Reasons to Believe

Course Descriptions

The following courses are currently being offered by Reasons Institute.

These courses can be taken to earn a certificate in science apologetics through Reasons Institute. This opens the door to membership in the RTB Apologetics Community, where supportive and stimulating interaction takes place on an ongoing basis.

Critical Thinking Skills

Next offered: January, 2014

Course Number: RI0501

Length: 8 weeks

Lecturers: Kenneth Samples and J.P. Moreland

Online Instructor: Mark Perez

Course Description: In this intensive 8-week course, Kenneth Samples, RTB's senior theologian, teaches what it means to love God with all your mind. The ability of Christians to effectively address the many arguments skeptics present is an ongoing challenge. This course deals with the various aspects of deductive, inductive, and abductive reasoning as they are applied to different forms of argumentation. Different ways of testing arguments and truth-claims are evaluated for validity, cogency, and strength. Students will learn to assess how arguments break down, how to recognize and categorize fallacies, and how to recognize when areas of logic are violated.

Audience: High school and up.

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For further information about Reasons Institute, please contact us at (800) 482-7836 or learning@reasons.org.

Creation and the Bible

Next offered: August 19–October 13, 2013 (audit)

Course Number: RI0401

Length: 8 weeks

Lecturers: RTB Scholar Team

Online Instructor: Dr. John Battle, President of Western Reformed Seminary

Course Description: This 8-week online course encourages students to form an integrated interpretation of general and special revelation at it pertains to the doctrine of creation. Theological and scientific questions concerning the age of the earth are also considered. Students are equipped to share this information with their Christian friends and family.

Topics:

  • Survey of the biblical material related to creation
  • General and special revelation
  • Christian views of Genesis 1 – young-earth creationism, old-earth creationism, and theistic evolution
  • Radiometric dating techniques
  • Global flood theory
  • Death before the Fall

Audience: High school students, Christian homeschool parents, pastors and missionaries interested in apologetics, college students who need college credit and anyone who wants to improve their witnessing efforts with unbelievers.

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For further information about Reasons Institute, please contact us at (800) 482-7836 or learning@reasons.org.

Creation vs. Evolution – Begins June 3

Next offered: June 3, 2013 –July 27, 2013 (credit and audit)

Course Number: RI0404

Length: 8 weeks

Lecturers: Fazale "Fuz" Rana and Hugh Ross

Online Instructors: Rick Gerhardt and Sue Dykes

Course Description: Many Christians wonder how to answer commonly cited evidence for evolution. This 8-week online course helps students learn how to use RTB's testable creation model approach to challenge the evolutionary paradigm. Students are equipped to share these evidences in their evangelistic efforts with unbelievers.

Topics:

  • Origins of life
  • Fossil record
  • Soulish animals
  • Common descent vs. Common design
  • Hominids and Neanderthals
  • Adam and Eve

Audience: High school students, Christian homeschool parents, pastors and missionaries interested in apologetics, college students who need college credit and anyone who wants to improve their witnessing efforts with unbelievers.

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Purchase materials for this course.

For further information about Reasons Institute, please contact us at (800) 482-7836 or learning@reasons.org.

Astronomy and Design – Begins August 19

Next offered: August 19, 2013 – October 13, 2013

Course Number: RI1001

Length: 8 weeks

Lecturers: Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink

Online Instructors: Dr. Otis Graf and Dr. Gene Lopata

Course Description: Some of the most potent scientific evidences for God come from astronomy. This 8-week online course explores the biblical and scientific data about the origin and design of the universe. Students are equipped to share these evidences in their evangelistic efforts with unbelievers.

Topics:

  • Big bang cosmology
  • Design and the anthropic principle
  • Exoplanets
  • UFOs and ETs
  • Multiverse theory

Audience: Christian homeschool parents, pastors and missionaries interested in apologetics, college students who need college credit and anyone who wants to improve their witnessing efforts with unbelievers.

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Purchase materials for this course.

For further information about Reasons Institute, please contact us at (800) 482-7836 or learning@reasons.org.

World Religions and Science

Course Number: RI0502HIU (8 weeks)

  • Start Date: October 14–December 15, 2013 (Nov. 25–Dec. 1 Holiday)

Course Number: RI0502BU (15 weeks)

  • Start Date: August 26, 2013

Lecturer: Kenneth Samples

Online Instructor: Mihretu Guta

Course Description: Kenneth Samples, RTB's senior theologian lays out the foundational beliefs of the world's major religions and then explores the ways proponents of these religions use modern science to justify their particular worldviews.

Topics:

  • Christianity and science
  • Judaism and the work of Gerald Schroeder
  • Islam and the work of Maurice Bucaille
  • Latter Day Saints and the Book of Mormon
  • Eastern mysticism and quantum physics
  • Religious pluralism (15-week version only)

Audience: Graduate-level students and anyone who wants to improve their witnessing efforts with unbelievers.

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This course was originally taught as part of the M.A. in Science and Religion program at Biola University.

For further information about Reasons Institute, please contact us at (800) 482-7836 or learning@reasons.org.

Advanced Seminar on the Origin of Life

Next offered: August 26, 2013

Course Number: RI0801

Length: 15 weeks

Lecturer: Dr. Fazale "Fuz" Rana

Online Instructor: Dr. Stan Lennard

Course Description: Did life evolve through natural processes from an ancient primordial soup? What does the evidence actually say? This 15-week graduate seminar taught by Dr. Fuz Rana explores the integration of the biblical account for the origin of life with the latest scientific research. Although many sides of the origin-of-life issue will be studied, the lecturer holds to an old-earth-creation position and does not believe the scientific record supports biological evolution.

Topics:

  • Survey of prominent scientific models – old-earth creationism, theistic evolutionism, and secular evolutionism
  • Trends in origins-of-life research
  • Defining life
  • RNA-world hypothesis
  • Bottom-up approach
  • Top-down approach
  • Biochemical design

Audience: Graduate-level students and anyone who wants to improve their witnessing efforts with unbelievers.

This course was originally taught as part of the M.A. in Science and Religion program at Biola University.

Prerequisites: Audit students may take this course after their completion of both "Creation and the Bible" and "Creation vs. Evolution" or if they have an extensive background in chemistry. Some parts of this course contain semi-technical discussions of issues related to chemistry and biochemistry. A background in chemistry is not required, but will be helpful.

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For further information about Reasons Institute, please contact us at (800) 482-7836 or learning@reasons.org.

Advanced Seminar on Human Origins

Start date: spring 2014

Course Number: RI0601

Length: 15 weeks

Lecturer: Dr. Fazale "Fuz" Rana

Online Instructor: Dr. Stan Lennard

Course Description: Did humans evolve from an ancient ape-like ancestor? What does the evidence actually say? This 15-week graduate seminar taught by Dr. Fuz Rana explores the integration of the biblical account of humanity's origin with the scientific record. The most prominent biblical and scientific models for human origins will be surveyed, including young-earth creationism, old-earth creationism, theistic evolutionism, and secular evolutionism.

Topics:

  • Survey of prominent scientific models – young-earth creationism, old-earth creationism, theistic evolutionism, and secular evolutionism
  • Fossil record
  • Genetic data
  • Paleoarchaeological data
  • Hominids ("Lucy," homo habilis, etc.)
  • Neanderthals
  • Adam and Eve

Audience: Graduate-level students and anyone who wants to improve their witnessing efforts with unbelievers.

This course was originally taught as part of the M.A. in Science and Religion program at Biola University.

Prerequisites: Audit students may take this course after their completion of both "Creation and the Bible" and "Creation vs. Evolution." Some knowledge of chemistry or genetics will be helpful, but isn't required.

Register:

Purchase materials for this course.

For further information about Reasons Institute, please contact us at (800) 482-7836 or learning@reasons.org.

If you are a professor or administrator who would like to find out how to add Reasons Institute courses to your university or seminary's course catalogue, email us at learning@reasons.org for more information.