Special Electives: Global Studies

GLST 508 Cultural Change and its Effects on Traditional Societies

Globalization is rapidly spreading around the world and is having an impact on traditional societies. As traditional societies change and lose their identity, serious issues arise in the area of societal cohesion, morality, economics, religion, language and environment. Complicated Christian issues also arise as Christianity is often presented as a strong westernizing influence. With a strong focus on case studies, this course will make students aware of what is happening to traditional societies and will give students the theoretical knowledge to understand, empathize and assist people who are wrestling with change.

GLST 510 Contemporary Missiological Issues

Explores the major theological and praxeological issues confronting the global church in its task of partnering in the mission dei, mission of God, in the world through a study of  the Scripture, the major theological voices, and contemporary debates.  Emphasizes concerns in the expanding global church as well as mission to the west.

GLST 512 Agony and Ecstasy: The Global Church in the 21st Century

This is a course about culture, religion and history. It will explore the meaning of several salient religious phenomena today, by means of judicious and pertinent comparisons with the past. Students will be encouraged to step beyond the journalistic and academic clich�s about a number of much-reported situations, without necessarily imbibing the counter-vailing myths of the protagonists themselves.

GLST 515 Global Relief and Development

Global Relief & Development is a course that introduces students to some of the key issues, opportunities and challenges in the relief and development field today.  The course will be patterned within an international development framework and will look at issues at all levels—individual, community, and institutional.  Practical applications and reflections on development will be garnered as students examine issues using both domestic and international case studies and experiences with a strong emphasis on the role of the global church. 

GLST 520  Primary Source Study of Classical Islam

This course will train the student to comprehend and analyze the two sacred texts of Islam: the Quran and the Hadiths, as well the three most influential texts of the classical Islamic period: Ibn Ishaq’s biography of the Prophet, the Sharia laws, and selected works of the greatest Islamic theologian Al-Ghazali. Islam’s sacred texts are exclusively credited to their exemplary prophet, Muhammad and these texts constitute the undisputed foundation from which evolved its unique history, its core theology, its eventual global expansion, and its various postures in relationship to differing Muslims, Jews, Christians and ‘pagan’ cultures. The biography, Shariah laws and commentary will confirm the correct understanding of this classical interpretation