Weekly outline

    GREETINGS
    GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE COURSE
    COURSE FORUMS
    Study weeks:
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10
    FINAL

  • A504 World Religions

     

    We are happy to have you here!

    Make yourselves at home!

                                            

    Dear Students! Welcome to the Course "World Religions".  We hope and pray you will have a wonderful experience studying with us and complete this course successfully!

    The very first thing we expect you to do is to follow our weekly schedule. We strongly encourage you to complete your lessons within the suggested time frame, which will require maintaining the pace outlined in your course materials. It is recommended that you take a genuine effort in regular forum participation. This allows an opportunity to learn from other students and enrich their learning experience by your views, ideas and discoveries, as you navigate through the course together.

    Before you get started, please, review the Course Description and the Course Schedule.

    Updates on your group activities, further instructions and other relevant information will be available at “Announcements” forum page.

    If you have any questions or messages to the course tutor, please, do this on  “Ask a question” forum page. While the tutor will provide you with support during the course, you should be aware of the self-discipline required for the successful study.

    You are welcome to submit your prayer requests to «Prayer Room» forum page.

    • GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE COURSE 

      Before you get to the lessons, it is paramount that you review the course description and the timetable. They provide important information about the topics and readings, the required assignments and their purpose, etc.

    • FORUMS

    • The Religions and Ultimate Questions

      There are many people in the world who are not happy about the religions. Why is religion such a controversial question?

      This week David W. Shenk:

      • gives the definition of ‘religion’;

      • talks about his involvement in the world of religions;

      • shares the astonishing Gospel narrative;

      • explains what kind of answers religious systems provide for the ultimate questions.

    • Onion Model of Culture and the Gospel

      The religious and cultural systems of a society are organized like an onion. The center of the onion is the worldview which gives answers to three ultimate questions.

      This week David W. Shenk:

      • talks about the layers of a cultural onion and explains how one layer leads to another;

      • explains how we can know the truth and deal with the reality that religions contradict each other;

      • looks at different approaches to the challenges of religious pluralism;

      • shares various classifications of religions;

      • emphasizes cultural diversity of Christian churches.
      Restricted Not available unless:

    • The Biblical Meta-narrative and Distinctives of the Christian Faith

      The worldview is communicated through meta-narrative which forms the answers to important questions and forms our approaches to peacemaking between civilizations.

      This week David W. Shenk:

      • points out some reasons why people become Christians and consider the Biblical meta-narrative;

      • talks about signs in different religions that can lead to salvation;

      • looks at some deceptions in religions that can become a stronghold and resist the Gospel;

      • shares an encouraging story about a Christian family from the Zanaki tribe;

      • emphasizes the distinctives of the Christian faith.
      Restricted Not available unless:
      • You get a particular score in Weekly Quiz 02
      • The activity Answer if you watched and read all for the week 2 is marked complete

    • The Good News in the World of the Occult and Spirits

      In the book of Romans Paul writes about the culture which was permeated with worship of many different divinities, rather than worship the Creator people worshiped created things.

      This week David Shenk:

      • looks at the main features of the dynamistic tribal religions;

      • explains the significance of different practices of African traditional religions;

      • talks about the worldview which permeates African culture;

      • explores the theme of creating peace and harmony in the community;

      • shares several stories to show that wherever Jesus is proclaimed and received people can bear witness that the power of the nature spirits or witches is broken.
      Restricted Not available unless:
      • You get a particular score in Weekly Quiz 03
      • The activity Answer if you watched and read all for the week 3 is marked complete

    • Hinduism

      Hinduism is an amorphous kaleidoscope of beliefs and practices. Hinduism is so enormous and complex that it is impossible to do justice to Hinduism in one lecture. With the beginning of interaction with the Christian movement a number of reformed movements rather significantly transformed Hinduism.

      This week David Shenk:

      • teaches about core beliefs and practices which are the essence of Hinduism;

      • analyses two small Scriptures within Hinduism that very significantly describe the spiritual insights of Hinduism;

      • talks about three phases of the Kalpa systems which take the world round and round for no purpose whatsoever;

      • looks at the three sources of influence in the life of Mahatma Gandhi.
      Restricted Not available unless:
      • You get a particular score in Weekly Quiz 04
      • The activity Answer if you watched and read all for the week 4 is marked complete

    • Shintoism and Buddhism

      What does Shintoism mean? What is the central concern of the worldwide missionary movement in Buddhism?

      This week David Shenk answers these questions and:

      • explains what the divinized view of Japan and the emperor meant for Japan's relationship with other nations and its mission in the world;

      • dwells on Buddhist philosophy which invites people to take three refuges from the suffering they experience;

      • looks at four-dimensional truth of Buddhist enlightenment;

      • talks about two approaches to compassionate service among people.
      Restricted Not available unless:
      • You get a particular score in Weekly Quiz 06
      • The activity Answer if you watched and read all for the week 5 is marked complete

    • Chinese Traditional Religions. Confucianism

      What was the ancient Chinese worldview in which Confucianism was formed? What did Confucius and Plato have in common? What is a key to understanding the significant influence of Confucianism?

      This week David Shenk answers these questions and:

      • tells the legend about the first archetypal man, Pan Ku;

      • looks at some principles that pervade traditional Chinese culture;

      • explores Chinese philosophy and talks about Confucian values.
      Restricted Not available unless:
      • You get a particular score in Weekly Quiz 07
      • The activity Answer if you watched and read all for the week 6 is marked complete

    • Christian Faith

      Christians believe that through the life, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ a cosmic transformation has happened within global community. Biblical faith is a watershed in our reflection on global gods. According to Emil Fackenheim, biblical faith is grounded in root events that create an abiding astonishment. And what is God doing in these root events? What does God want to happen?

      This week David Shenk answers these questions and invites us to explore what the Gospel can offer to other religious systems and what new possibilities for humankind it can provide.

      Restricted Not available unless:
      • You get a particular score in Weekly Quiz 08
      • The activity Answer if you watched and read all for the week 7 is marked complete

    • Islam

      What are convergences and divergences between Islam and Christianity? In the Bible and the Qur'an Jesus is called the Messiah. But what does it really mean?

      This week David Shenk answers these questions and:

      • shares some facts about Muhammad’ life;

      • talks about the pillars of duty and pillars of belief in the House of Islam;

      • explains how to clarify the nature of the incarnation and the name ‘Son of God’ to a muslim;

      • looks at the development of the Muslim community in interaction with four streams of religious and cultural engagement.
      Restricted Not available unless:
      • You achieve a required score in Weekly Quiz 08
      • The activity Answer if you watched and read all for the week 8 is marked complete

    • Judaism. The Scientific Revolution

      Which events were significant in formation of Judaism? What helped the Jews to preserve their faith while being scattered among the nations? Why does the Church feel so positive about science?

      This week David Shenk answers these questions and:

      • talks about the trauma of exile which refined and redefined the perception of the covenant between God and His people;

      • pays attention to the development of Talmud;

      • explores the relationship between religious practices of people and scientific approaches;

      • explains how the Theory of Evolution provided the meta-narrative to the Enlightenment worldview.

      Restricted Not available unless:
      • You achieve a required score in Weekly Quiz 09
      • The activity Answer if you watched and read all for the week 9 is marked complete

    • заключительная неделя

      This week is the deadline for submitting your literature review and the written assignment. These are the prerequisites to obtain the permission to take the FINAL TEST.

      Keep up the good work: "The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name."

      • Step 1. Final Paper

        Please, submit your final paper (1500 words)  on the theme: The Gospel is good news for __________.  This essay will explore the needs within a certain religious system of your choice ( except Islam)  and suggest ways that Jesus Christ of the New Testament is a fulfillment of their quest.  

      • Step 2. Final Exam

        Please, take the final exam for this course. 

      • Step 3. Reading Report

        Please, submit your reading report. 

      • Step 4. Course Evaluation

        It is very important to know your opinion about this course . Please fill in the feedback form Evaluation of Online Course, which you will find below.

        If you have something to say about how this course helped you in your ministry, in your spiritual development, we will be glad to hear it. If you want to say something to the teacher, you can send any comments and suggestions to our email address : tvs.student@gmail.com 

        THANK YOU!