COR 101 Themes

How might a thoughtful Christian engage the powerful images, stories, and values of popular movies? American Christians often have a strangely schizophrenic relationship with the larger culture: we seem to oscillate between the extremes of either thoughtlessly embracing our popular culture or energetically waging holy wars (or building holy walls) to protect ourselves from these "worldly" influences. Using books such as Robert K. Johnston's Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialogue (2007) and Roy M. Anker's Catching Light: Looking for God in the Movies (2005) as starting points, this course will explore ways that Christians can dialogue with popular film. The course will ask you to think deeply theologically and will demand that you learn new ways to critically interpret film. As part of your course "reading" you will need to view one film a week outside of class during our Monday evening film "lab"-please register for the Monday night lab (COR101HL.01) as well, so that it is built into your weekly schedule.

The Instructor:  
S. Bradley Shaw, Professor of English and Director of GC's Honors Program, graduated from Greenville in 1983 with majors in English and Religion.  He returned to GC as a professor in 1991 after completing a Ph.D. in American Literature at the University of Illinois.  He has earned research fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Pew Charitable Trust.  In 1997-1998 and again in 2004-2005, Shaw served as the Fulbright Professor of American Literature and Culture at the University of Bergen in Norway.  He sometimes daydreams about returning to Europe in order to bike across the continent and field-test the ice cream and chocolate in each country.

Life will inevitably present many enjoyable times to cherish. At the same time, life will also present many challenges. When faced with a challenge, we can easily feel defeated if not properly equipped to face it. Armed with the necessary tools, though, challenges can be conquered and even foster growth in ourselves. In this class, we will discover what the Bible has to say about adversity, allowing us to become equipped with the tools needed to overcome life's challenges. Additionally, this class will help students overcome the challenge of transitioning from high school to college by focusing on the development and improvement of skills associated with reading, note taking, study habits, class participation, active learning and research methods.

The Instructor:

Fallon Sparks is the Director of Academic Support in the Student Success Center. In this role, she works with students to help them develop strategies to succeed in college. Additionally, she oversees the student academic coaches. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology and master's degree in clinical adult psychology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She enjoys spending time with family and exercising.

Do men and women experience faith differently?  Using two texts: Muscular Christianity: Manhood and Sports in Protestant America and The Religious World of Antislavery Women: Spirituality in the Lives of Five Abolitionist Lecturers this class will analyze how men and women have historically thought about faith in different ways.  We will also consider how one's gender influences one's practice of faith in contemporary America.  This theme coincides with the theme that seniors at Greenville College will be considering in the Senior Capstone course called COR 401; thus, this class will collaborate with a group of seniors as they also delve into a study of gender and faith.   

The Instructor:

Teresa Blue Holden teaches in the History/Political Science Department.  With a PhD in American Studies, she studies the process of social change and works to bring about a more just society through her own volunteer activities.  In 2006, she was the Volunteer of the Year for the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis Illinois, and was first runner-up for the St. Louis Rams Metro St. Louis Community Quarterback Volunteer of the Year.  Teresa is married to Dave Holden and has three children:  Lindsey (20), Ashley (18) and David (14).

On a high Himalayan plateau in Nepal an expedition leader conducts a prayer walk in a remote Tibetan village. On a bus-stop bench in downtown Los Angeles, an office worker shares a sack lunch with a homeless person. In the highlands of Guatemala, a surgeon removes a tumor the size of a basketball from a woman's abdomen. These three people have one thing in common: something propels them to witness across cultural boundaries. What other innovative approaches characterize the work of modern missionaries? Should missionaries emphasize spiritual or social needs?  Should mission agencies target home or foreign fields?  Are missionaries culture destroyers or culture preservers?  This course will examine the modern missionary movement from the disciplinary perspectives of history, theology, anthropology, sociology and psychology.

The Instructor: 
Richard Huston, History department chair, lived in Paraguay, South America for 18 years, where he learned the graceful art of tarantula fishing. He has also traveled in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Uruguay and Israel. Two years ago, Dr. Huston lived in Costa Rica and Nicaragua for a year while on a sabbatical leave.  Living in Latin America has helped him become more aware of the church's responsibility to influence all aspects of society in order to help God establish His kingdom here on earth.  Last summer he served as interpreter for a work team in Bolivia, and spent two weeks motorcycle-camping around Lake Superior.  For interterm of 2010, he took a group of students to study in Israel, and is planning to return again in 2012.

Want to take a vacation to the Middle East?  Despite the gorgeous beaches and mountains, for most of us, the words "vacation" and "Middle East" are contradictory.  We know this part of the world as a region of violence and conflict, a place where ordinary people have been motivated in recent months to rebel against their own governments and demand better lives.  Why do we think of the Middle East as "other-worldly"?  Why do we fear its people?  In this class, we will try to look at the world through the eyes of Middle Easterners.  We will travel in our minds to the area in and around the Middle East by reading good novels and watching good films about life in this part of the world.  We will frame our discussion of these creative works with theological reflection about how God wants us to understand the whole of his created world.  We will put ourselves in the places of these people.  We will wrestle with the pain that often intersects with their daily lives, but we will also pay attention to the beauty and joy present in their world.  We will take a Christian pilgrimage to Mecca and beyond as we try to imagine the Middle East and its people as God sees them today.  As part of your work for this course, you will need to register for and attend our dinner & movie labs on Thursday evenings every week throughout the semester. 

The Instructor:

Georgann Kurtz-Shaw, a member of the GC faculty since 1991, earned a Master's degree in library science from the University of Illinois and a Master's degree in literature from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.  In addition to serving as Head of Public Services for the GC Library for several years, she has also taught at both the University of Illinois and GC.  While she has only traveled to the Middle East through fiction and film, Georgann did study Norwegian language and culture with Middle Eastern immigrants while living in Bergen, Norway.  Through this experience, along with other travels throughout Europe and southern Africa, she developed a curiosity about life in other countries.  For fun besides traveling, Georgann enjoys reading novels aloud with her husband and eleven-year-old daughter and biking as much as she can.

This course is designed to help students make the transition from high school to college by providing strategies for success.  Students take charge of their learning experience by gaining a better understanding of how God has uniquely gifted them with experiences, strengths, personality types and learning styles.  Students also learn to overcome the challenges of college by improving and acquiring new skills associated with reading, note taking, study habits, class participation, active learning and research methods.  In addition to these practical success skills, students will also identify and explore the themes, events and characters of their life story to identify God's unique calling in their life for the upcoming semester, their college career and beyond.

The Instructor: 

Patrick Miller serves the Greenville College community as the Associate Dean of Leadership and Life Calling.  In this role, he helps students identify their God given talents and ways to use these talents to respond to the needs of our world.  He holds a Bachelor's degree in history and a Master's degree in higher education. His career as an experiential educator has afforded him teaching opportunities on the streets of Chicago, the high plains of Montana, the beaches of Lake Michigan and the trails of the Smoky Mountains.

We laugh.  We frown.  We flirt.  We pout.  We touch.  We shrug.  We wink.  We cry.  Nonverbal communication is a powerful and compelling force in our lives.  It is estimated that almost two-thirds of the meaning in any social situation is derived from nonverbal cues.  Through the vehicle of improvisation and performance, this course will explore various aspects of nonverbal communication such as territory and personal space, gender attraction, gesture, body language, touch, clothing, scent, use of time, and the distinctiveness of this form of communication from culture to culture.  Activities will include a lip-sync contest, nonverbal real-life experiments, nonverbal communication as creative expression, and improvisation and discussion of nonverbal communication misunderstandings as a result of cultural differences.

The Instructor:

Dr. Cecelia Ulmer serves as Professor of Communication and Artistic and Managing Director of the Factory Theatre.  She earned undergraduate and Master's degrees from Murray State University and a Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.  Dr. Ulmer has worked with St. Louis Repertory Theatre and Opera Theatre of St. Louis.  She brings over thirty years teaching experience to the G.C. classroom and leads classes in theatre performance, literature, fine arts, and communication.  Dr. Ulmer has traveled extensively in Western and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Central and South America, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras.  She enjoys canoeing, camping, music, theatre, bird watching, landscaping, and foreign films.

I read it on the internet.  I heard someone say it.  I saw it in a movie.  How do I know whether it is accurate?  Before we let an idea affect our decisions, are there ways to investigate it more?  This class will focus on discovering strategies to explore the truth behind the messages we hear.  We will do critical thinking on issues affecting our society. We will also engage in personal discovery to see if there are myths we believe that prevent us from succeeding in life.  The myth busting theme will compliment the focus of developing the skills needed to succeed in college.  Students will be presented with new skills associated with reading, note taking, study habits, class participation, active learning and research methods.

The Instructor: 

Marcos Gilmore is the Dean of Student Success and an occasional adjunct professor for the History Department.  As Dean of Student Success he works with students to develop strategies for success in college.  He earned an undergraduate degree in history/political science from Greenville College, a master's degree from University of Iowa and a master's degree from Greenville College.  Before coming to Greenville, he served as a pastor in the Free Methodist Church for 12 years.   He is married to Karen and is father to four children, ages 22-13.  He enjoys bicycling, gardening and anything competitive.

Some artists led lives full of turmoil, torment, and emotional discontent.  While other artists led normal mundane lives filled with success and satisfaction.  While the latter group seems the exception, most famous male and female artists experienced one crisis after another.  Did you know the famous artist, Rembrandt, went bankrupt and lost all his worldly possessions?  Did you ever wonder why Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear, why art historians believe Goya went insane at the end of his life, or why Jackson Pollock died an untimely death?  Are you familiar with the fiery relationship between Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo?  Have you ever heard that Michelangelo was homosexual? Through a series of DVD biographies and documentaries, we will discover some secret facts about famous artists and how their lives intertwined with the art they produced.

The Instructor:

Sharon Grimes is an Assistant Professor of Art, an Art Historian, and Director of the Richard W. Bock Sculpture Museum.  She has taught at Greenville College since 2000.  She has always been intrigued by the lives of artists and believes art is not created in a vacuum. She enjoys studying and teaching the lives of artists and the cultural and societal aspects in which they created their art. She enjoys spending time with her family, and likes reading a good mystery, especially by one of her favorite mystery writers, Agatha Christie.  She earned a Diploma in Christian Education from Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music (now Cornerstone University) in 1970; a B.A. from Greenville College in 1997; a M.A. in Art with an emphasis in Art History/Criticism from Webster University in 2000; and a Ph.D. in American Studies with emphases in American Art and Culture from St. Louis University in 2007.  In 2009, she presented a paper on the images of Jesus at the Oxford Round Table at Oxford University, Oxford, England, and toured London and Paris.

Whether a single sentence or well developed story, parables were given to stimulate thought and a right response in those who heard or read them. To understand and interpret parables, one must learn what can be learned about the original audience for each, the setting and cultural presuppositions, the symbols relevant to the audience and the response the original audience was pressed to make. Furthermore, one must also examine the interpretation given by the author or source and discern the theological themes each parable affirms or presupposes. In this course we will attempt to understand, interpret and apply a variety of parables found in Biblical literature.

The Instructor:
Robert Johnson does most of his teaching in the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. He has taught many outdoor activities included rock climbing, canoeing, water-skiing and sailing. During the winter months he teaches fencing. He also teaches Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology and several other courses in Recreation. Professor Johnson also enjoys music and once team-taught "Blues-based Music Appreciation" during Interterm with a colleague from the Music Department.

How does a 21^st Century culture relate to the Christ of the New Testament? This course will open a dialogue in cultural relevancy, media culture, and spiritual responsibility using texts such as Marshall McLuhan's "Media and Culture"and H. Richard Niebuhr's "Christ and Culture", and several films depicting and interpreting spirituality, Christianity, and Christ.

The Instructor:

Jacob Amundson is an Assistant Professor in the Greenville College Art Department. An alum of '01, Jacob went on to receive a  Master of Fine Arts degree at Azusa Pacific with an emphasis in New Genre. Jake teaches a variety of courses in Art and Digital Media including: Digital Photography, Digital Video, Digital Imaging, Media Theory, Painting, Film Studies, and Independent Studio. He just moved to Greenville with his wife Lisa, a professor in the Education Department and daughters Charlotte and Claire and his St. Bernard, Ole.

Jesus told us that He came to give us abundant life, yet many Christians live defeated lives, full of worry, frustration, fear, and nagging sin.  And when the storms of life come?  We are tossed back and forth because there is no depth to our spiritual lives.  "Living Below the Surface" explores the importance of cultivating a deeper walk with Jesus Christ through the Spiritual Disciplines.  We will explore (and practice) the inward disciplines of meditation, prayer, and study, and the outward disciplines of simplicity, submission, fasting and service.  If you're ready to venture "below the surface" where the waters are calmer, richer and fuller, then join us on the journey inward!

The Instructor:
Lori Gaffner is the Chaplain and Director of Spiritual Formation, and she is beginning her seventeenth year at the college. After earning her undergraduate degree from Greenville College, she worked in pastoral ministry for five years as an Assistant Pastor, in charge of children's and youth ministries. She has undergraduate degrees in psychology and religion, as well as elementary education, and a master's degree from Eastern Illinois University in Educational Guidance and Counseling. Life is busy but quite fulfilling for Lori and her husband, with three children (including a son and twin "miracle" daughters - born 10 weeks early and weighing under 3 pounds each), campus life, and other responsibilities. Someday, there may even be time for a hobby or two!

Discover what the Bible says about ministry to the poor and marginalized and the exciting things some churches are doing today in behalf of "the least of these." During the semester you'll have opportunity for hands-on ministry with the urban poor in St. Louis. Only those who are serious about serving and doing something with their faith need apply.

The Instructor:

Dr. Joe Culumber has broad experience in urban and cross-cultural ministry among the poor and marginalized. He has taught and ministered in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, including fifteen years as an urban pastor in Seattle and the Philippines. Dr. Culumber has been a member of the Philosophy-Religion Department at GC since 2000.

This course will entail PHYSICAL CHALLENGES that test the mind body and spirit!  A doctor's physical will be a prerequisite to the class.  If you are participating on an athletic team at GC the Athletic physical will suffice.  Right out of the gate, in mid September we will participate in a ½ marathon - (you will need to begin training during the summer and I will mail you a training schedule), later in the Fall, we will do a weekend backpacking trip, and rappelling and rock climbing.  We hope to continue a tradition we started last Fall and also do a Trap-shoot at a local sportsman club.   It will be rigorous but ultimately all activities will be at your own pace.  We also will serve one weekend in a homeless shelter in St. Louis as a service project to gain a larger world view.   Coach Barber will lead the class and it will also include scripture memorization and a writing element.  Note:  Ideally we would like to have 10 men and 10 women in the class.  Fall sport athletes: volleyball, soccer, football, and cross country may have to make some adjustments to the class activities because of their sports practices and competitions, but we try to work with the athletes if they desire to be in the class - working around practices and games.  Winter and spring sport athletes: basketball, track and field, tennis, baseball, and softball will have no problem and this class may help them stay in shape to prepare for their season.  Finally, you do not need to be a varsity athlete to be in the class, you just need to be willing to give it your best shot to complete the activities we will be doing in the class.

The Instructor

This course is taught by Dr. George Barber, Head Men's basketball coach and Associate Professor of HPR at Greenville College.  Coach Barber and his wife Lisa are the parents of five children, ages 8-16.  He is an active jogger and enjoys playing basketball and golf, but says he not very good at either one.  He enjoys studying and teaching in the area of leadership.  Coach Barber also enjoys sports movies, and books about real life overachievers. He has taken classes backpacking in Utah and Colorado, and Kayaking in Florida.  Each Spring he directs the Adapted Sports Olympics day at Greenville College.  He has coached basketball as an assistant at Bradley University and at the University of Kentucky where in 1996 the team won a Division I National Championship.

A major theme of this group will be house building, both literal and figurative. In literal terms, we will partner with the local Habitat For Humanity chapter to provide volunteer labor on a house building project. By learning about "The Habitat Way" we will show Christian love and service to others and learn some practical construction-related skills. In figurative terms, you will learn about building your spiritual house with Jesus as the Master Carpenter, and keeping your house in order with good maintenance practices.

The Instructor:

Eric Watterson has been teaching in the Psychology department at Greenville College since 1998. He has degrees in Divinity, Family Studies, and Psychology, and strives to integrate all of them into daily life lived with family, friends, and students. Eric is also well known in the Greenville community as a "jack of all trades" who typically spends the summer months doing construction and remodeling projects. As a board member with the local Habitat For Humanity chapter, Eric will spend many Saturdays this Fall supervising and assisting construction of Bond County's 6^th Habitat house.