Reasons to Believe

Course Descriptions

The following courses are currently being offered by Reasons Institute.


Critical Thinking Skills

Next offered: January 21–March 17, 2013

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 20–October 14, 2012 (audit only); March 18–May 19, 2013 (credit and audit)

Course Number: RI0401

Length: 8 weeks

Lecturers: RTB Scholar Team

Online Instructor: Dr. John Battle

Course Description: This 8-week online course surveys the biblical material related to creation, including the historic doctrine of general and special revelation. Students are also exposed to a variety of interpretations to Genesis 1, including the young-earth creation, old-earth creation and theistic evolution models and then encouraged to form an integrated, coherent interpretation of the data. The second half of the course explores theological and scientific questions concerning the age of the earth (such as radiometric dating techniques and global flood theory).

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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Creation vs. Evolution

Next offered: June 4–August 12, 2012.

Course Number: RI0404

Length: 8 weeks

Lecturers: Fazale "Fuz" Rana and Hugh Ross

Online Instructor: Rick Gerhardt

Course Description: This 8-week online course helps students learn how to use RTB's testable creation model approach to challenge the evolutionary paradigm and resolve debates about the origin of life, the fossil record, and the origin of humanity.

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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Astronomy and Design

Next offered: August 20–October 14, 2012.

Course Number: RI1001

Length: 8 weeks

Lecturers: Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink

Online Instructor: Dr. Otis Graf

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. Topics for discussion include big bang cosmology, multiverse theory, and the anthropic principle. Students are equipped to share these evidences in their evangelistic efforts with unbelievers.

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

World Religions & Science

Next offered: August 27, 2012

Course Number: RI0502BU (15 weeks)

Start Date: October 15–December 16, 2012 (Nov. 19–26 Holiday)

Course Number: RI0502HIU (8 weeks)

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, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Mormonism, and Eastern mysticism. Students will explore the ways proponents of these religions use modern science to justify their particular worldviews. The final portion of the course explores the issue of religious pluralism ("Do all religions lead to God?"). This course was originally taught as part of the M.A. in Science and Religion program at Biola University.

Audience: Graduate-level students.

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Advanced Seminar on the Origin of Life

Next offered: August 27, 2012

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. The most prominent biblical and scientific models for the origin of life will be surveyed, including old-earth creationism, theistic evolutionism, and secular evolutionism. 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.

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

Audience: Graduate-level students.

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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Advanced Seminar on Human Origins

Next offered: January, 2013.

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.

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

Audience: Graduate-level students.

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.

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

Biblical Archaeology

Next offered: January, 2013

Course Number: RI1101BU

Length: 15 weeks

Lecturer: Dr. John Bloom

Online Instructor: Titus Kennedy

Course Description: Discover the latest research for the historical reliability of the Bible. This 15-week seminar surveys the methods and results of archaeology as applied to sites and topics of biblical significance. It also offers a consideration of the interpretive and apologetic uses of archaeology.

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

Audience: Graduate-level students.

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