At Biola > Student Information > General Integration Seminars

Technology and Human Nature (Syllabus)
Has technology changed human nature? We will explore visions of the future of the human race provided in literature, film, bioethics, and theology to seek an answer to this question.

Beauty & Spiritual Life (Syllabus)
This class explores the concept and reality of beauty in the world as it relates to culture, the Bible, our worldviews and our spiritual lives. We will survey the perspectives of beauty in the world through history. We will discuss a theological concept of beauty from the Bible and from classical teachings. We will discuss God’s use of beauty in the world, His sovereignty over beauty and the significance of beauty in spirituality. The class involves practical integration of theology and culture through studies and exercises.

The Bible and Good Society (Syllabus)
When we think of the Christian involvement in political life, we often think of the awakening of evangelical political action in the past twenty years.  The reality is that Christians have been concerned with political society since the earliest centuries of the church.  Furthermore, church history is full of fascinating and inspiring examples of Christians addressing political issues of their day.  This Seminar will examine the teaching of Scripture as well as key figures in Church history who have dealt with political issues including: William Wilberforce, Lord Shaftesbury, Abraham Kuyper, Williams Jennings Bryan, Martin Luther King, along with more classical figures including Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin.

Christian Perspectives on Work & Calling (Syllabus)
This course will examine the nature and importance of work and calling in the life of the Christ follower. We will examine work and calling in biblical texts as well as in the history of Christian thought. We will also examine our own lives in order to develop our own sense of calling and clarify our vision for our work. The goal is that we understand how we can glorify Christ in the context of our vocations and ultimately live a more meaningful life as a result.

Healthcare Ethics (Syllabus)
The purpose of this course is to demonstrate the relevance of a biblical worldview to emerging ethical issues in healthcare and biotechnologies.  The student will learn how to integrate biblical principles into an analysis of some of the most relevant ethical questions and will be introduced to several secular and Christian ethical decision-making models.  The topics covered include a brief history of ethics and various ethical theories, the provider-patient relationship, reproductive technologies, genetics, end-of-life care, human subjects, and health insurance.  This course will benefit any student who takes its content seriously; but it will be especially relevant to those who are majoring in Nursing, Biology, Physical Therapy, Pre-Med, and Communication Disorders.

Israel-Palestine Conflict (Syllabus)
This course pulls together in a unifying way several complex issues: (1) biblical and systematic theologies regarding the “Holy Land,” (2) 4000 years of history from Abraham to the present, and (3) the varied cultures, religions and politics of the Israeli and Palestinians. Our goal is to form fair and well-informed opinions regarding this continuing struggle. Class readings come from a wide variety of positions and perspectives. The tone of the seminar is intentionally irenic, with an aim toward ultimate reconciliation in Christ.

Jesus, Lord of All (Syllabus)
This seminar is custom designed to accommodate a wide variety of majors and still allow discipline specific work in the form of individual portfolio project. If you don’t know where else to go, this class is always our first recommendation. This class thinks through the implications of the pre-eminence of Christ over all creation. We address the foundation of all integration in the Lordship of Christ and then we examine it in many specific settings including human flourishing, human relationships, political society, the environment, and economics.

Money, Sex and Power (Syllabus)
Money, sex and power are so often associated with human sin that we read the words as if they were a list of vices. However, all of these words represent aspects of creation (or are immediately derived from aspects of creation)—a creation which God deemed to be good. In fact, money, sex and power are essential to human life in a material world. This seminar will examine both how we have abused these aspects of creation and also cast a vision for what the world might look like if money, sex and power were submitted to the Lordship of Christ.

Postmodernism & Evangelicalism
The seminar will look at representative thinkers and ideas associated with postmodernism and how contemporary evangelical theologians have attempted to appropriate such ideas in the service of Christ.  We will be guided by the question, “what does faith seeking understanding mean?” when applied to evangelical appropriations of postmodernity.

A Theology of Suffering & Disability (Syllabus)
The purpose of this course is to explore the different ways in which people affected by disability provide the Christian community in general with a model of dynamic spiritual transformation.  By utilizing a variety of resources from Joni & Friends International Disability Center, including guest speakers, the student will take away from this course not only a deeper understanding of the disability community and the Church’s obligation to reach out to the most vulnerable, but he/she will also learn to embrace their own brokenness in a whole new way.  This course will benefit any student who takes its content seriously; but it will be especially relevant to those who are majoring in Christian Education, Education, Com Disorders, Biblical Studies, ICS, Nursing, Music, and Sign Language.