Athanatos Academy of Apologetics 2012 AD semester

Emulating the Greats
This course is a series of writing exercises that look to great writers of the past (eg, GK Chesterton) and learn from them by trying to mimic their style, manner, attitude, etc.

Wordsmithing
4 Weeks. Begins February 20th. What does it take to make a story or poem truly engaging? What makes the work of great storytellers like CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, and GK Chesterton so captivating? They all had a deep mastery of language and style on top of all their other storytelling gifts. In this class, we will do hands-on work on “wordsmithing”: attending to the fine details of sentence crafting and word choice to take your work to the next level. Participants will learn strategies for choosing exactly the right word; for trimming unnecessary verbiage to allow the beauty of the idea to shine through clearly; and for shaping sentences to create “flow” to draw the reader into a sustained reading experience. We will study the prose style of CS Lewis and others, and apply those insights to work in progress: this is a writing workshop style class and is a core requirement for the Literary Apologetics Certificate.

Online Writing Workshop - Feb 2012
4 weeks. Begins February 13th. [Facilitated during the Winter 2012 Term] This writing workshop is led by Christian writing contestjudge and book reviewer Debbie Thompson. In this intensive four week course, writers will be encouraged to analyze past contest winning entries and will submit their own stories for feedback from course instructors and participants. For more information on the course itself you may visit: Christian Writing Workshops

Principles of Literary Apologetics
5 weeks. Begins February 20th. [Facilitated during the Winter 2012 Term]Suitable for both Christian writers and Christian apologists, this course outlines the principles of communicating the truth of the Christian faith through imaginative literature (poetry, drama, and prose fiction). We will consider the role of the Imagination in conveying the truth of Christianity, and explore the way in which important authors such as CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, GK Chesterton, and Flannery O’Connor used stories to convey truth. We will also examine the challenges of writing in various genres, and reflect on living and growing as a literary apologist. Core texts will include JRR Tolkien’s “On Fairy-Stories”, selected essays by CS Lewis, and short stories by Chesterton, O’Connor, and others. 

Survey of the Old Testament (Part 2 of 3) [CORE]
6 weeks. Begins February 20th. [Facilitated during the Winter 2012 Term] Part 2 in a 3 part survey of the Old Testament. The Old Testament is an important but often overlooked part of Christianity. Understanding the New Testament requires a broad understanding of the Old but because of its size and the diversity of styles, knowledge of the OT often consists of random but famous bible stories, such as David and Goliath. This three part survey will cover the entire Old Testament in light of the New Testament and Christianity. This survey will lay a foundation for further study of the Old Testament and highlight why this is necessary for understanding of the New Testament. This is a three part course, with each part taking 6 weeks. 

Survey of the Old Testament (Part 1 of 3) [CORE]
6 weeks. Begins February 20th. [Self-Guided during the Winter 2012 Term] Part 1 in a 3 part survey of the Old Testament. Anthony Horvath taught Old Testament for four years at the 7th and 9th grade levels. The Old Testament is an important but often overlooked part of Christianity. Understanding the New Testament requires a broad understanding of the Old but because of its size and the diversity of styles, knowledge of the OT often consists of random but famous bible stories, such as David and Goliath. This three part survey will cover the entire Old Testament in light of the New Testament and Christianity. This survey will lay a foundation for further study of the Old Testament and highlight why this is necessary for understanding of the New Testament. This is a three part course, with each part taking 6 weeks.  

Survey of the New Testament: The Gospels [CORE]
5 weeks. Begins March 2nd. [Facilitated during the Winter 2012 Term] This is a survey of the four Gospels of the New Testament. The person of Jesus is closely examined. 

Basic New Testament Greek (Part 1 of 2) [CORE]
3 weeks. Begins February 20th. [Facilitated during the Winter 2012 Term] Learn the Greek alphabet, how to sound out Greek words, how to identify nouns, verbs, definite articles, and how to use this knowledge with resources like a Bible interlinear or lexicon. 

Basic New Testament Greek (Part 2 of 2) [CORE]
3 weeks. Begins March 12th. [Facilitated during the Winter 2012 Term] Building on Part 1, the student will learn more vocabulary as well as parts of speech such as the definite article, adjectives, and much more. 

Mere Christianity [CORE]
4 weeks. Begins February 20th. [Self-Guided during the Winter 2012 Term] This course is an introduction to basic Christian beliefs and how one ought to live out the Christian life for the glory of God. The course is divided into four weeks according the four sections of the book, Mere Christianity. One section a week will be required reading for the class, along with supplemental online material provide by the course instructor. 

The Historical Jesus: A Survey of the Evidence
4 weeks. Begins February 20th. [Facilitated during the Winter 2012 Term]In modern times it has become fashionable to dispute that Jesus even existed. This course will survey the evidence for his existence and go further and discuss the evidence for the existence of Jesus as Christians believe him to be. Some challenges to the Christian view will be raised and addressed but the emphasis will be on a straightforward analysis of the evidence. TWO 90 minute lectures by Dr. Gary Habermas exclusively available to the academy are provided in this course. 

The Truth of the Bible and Its Inerrancy
4 weeks. Begins February 20th. [Facilitated during the Winter 2012 Term] In today's Postmodern culture, the Bible's authority is constantly questioned and even many Evangelicals are beginning to doubt its inerrancy. In this course you will study and become more confident in the Bible's authority over all of life. You will also address and learn how to respond to objections to the Bible‘s truth, by presenting arguments for its truth. This crucial topic is without question one of the most pressing issues facing Christians today. The course covers:1) What the scriptures say about the Bible2) Some good arguments for truth of the Bible3) Three inerrancy positions4) How General revelation and science relate to the Bible's authority and Inerrancy5) How to study the bible and come to your own view. 

Accessible Apologetics Training (301)
AAT/301:Accessible Apologetics Training (5 weeks). Begins February 20th. [Facilitated during the Winter 2012 Term]This course will help you defend your faith with confidence and includes all the material discussed in AAT/201. Get further insight into building a positive case for the faith and defending the faith from popular objections. You'll also be equipped to introduce accessible apologetics training to your church, youth group or adult study group. Recommended for leaders and Certificate Program students!

View a special video invitation from the instructor.

Accessible Apologetics Training (201)
AAT/201: Accessible Apologetics Workshops (5 weeks). Begins February 20th. [Self-Guided during the Winter 2012 Term]This course will help you defend your faith with confidence. You'll study arguments and evidence for the Christian faith and become a better-prepared ambassador of Jesus. These accessible apologetics workshops focus on key issues involved in building a positive case for the faith and defending the faith from popular objections. Perfect for youth and adults!

View a special video invitation from the instructor.

Introduction to Logic & Critical Thinking (Part 2 of 2)
4 weeks. Begins February 20th. [Self-Guided during the Winter 2012 Term] Following part 1 of this course, this second part continues to help students in learning logic and critical thinking skills to aid them in defending the Christian Faith. 

Introduction to Logic & Critical Thinking (Part 1 of 2)
4 weeks. Begins February 20th. [Self-Guided during the Winter 2012 Term] This is an introductory course (Part 1 of 2) for learning logic and critical thinking skills to aid you in defending the Christian Faith.