While I typically just sit back and listen, the opportunity presents itself (and is encouraged) to voice your opinions and discuss the ideals of Christianity very openly. I would recommend the class to anyone who is looking to explore deep questions about the fundamentals of Christianity.

History of Christianity – HIST 521

This class I have yet to take, but since it’s being offered this Fall, I plan to. I have heard many good things about the teacher, Professor Robert Linder, and believe that this class will explore the thoughts and actions of many of the oldest Christians. Prof. Linder is a ‘University Distinguished Professor’ and is known for teaching religious history extremely well. If you’re looking for a good history class to take, I strongly recommend this one and will see you in the Fall. It is a 500-level course and will probably be pretty tough. If you’re an underclassmen, I recommend trying to take this course, or a similar one taught by Prof. Linder, later down the road.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 5th, 2009 and is filed under Resource. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.