Classics of Christian Literature

Christopher Ullman, Professor
EN110
7:00 – 9:30 p.m. Tuesday Room 205
Office Hours: 2:00 – 5:00 pm T/W/TH
cullman@christianlifecollege.edu
Phone: 847-259-1840 ext. 24

Christian literature has powerfully influenced the Church and the societies served by the Church. Together we will be sampling and discussing creative writings by C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, John Bunyan, John Milton, Frank Peretti, Flannery O’Connor, T.S. Eliot, Augustine, Dante, and others. Discover how to get the most out of really great literature written by Christians!

LEARNING GOALS

v To read and appreciate classic works of Christian Literature

v To understand ways the Biblical Christian worldview can be expressed in fiction, autobiography and poetry

v To react verbally and in writing to the literature

v Participate in individual and group research and discussion.

TEXTS

v Christian Literature: An Anthology by Alister McGrath

v Paradise Lost: An Authoritative Text, Backgrounds and Source, & Criticism by John Milton & Scott Elledge

v Pilgrim's Progress (Penguin Classics) by John Bunyan & Roger Sharrock

v The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

METHODS OF LEARNING

v Student enjoyment of the texts

v Class discussions

v Student teams working together

v Worksheets

v Tests

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The very nature of higher education requires that students adhere to accepted standards of academic integrity. Among the violations of academic integrity as it is commonly defined are: cheating, plagiarism, falsification and fabrication, abuse of academic materials, complicity in academic dishonesty. The concept of originality is practiced at Christian Life College. This means that, although we respect the great minds of the past, we believe that each student should think the issues through on his/her own, and use his/her own words to express those thoughts. Quoting an authority at length is frowned upon, and copying the words of another without giving credit to that person is a form of theft. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of behaviors that constitute academic dishonesty. Consult the college catalog, please.

GRADING

A=90-100%

B=80-89%

C=70-79%

D=60-69%

F=0-59%

HOW TO EARN YOUR GRADE

Possible Points	% of Total Grade	Tool
300	30	Class Participation
300	30	Worksheets
400	40	Take-Home Tests (4 @ 100 points each)
1000	100	Totals

LATE WORK WILL RECEIVE A REDUCTION IN POINTS EARNED FOR THE ASSIGNMENT

ATTENDANCE

If you don’t show up,

¨You can’t enlighten me and the other students with your wit and insights.

¨You can’t take notes, ask questions, hear answers, participate in discussions and arguments (yes, we will probably have at least one friendly disagreement this semester), see videos, receive handouts, participate in stimulating discussion, etc.

¨You won’t get your money’s worth from this course.

So,

Please make every effort to arrive on time, and barring emergencies, to stay until we are finished, each class session.

OTHER CLASS RULES

F Cell phones must be turned off.

FTalking in class is good. Only one person at a time gets to do it, though, unless we are working in small groups

ONE OTHER WAY TO ANNOY THE PROFESSOR:

Imitate a cow. This happens, when for some totally unforeseeable reason, you come to class asleep, unprepared, unwilling to participate, and fearful of looking the professor in the eye, lest he call on you.

You should QUIT this class now if you think:

· You don’t have to do the readings

· You only have to do the readings and say, “Wow, that was cool!”

· This will be a breeze. (Good writers like to make readers work a bit to get the payoff.)

· You can do the assignments (adequately) at the last minute pulling all-nighters

You should STAY if you:

· Suspect that there are some treasures to be found in the classic literature of Christians, and you want to know what they are

· You can read, and you have heard that reading can lead to knowledge, and you are willing to find out if that is true

· You like to hear what other people think

· You like to talk about what you think

· You like to picture titanic battles between angels

· You think you might want to name your first child Clive, Augustine, Dante, Flannery or Leo