Biblical Worldview Syllabus

Liberty University
BWVW 102 - Biblical Worldview II
(Spring Semester 2015 -- 1 Credit Hour)
Professor: Dr. N. Troy Matthews Phone: [phone]
Office: Green Hall 1880 Hours: 8:00am-4:30pm E-mail: [e-mail]

Course Description
This course is a study of contemporary moral issues encountered by students in their Christian/Community Service. Students will be challenged to evaluate these issues and understand their responsibilities to them in light of a biblical worldview.

Rationale
Students need to be made aware of contemporary ethical issues and learn to evaluate them in light of scriptural truth. This course is designed to teach students how to apply a biblical worldview to selected ethical issues that they are likely to encounter
in their Christian/Community Service (CSER) as well as the rest of their lives.

Prerequisites
BWVW 101

Materials List
A printed workbook is required for this class and will need to be purchased from the bookstore (Biblical Worldview II: Applying a Biblical Worldview – Dr. N. Troy Matthews). All reading assignments will be web-based or posted on Blackboard.
ResponseCard NXT Clickers (purchased directly from the Liberty University Bookstore).
Computer with Internet access. Students will be expected to keep up with the schedule via this site (i.e., Blackboard). Also, some assignments will involve direct use of the Internet outside of class. Every Liberty University student has a computer account and may use the computers in the Jerry Falwell Library to do assignments.
The Bible should be brought to class regularly as it will be frequently referenced and serve as the basis for in-class discussions.
3x5 cards to be used for various purposes throughout the semester.
#2 pencils for tests and other evaluation purposes.

Learning Outcomes
Having completed BWVW 102:
1. The student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of key people and developments, both historical and contemporary, of the issues addressed in class.
2. The student will be able to differentiate between a biblical and non-biblical approach to ethical issues.
3. The student will be able to apply a biblical worldview to contemporary issues.
4. The student will be able to identify the policies of the CSER program.

General Education Core Competency Learning Outcome
Worldview Core Competency
1. The student will be able to know the difference between biblical and non-biblical worldviews.

This will be accomplished by:
a. Lectures and class discussions.
b. Quizzes. Questions may be taken from class lectures, discussions and/or assigned readings.
c. Special assignments.
d. Three cumulative tests (exams).

Assignments
1. Worldview application assignment (Instructions will be posted under “Assignments” in Blackboard).
2. Christian/Community Service webpage interaction assignment (Instructions will be posted under “Assignments” in Blackboard).

Grading Policy
The final grade will be computed as follows based on a 1000 point scale:
Quizzes
450 points (15 quizzes worth 30 points each)
*Quizzes – May include: Syllabus Content, Reading Assignments, Course Notes, Unannounced Attendance Quizzes, In-Class Assignments.

Assignments Worldview Assignment Part 1 30 points Worldview Assignment Part 2 70 points Tests #1 100 points #2 150 points #3 200 points

All Grades will be posted on Blackboard.

As per the University policy, points will be deducted from the final points for excessive unexcused absences (see Attendance and Unexcused absence policies below).

Extra-credit opportunities and guidelines will be listed under “Course Documents” in Blackboard. Each student may complete no more than 2 extra credits. Each extra-credit assignment that is correctly completed will result in 30 points (3.0%) being added to your final grade.

Attendance, Missed Quizzes/Tests & Late Work
ATTENDANCE:
For the good of the Liberty University student body, a consistent attendance policy is needed so that all students in all majors will understand the expectations of faculty in all their courses. In general, regular and punctual attendance in all classes is expected of all students. At times, students will miss classes. These absences will be identified as either excused or unexcused and will be handled per the policy below.
1. Excused Absences
Excused absences include all Liberty University sponsored events, to include athletic competition or other provost-approved events.
Absences due to medical illness that are accompanied by a doctor’s note will be excused.
Absences due to family situations such as a death in the family or a severe medical condition will be excused.
Students will not be penalized for excused absences and will be permitted to make arrangements to complete missed work.

2. Unexcused Absences
Classes that meet:
Three times per week will permit four unexcused absences per semester.
Two times per week will permit three unexcused absences per semester.
One time per week will permit one unexcused absence per semester.
Questions regarding unexcused absences must be resolved by the student with the professor within one week of the absence. Students may appeal these decisions to the respective dean within one week.
Extraordinary circumstances regarding excessive absences will be addressed by the student with the faculty member, department chair, and dean as required.
Penalties for each unexcused absence over the permitted number per semester will be as follows:
50 points for classes that meet 3 times per week
75 points for classes that meet 2 times per week
150 points for classes that meet once per week
Students who are late for class 10 minutes or less are considered tardy but present for the class. If a student misses in-class work due to tardiness, the faculty member may choose not to allow the student to make up this work. Three class tardies will be counted as one unexcused absence.
Students who are more than 10 minutes late for class are considered absent.

In order for an absence to be excused the student must print the “Request for Excused Absence” form found in Blackboard. The form is to be filled out completely. The form is to be given to the professor on the first day the student returns to class (or sooner, if possible).

MISSED QUIZZES & TESTS:
1. Missed Quizzes
a. No unexcused quizzes will be made up.
b. Any quiz missed due to an unexcused absence will be entered as a “0” on the student’s record.
c. Any quiz missed due to an excused absence will need to be made up. Students will have up to two days (not including weekends, holidays, or school breaks) to make up the quiz from the day the Request for Excused Absence form is signed by the professor (see above). Students must bring the signed form to The Center for Christian/Community Service located in Green Hall 1880 to make up the quiz.
2. Missed Tests
a. The student will have up to five days (not including weekends, holidays, or school breaks) from the date the test was issued to make it up. Extenuating circumstances may be considered at the instructor’s discretion.
b. Missed tests will be made up in the Tutoring & Testing Center located in the Bruckner Learning Center on the second floor of Green Hall (2700). The student will need a “Request for Excused Absence” form signed by the professor in order to take the test. To take the Test in the Testing Center students will need to go online and make an appointment to take the test.
c. For students who missed the test due to an excused absence (see above) there will be no penalty. For students who miss the test due to an unexcused absence, there will be an automatic 11% reduction from the grade of the test.

LATE WORK:
1. Written assignments are due at the time that they are collected in class. Any assignment not submitted on time will receive a 20% grade reduction for each day that it is late (not including weekends, holidays, or school breaks). After five school days no writing assignment will be accepted.
2. If a student is absent from class the day that an assignment is due, to avoid the late penalty he/she must either have a fellow student turn his/her work in to the instructor, or email the assignment to the instructor BEFORE the class. If the student emails the work, a hard copy must be brought to the professor as soon as the student is able. Emailed documents only inform the professor that the work was done on time, but there will be a grade of ‘0’ until the professor receives a hard copy.
3. If a student is absent on the date that an assignment is announced, the student is still responsible to complete the work by the due date.

NOTE: Upon returning to class following an absence, students must be prepared for any assignment, quiz, or test that might be due or given. Any absence, whether excused or not, does not exempt any student from being responsible for the material covered in the class they missed.

Other Policies
Dress Code
Students are expected to come to class dressed in a manner consistent with The Liberty Way.
Honor Code
We, the students, faculty, and staff of Liberty University, have a responsibility to uphold the moral and ethical standards of this institution and personally confront those who do not.
Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct includes: academic dishonesty, plagiarism, and falsification. See The Liberty Way for specific definitions, penalties, and processes for reporting.
Disability Statement
Students with a documented disability may contact the Office of Disability Academic Support (ODAS) in Green Hall 2668 to make arrangements for academic accommodations. For all disability testing accommodation requests (i.e. quieter environment, extended time, oral testing, etc.) the Testing Center (Green Hall 2700) is the officially designated place for all tests administered outside of the regular classroom.
Drop /Add Policy
A Fall/Spring course may be dropped without a grade, tuition, and fee charges within the first five days of the semester. From the sixth day until the last day of class, a Fall/Spring course may be withdrawn with a grade of W.
Classroom Policies
The inappropriate use of technology*, such as cell phones, iPods, laptops, calculators, etc. in the classroom is not tolerated. Other disruptive behavior in the classroom is not tolerated. Students who engage in this misconduct will be subject the penalties and processes as written in the Liberty Way or Liberty University Student Honor Code.
* Laptops, Cell phones, other electronic devices are not needed in BWVW and may not be used in class.

Each student is expected to remain in class until dismissed by the instructor. Exceptions can be made if the student asks permission to leave early and has a legitimate reason to do so. Leaving early without permission will be counted as an unexcused absence.

Courtesy and respect are expected from all people toward others in class. BWVW has a tendency to surface controversy. As adults, we should be able to respect the viewpoints and ideas that differ from our own, while offering reasonable arguments for our own positions and graciously challenge others to do the same.

The ResponseCard NXT Clicker is required for ALL class periods. Students who come to class without their clicker (or a clicker in working order) will be assessed a tardy (See tardy policy – 3 tardies equals an unexcused absence). To register their attendance or to take a quiz, the student without a clicker will submit their answers on a 3x5 card. Students who enter class late and miss the “clicker” attendance should turn in a 3x5 card with their name clearly printed on it (If accepted by the professor, the student will be noted as having attended class but a tardy will be assessed. See explanation of a tardy under Attendance > Unexcused Absences).

Spring 2015 BWVW 102 Monday/Wednesday/Friday Class Schedule

Week ONE
1/12 Class Introduction/Worldview review
1/14 Worldview review
1/16 Serving Issues (CSER) The Center for Christian/Community Service

Week TWO
1/19 Serving Issues (CSER) – Read: “Biblical Foundations for Christian Service” by Will Honeycutt
1/21 Serving Issues (CSER)
1/23 Beginning of Life Issues (Abortion)

Week THREE
1/26 Beginning of Life Issues (Abortion) – Read: Pro Choice Brochure: Misconceptions about Abortion
1/28 Beginning of Life Issues (Abortion) – Read: “What the Bible Says about Abortion” by Steve Cole
1/30 End of Life Issues (Euthanasia)

Week FOUR
2/02 End of Life Issues (Euthanasia) – Read: “Euthanasia” by Troy Matthews
2/04 End of Life Issues (Euthanasia)
2/06 Relationship Issues (Gender) – Read: “Gender Issues: Enjoying the Differences” by Steve Putney

Week FIVE
2/09 Relationship Issues (Gender) Sexuality Issues (Homosexuality)
2/11 Test #1
2/13 Sexuality Issues (Homosexuality) – Read “Homosexuality: Know the Truth and Speak it with Compassion” by Alan Shlemon CFAW

Week SIX
2/16 Sexuality Issues (Homosexuality)
2/18 Relationship Issues (Dating)
2/20 Relationship Issues (Dating) Week SEVEN
2/23 Relationship Issues: (Marriage)
2/25 Relationship Issues (Marriage) – Read: “A Royal Marriage” by Rob Van Engen
3/27 Relationship Issues (Marriage) Due Today - Worldview Application Assignment

Week EIGHT
3/02 Relationship Issues (Divorce) - Read “Divorce” by Kerby Anderson
3/04 Relationship Issues (Divorce)
3/06 Racial Issues (Racism) – Read: “Where did the races come from?” Answers in Genesis

Week NINE
3/09 Spring Break
3/11 Spring Break
3/13 Spring Break

Week TEN
3/16 Racial Issues (Racism)
3/18 Test 2
3/20 Substance Issues (Alcohol & Drugs)

Week ELEVEN
3/23 Substance Issues (Alcohol & Drugs) – Read: “The Vicious Truth about Drugs and Alcohol” by Waliszewski, Eaton & Holz
3/25 Annual Assessment Day – NO CLASS
3/27 Substance Issues (Alcohol & Drugs) Poverty Issues (National & International) Due Today - (CSER Assignment Due) Week TWELVE
3/30 Poverty Issues (National & International) Marketplace Issues (Work Ethic)
4/01 Poverty Issues (National & International)
4/03 Marketplace Issues (Work Ethic) – Read: “Your Work Matters to God” – by Sue Bohlin

Week THIRTEEN
4/06 Easter Holiday – No Class
4/08 Marketplace Issues (Work Ethic)
4/10 Conflict Issues (Conflict Resolution) CFAW

Week FOURTEEN
4/13 Conflict Issues (Conflict Resolution)
4/15 Test 3

BIBLIOGRAPHY/SUGGESTED READING

Anderson, Kerby. Christian Ethics in Plain Language. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005.
Beals, Art. Beyond Hunger: A Biblical Mandate for Social Responsibility. Portland, Oregon, Multnomah Press, 1985.
Bonevac, Daniel. Today’s Moral Issues: Classic and Contemporary Perspectives. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2006.
Boss, Judith A. Analyzing Moral Issues. 2nd ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2002.
Boss, Judith A. Ethics for Life: A Text with Readings. Boston, McGraw-Hill Companies, 2004.
Clark, David K., and Robert V. Rakestraw. Readings in Christian Ethics: Issues and Applications. Vol. 2. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2000.
Clark, David K., and Robert V. Rakestraw. Readings in Christian Ethics: Theory and Method. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2000.
Colson, Charles., and Nancy Pearcey. How Shall We Then Live. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1999.
Evan, Tony. Let’s Get To Know Each Other: What White and Black Christians Need to Know About Each Other. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995.
Feinberg, John S. and Paul D. Ethics for a Brave New World. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2010.
Geisler, Norman L. Christian Ethics: Contemporary Issues and Options. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2010.
Gibbs, David. Fighting for Dear Life: The Untold Story of Terri Schiavo and What It Means for All of Us. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House, 2006.
Gordon, Wayne L. Real Hope in Chicago. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.
Green, Joel B., gen. ed. Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2011.
Grudem, Wayne.
Business for the Glory of God: The Bible’s Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2003.
__________. Countering the Claims of Evangelical Feminism: Biblical Responses to the Key Questions. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Multnomah Publishers, 2006.
__________. Politics According to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2010.
Harris, Joshua. I Kissed Dating Goodbye. Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Books, 1997.
Heimbach, Daniel R. True Sexual Morality: Recovering Biblical Standards for a Culture in Crisis. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2004.
Hogsett, Jim A. A Worker Need Not Be Ashamed: How to Live the Christian Life in the Workplace. 1st Books, 2004.
Hollinger, Dennis. Choosing the Good: Christian Ethics in a Complex World. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2002.
__________. The Meaning of Sex: Christian Ethics and the Moral Life. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2009.
Humphrey, Derek. Dying with Dignity: Understanding Euthanasia. New York: Carol Publishing Group, 1992.
Kilner John F. Why The Church Needs Bioethics: A Guide to Wise Engagement with Life’s Challenges. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan,
2011.
Kostenberger, Andreas J. God, Marriage, and Family: Rebuilding the Biblical Foundation. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2004.
Lapin, Daniel. America’s Real War. Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, 1999.
Levine, Carol. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Bioethical Issues. Dubuque, Iowa: McGraw-Hill Company, 2008.
Murray, John. Principles of Conduct: Aspects of Biblical Ethics. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1957.
Pearcey, Nancy. Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2004.
Piper, John. Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2011.
Piper, John and Wayne Grudem, ed. Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1991, 2006.
Rae, Scott B. Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009.
Satris, Stephen. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Moral Issues. Dubuque, Iowa: McGraw-Hill Company, 2008.
Shapiro, Ben. Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America’s Youth. Nashville: WND Books, 2004.
Swindoll, Charles R. Sanctity of Life The Inescapable Issue. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1990.
Talley, Jim A. and Bobbie Reed. Too Close Too Soon: Avoiding the Heartache of Premature Intimacy. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2002.
VanDrunen, David. Bioethics and the Christian Life: A Guide to Making Difficult Decisions. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2009.
Wilkens, Steve. Beyond Bumper Sticker Ethics. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1995.
Williams, Jarvis J. One New Man: The Cross and Racial Reconciliation in Pauline Theology. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Academic, 2010.