Academic Programs: Core/Worldview Studies Records, 1989-2003

"Core courses are interdisciplinary, thematic courses designed to acquaint Whitworth students with the definitions and implications of Christian and non-Christian worldviews. All three courses are being revised as part of the new general-education curriculum and are subject to change. All students are required to take Core 150 (Jewish and Christian Worldviews), Core 250 (The Rationalist Worldview), and Core 350 (Applied Ethics, Public Policy and Worldviews) as part of the general graduation requirements." (NOTE: "Core/Worldview Studies" n.d. 24, April 2006.)

"CO 150 Western Civilization I: Jewish and Christian Worldviews

This initial worldview course focuses on theology and anthropology, the nature of God and humanity. The course emphasizes key theological concerns and how those concerns work themselves out in daily life. Issues to be explored include Jewish and Christian theological assumptions about God and humans, and the implications of these assumptions for ethics, work, leisure, creativity, diversity, scientific inquiry, resource allocation, global citizenship, and technological innovation. Fall and spring semesters.

CO 250 Western Civilization II: The Rationalist Worldview

The guiding topics for this second course are epistemology/hermeneutics and meta-physics, the nature of knowledge and reality and the interpretation of such knowledge. Examination of epistemological/hermeneutical or metaphysical assumptions and their practical application in human affairs, whether evident in the humanities, the arts, or the sciences are explored. Fall and spring semesters and summer.

CO 350 Western Civilization III: Applied Ethics, Public Policy and Worldviews

Ethics and politics become windows through which one explores the ways that biblical virtues such as justice, compassion, mercy, equity, humility, and integrity offer viable alternatives to the cultural norms evident in contemporary Western culture. A wide variety of issues with appropriate historical and scientific contextualization are included in the discussion, such as racism, sexism, poverty, media and the arts, and challenges presented by technology. Fall and spring semesters." (NOTE: "Course Descriptions" n.d. April 2006.)