Category : Recommended Reading
Kilns Classes Thus Far!
October 6th, 2010Hello Kilnsites! The blog has been down for a while, but we got it up and running again and I’m back!
Classes have begun!!! We started on the 13th of September, and things have been going fabulously!
In History and Philosophy of Human Rights, Mike Caba has been leading intriguing discussions and making all of us question just what we actually believe about Justice! It’s definitely a good way to get us fired up about the upcoming Justice Conference! Last Monday, Dave from Ransom Wear spoke to us about Human Trafficking and the sex trade in Nepal.
Tuesday mornings are spent with Tim Kizziar from the Bible Study Methods class! The past couple weeks we’ve covered Authority, Interpretation, Inspiration, Authorial Intent, Inerrancy and a ton of stuff in between! I guess you never really understand how much you don’t know about the Bible until a pastor becomes your professor!!
General Apologetics, on Tuesday nights, has been amazing so far!! Rick Gerhardt is an awesome teacher, and there couldn’t possibly be someone more qualified! Last night we studied the reliability of the New Testament, discussing internal and external evidence supporting Scripture, and whether we ought to prefer the oldest known reading or the most widespread reading!
Syd Brestel, my professor in Old Testament Survey, is absolutely fantastic! We’ve been going through the Old Testament, little by little, on Wednesday nights! This past week, I’ve been reading Leviticus and Deuteronomy, and I can’t say they’re my favorite books of the Bible… Discussion has been really cool in that class though, because of all the controversies surrounding the Old Testament! Syd lays it out like he sees it, but he also leaves room for discussion, and I love that about him!
My last class of the week, Spiritual Poetry, has been awesome as well! It takes a little more getting used to for me (not much of a poet…), but David Jacobsen makes it super fun! We’re writing two poems a week (a stretch for poor Jennifer), planning a Poetry Reading Night, discussing different poems and dissecting our owns! We’re planning to attend the Nature of Words Event coming up this November!
Overall, Kilns has been amazing! God is working in the lives of all the students attending, and I know for a fact that we’re all there for a reason!
“Education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society… We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.
Acts to Reformation and Reformation to Present!
August 9th, 2010LAST CLASSES! Here we go!
First :: Acts to Reformation (Church History) – 3 credits – Independent Study
Our instructor is Rick Gerhardt and our textbook is Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley.
OFFICIAL description :: The purpose of this course is to help the student develop an understanding of the major people, places and events in the history of Christianity from the early church to the eve of the Reformation. Lectures are recorded and presented by Garth Rosell.
My comments :: This is actually one of the classes that I’ve already taken! It is an independent study class, so there is no actual time at the college except for the initial meeting! I absolutely LOVED this class, and it was so good for me to be able to study at home during the school year and summer!
Last but not least :: Reformation to Present (Church History) – 3 credits – Independent Study
We have the same instructor as before, Rick Gerhardt! Same textbook as well!
OFFICIAL description :: Oh, I just realized that it is the exact same description as above! Read up, people!
My comments :: I am currently taking this one this summer! LOVING it, although it is slightly hard to concentrate when the weather is so absolutely fantastic! I’d recommend this class for EVERYONE!
FINALLY! I am finished with the descriptions! I am taking just about EVERY class this Fall, and I would love some company… hope to see y’all in the classes with me!
Old Testament and Spiritual Poetry!
August 9th, 2010Next two classes this fall!
First of all :: Old Testament Survey – 3 credits – Wednesday nights, 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Class professor of Old Testament Survey is going to be Syd Brestel, pastor of the downtown First Baptist! The only textbook you’ll need for this class is an English Bible (preferably a contemporary translation such as the NIV, ESV or NASB).
OFFICIAL description :: Unlock the mysteries that seem to bind the Older Testament. Discover the relevancy of a book written thousands of years ago by different authors from different cultures yet united by one theme. Explore a library of 39 books containing history, poetry, legal, and prophetic literature and discover how these books fit together chronologically.
My comments :: I’ve read through the Old Testament several times, but how can you not find it mysterious?? There are amazing stories, the ones we’ve known since Sunday School, but the deeper meaning? Do any of us really know? I’m super excited to dig more into this class, and Syd is absolutely fantastic! I’ve gone to First Baptist a couple times and I love listening to him speak!
Next up is :: Spiritual Poetry – 2 credits – Thursday nights, 6:30pm – 9:00pm
For this class, our instructor is David Jacobsen, and our textbooks are Writing Poems (7th Edition) by Michelle Boisseau, Robert Wallace, Randall Mann, and Rosing from the Dead by Paul J. Willis.
OFFICIAL description :: Creative Writing (Spiritual Poetry) will explore how we can become careful, generous readers and insightful, honest writers. We will strive to deepen and complicate our definition of the word spiritual and discover professional poets who inspire us and serve as models. As we work, we will help each other grow as poets and people.
My comments :: Poetry! How can someone not be excited about it? I’ve always loved reading and writing, and I am so happy that I’ll be able to take a class on this!
Four classes down, four to go! Next two :: Bible Study Methods and Reformation Study Tour!
Human Rights and General Apologetics!
August 5th, 2010
And here come the full descriptions!
First up :: History and Philosophy of Human Rights – 3 Credits – Monday nights, 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Our instructor for this class is Mike Caba, and the textbook you’ll need is Citizens of the World: Readings in Human Rights by Nancy Carr!
OFFICIAL description :: The purpose of the course is to present an introduction to social justice issues. We will study source material showing both the historical development and underlying basis for human rights, particularly from a Biblical perspective. Issues to be discussed include racism, economic oppression, property rights and much more.
My comments :: I am SO EXCITED about this class!! I have heard so much about it from friends who have taken it, and I cannot wait! Also, I know Mike personally, and he is an awesome person, and a great professor!
Second :: General Apologetics – 3 Credits – Tuesday nights, 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Our instructor for this class is Rick Gerhardt, and the textbooks you’ll need are Holman Quick Source Guide to Christian Apologetics by Doug Powell, and The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel
OFFICIAL description :: This course will equip the student to formulate and present a winsome and rational defense of the Christian world- and life-view. We will study the Scriptural call to apologetics and examine the different approaches to apologetics. We will learn to respond graciously and rationally to various charges brought against Christianity in our modern age.
My comments :: I am absolutely in love with anything apologetics, so I’m super excited about this one as well! I’ve taken two classes from Rick in the past, and I know that he’s a great teacher and a super encouraging person!
So there we are! The first two classes on my list, checked off! I’ll cover two more pretty quick :: Old Testament Survey and Spiritual Poetry… see you then!
Citizens of the World: Readings in Human Rights
February 4th, 2010
Citizens of the World: Readings in Human Rights is a collection of historical documents and literary works that shows the evolution of an influential concept and the struggle for recognition of the dignity and worth of all people.
Books Introduction:
“In Citizens of the World: Readings in Human Rights, voices speak against injustice-a jailed dissident, a concentration camp inmate, a girl imprisoned in her home under the rule of religious extremists. We see families torn apart, a man arrested in the middle of the night because of a poem he wrote, peaceful demonstrators flattened by the tanks of their own government’s military.
The experiences of these people raise urgent questions about human rights. Our sense of what human rights are and how they should be protected is always evolving and always subject to debate. Rather than attempt to survey the history of human rights, the selections in Citizens of the World suggest a way of thinking about human rights, with each representing a moment in its history. In addition to foundational documents, this anthology includes memoirs, letters, speeches, fiction, and poetry from different periods and parts of the world. The range of readings shows how the struggle for human rights is driven by the efforts, and affects the lives, of individuals. Some selections mark great advances in the cause of human rights; others depict horrific human rights abuse…”