Course Description

Overview of Lessons

Lesson 1 // What is Christian wisdom?

“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding” (Proverbs 3:13). Thought, character, and formation matter deeply. What is the distinct character of wise Christian scholarship? President of Biola University Dr. Barry Corey instructs on the significance of Christian scholarly life and the nature of pursuing wisdom after the way of Jesus.

Lesson 2 // What does it mean to be human?

What does it mean to be human? What in the world are human persons? So much rides on this question: the meaning of bearing the imago Dei, human freedom and responsibility, what the good life is, how we ought to treat one another, the nature of love between persons, and more. Are we merely physical objects—an aggregate of parts? Does the soul exist—an immaterial mind or spirit that can survive physical death? Philosopher J. P. Moreland explains the question “What does it mean to be human?” and discusses possible approaches to understanding the nature of human persons in light of neuroscience, philosophy, and theology.

Lesson 3 // How do we grow?

We all have a drive to improve. Forming our habits and practices, seeking to become people of character, what are the factors that drive our growth and moral–spiritual improvement? Productivity will give you a prescription for the perfect morning routine. Health and fitness gurus will tell you the diet and exercise regimen sure to drop the pounds. But what kind of standard are we aiming for as embodied, moral, and spiritual beings? Steve Porter here reflects on two broad approaches we can take to thinking about human spiritual growth and moral development.

Lesson 4 // How can we disagree and still get along?

As a church and as a society, we’re consistently failing to communicate and understand one another about the dearest, toughest, most sacred, most pressing matters of life and culture. The vitriol on display each election cycle seems to get worse and worse. Is there a way to see disagreement as a tool for making progress toward the truth? Can we learn to disagree in the midst of loving friendships and civil community discourse? Is there hope for respectful ideological disagreement in social media? Communications scholar Tim Muehlhoff discusses how we can navigate the most divisive conversations in “The Argument Culture” with love and respect for our neighbors—even the ones we disagree with the most.

Lesson 5 // What does it mean to love our neighbors?

Love: we all need it, we all want it, we’re all willing to do almost anything for it. Perhaps the most commonly held Christian moral teaching emerges from the Love Commands of Jesus. First, to love God, and second to love neighbors as you love yourself. But what does it mean to love our neighbors? How can we follow Jesus into the kind of radical love he suggests? Philosopher Thomas M. Crisp guides us through the command to neighbor-love, marking its radical claim and offering suggestions for following it.

Lesson 6 // How can we become humble?

Humility was a vice in Ancient Greco-Roman culture. It is also a vice to modern Enlightenment thinkers. Seeking humility is truly a “scandalon” or scandal. It is an offense, a literal stumbling block. It brings you low to the “humus” or soil of the earth. But Jewish thought, and as a result Christian thought, prized humility as a character virtue. Beautiful and good for its own sake, it also moves a person toward others and finds social good for the sake of finding shalom or eudaimonia as individuals in community. Here, philosopher Kent Dunnington and psychologist Peter Hill discuss the virtue of humility, and comment on the pursuit of the humility of Jesus.

Lesson 7 // How can we find meaning in suffering?

We all suffer. Some of us are undone by it; others grow through, within, or in spite of it. Our common vulnerability is too easy to deny in our highly technological age. But what can we do to understand and seek meaning in suffering? Psychologist Elizabeth Hall comments on the psychology and theology of suffering, the role of lament, and the importance of finding hope and meaning in suffering.