Inspire, Fall 2002

W hen we in the Bible department first contemplated the change to semesters and the opportunities for change it might offer nearly two years ago, we began with a nagging suspicion that our current curriculum was not doing enough for our students. All of us gathered around the table had the best of motives in our teaching and were faithfully passing along the same things we had been taught, most of us in the very same way we had been taught. We took no small measure of comfort from Paul’s words that we were teaching faithful people who would be able to teach others also (II Timothy 2:2). But still there was growing evidence that we were not adequately preparing them to be salt and light in the post-Christian culture they were entering. Our first action in rethinking our curriculum was to step back from the process of teaching and dream about what we wanted Cedarville University graduates to be. We agreed that what we all wanted were students who loved God with all of their hearts, souls, and minds and loved their neighbors, too. That goal took on definable shape in three major objectives. First, students would need to be able to think theologically, not simply recite a theological statement. Second, they would have to recognize the pervasive disconnect between theology and life and then make the connections. We wanted to narrow the gap between stated beliefs and behavior. Finally, they would need to be able to relate the gospel to those within and those without the Judeo-Christian heritage with equal ease. Paul could preach the same message in Jerusalem and in Athens, but he quoted prophets in one and poets in the other (Acts 17). These objectives then implied three particular improvements, which, when combined, work together to accomplish our goals. First, we are focusing on biblical theology as the answer to five worldview questions: What is valuable? What is the nature of reality? What does it mean to be human? What is wrong with the world, and how is it fixed? And, is there a goal toward which history is progressing? Every worldview can be identified by the way it answers these questions, and we want to find the correct answers in the Bible. In this way, we hope our students can easily communicate Jesus and His worldview in a relevant way to those who have never heard. Once this content is understood, we then focus upon developing the skill of thinking theologically. Truth is the foundation; skill to apply it to life is the superstructure. Every person and every thing has a worldview, from Marx to Freud, from Bush to Clinton, from Nike to Abercrombie and Fitch. And underneath every worldview are theological issues and answers. In order to apply theology to life, students must be able to 1) identify the worldview questions in each presenting philosophy, 2) recognize their own worldview as exposed by their behavior, 3) investigate Jesus’ answer (the biblical answers to those issues), 4) evaluate their own lifestyle in comparison to Jesus’ lifestyle, and 5) act to narrow the gap between their behavior and Jesus’ behavior. Probably the most important part of skill development is practice. Whether one is Tiger Woods or Chuck Swindoll, practice still makes perfect. We will challenge students to practice the skill of thinking “worldviewishly” throughout our six courses, but especially in the final capstone course. The student enrollment for the last course will be reduced from the current 80 students under the old curriculum to 25. The class will challenge students through analysis and response to case studies rather than lectures. We want our students to begin thinking like Christians solving real world issues rather than students merely facing a test. Through extensive practice in thinking theologically and applying biblical answers to everyday issues, we pray that we will prepare them better to engage the culture of the 21st century and impact it for Christ. The new curriculum has already begun this year and will be phased in completely over the next two years. Please pray for us as we learn through the process and attempt to incarnate timeless truth in fresh and relevant ways and train our students to do the same (II Timothy 2:2). Inspire 13 Bible Minor for a New Millennium by Dr. Chris Miller, Chair of the Department of Biblical Education