Course Descriptions

Next Offered: October 2020

Course Number: RI0501

Length: 8 weeks

Lecturers: Kenneth Samples and J.P. Moreland

Online Instructor: Mark Perez

Course Description: In this intensive 8-week course, Kenneth Samples, RTB's senior theologian, teaches what it means to love God with all your mind. The ability of Christians to effectively address the many arguments skeptics present is an ongoing challenge. This course deals with the various aspects of deductive, inductive, and abductive reasoning as they are applied to different forms of argumentation. Different ways of testing arguments and truth-claims are evaluated for validity, cogency, and strength. Students will learn to assess how arguments break down, how to recognize and categorize fallacies, and how to recognize when areas of logic are violated.

Audience: High school and up

Tuition and Registration

Registration options for this course

• Anyone may audit a class for personal enrichment.
• Earn a certificate in science apologetics through Reasons Institute.
• Earn undergraduate Christian college credit through Northern CA Bible College.
• Earn graduate credit through Hope International University.

Bookstore

• Purchase materials for this course.

For further information about Reasons Institute, please contact us at (855) REASONS or learning@reasons.org.

Next Offered: January 6, 2020

Course Number: RI0401

Length: 8 weeks

Lecturers: RTB Scholar Team

Online Instructor: Dr. John Battle and Dan Bakken

Course Description: This 8-week online course encourages students to form an integrated interpretation of general and special revelation as it pertains to the doctrine of creation. Theological and scientific questions concerning the age of the earth are also considered. Students are equipped to share this information with their Christian friends and family.

Topics:

• Survey of the biblical material related to creation
• General and special revelation
• Christian views of Genesis 1 – young-earth creationism, old-earth creationism, and theistic evolution
• Radiometric dating techniques
• Global flood theory
• Death before the Fall

Audience: High school students, Christian homeschool parents, pastors and missionaries interested in apologetics, college students who need college credit and anyone who wants to improve their witnessing efforts with unbelievers.

Tuition and Registration

Registration options for this course

• Anyone may audit a class for personal enrichment.
• Earn a certificate in science apologetics through Reasons Institute.
• Earn undergraduate Christian college credit through Northern CA Bible College.
• Earn graduate credit through Hope International University.

Bookstore

• Purchase materials for this course.

For further information about Reasons Institute, please contact us at (855) REASONS or learning@reasons.org.

Next Offered: August 2020

Course Number: RI0404

Length: 8 weeks

Lecturers: Fazale "Fuz" Rana and Hugh Ross

Online Instructors: Rick Gerhardt

Course Description: Many Christians wonder how to answer commonly cited evidence for evolution. This 8-week online course helps students learn how to use RTB's testable creation model approach to challenge the evolutionary paradigm. Students are equipped to share these evidences in their evangelistic efforts with unbelievers.

Topics:

• Origins of life
• Fossil record
• Soulish animals
• Common descent vs. Common design
• Hominids and Neanderthals
• Adam and Eve

Audience: High school students, Christian homeschool parents, pastors and missionaries interested in apologetics, college students who need college credit and anyone who wants to improve their witnessing efforts with unbelievers.

Tuition and Registration

Registration options for this course

• Anyone may audit a class for personal enrichment.
• Earn a certificate in science apologetics through Reasons Institute.
• Earn undergraduate Christian college credit through Northern CA Bible College.
• Earn graduate credit through Hope International University.

Bookstore

• Purchase materials for this course.

For further information about Reasons Institute, please contact us at (855) REASONS or learning@reasons.org .

Next Offered: August 2020

Course Number: RI1001

Length: 8 weeks

Lecturers: Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink

Online Instructors: Brandon Reddell and Dan Bakken

Course Description: This 8-week online course explores introductory concepts related to the biblical and scientific data about the origin and design of the universe. A practical emphasis will be placed on using insights from astronomy and physics for apologetics and evangelism. 

Topics:

• Big bang cosmology
• Design and the anthropic principle
• Evidence for the age of the universe
• Astronomical influences on the fossil record

Audience: Students with a limited background in science will be targeted, but those students with advanced degrees in physics and astronomy will also find this course of interest.

Tuition and Registration

Registration options for this course

• Anyone may audit a class for personal enrichment.
• Earn a certificate in science apologetics through Reasons Institute.
• Earn undergraduate Christian college credit through Northern CA Bible College.
• Earn graduate credit through Hope International University.

Bookstore

• Purchase materials for this course.

For further information about Reasons Institute, please contact us at (855) REASONS or learning@reasons.org.

Next Offered: January 6, 2020

Course Number: RI1001

Length: 8 weeks

Lecturers: Hugh Ross and Jeff Zweerink

Online Instructors: Brandon Reddell

Course Description: This 8-week online course explores advanced topics related to the biblical and scientific data about the design of the universe. A practical emphasis will be placed on using insights from astronomy and physics for apologetics and evangelism.

Topics:

• Particle physics
• Exoplanets
• Multiverse theory
• String theory

Prerequisite: Astronomy and Design

Audience: Students with a limited background in science will be targeted, but those students with advanced degrees in physics and astronomy will also find this course of interest.

Tuition and Registration

Registration options for this course

• Anyone may audit a class for personal enrichment.
• Earn a certificate in science apologetics through Reasons Institute.
• Earn undergraduate Christian college credit through Northern CA Bible College.
• Earn graduate credit through Hope International University.

Bookstore

• Purchase materials for this course.

For further information about Reasons Institute, please contact us at (855) REASONS or learning@reasons.org.

Next Offered: March 9, 2020 (8 weeks)

• Course Number: RI0502HIU (8 weeks)

Lecturers: Kenneth Samples, JP Moreland

Online Instructor: Ric Saenz

Course Description: Kenneth Samples, RTB's senior theologian lays out the foundational beliefs of the world's major religions and then explores the ways proponents of these religions use modern science to justify their particular worldviews.

Topics:

• Christianity and science
• Judaism and the work of Gerald Schroeder
• Islam and the work of Maurice Bucaille
• Latter Day Saints and the Book of Mormon
• Eastern mysticism and quantum physics

Audience: Graduate-level students and anyone who wants to improve their witnessing efforts with unbelievers.

Tuition and Registration

Registration options for this course

• Anyone may audit a class for personal enrichment.
• Earn a certificate in science apologetics through Reasons Institute.
• Earn undergraduate Christian college credit through Northern CA Bible College.
• Earn graduate credit through Hope International University. (8 weeks)

Bookstore

Purchase materials for this course 

For further information about Reasons Institute, please contact us at (855) REASONS or learning@reasons.org.

Next offered: September 2020

Course Number: RI0801

Length: 15 weeks

Lecturer: Dr. Fazale "Fuz" Rana

Online Instructors: Dr. Guirino Lancia

Course Description: Did life evolve through natural processes from an ancient primordial soup? What does the evidence actually say? This 15-week graduate seminar taught by Dr. Fuz Rana explores the integration of the biblical account for the origin of life with the latest scientific research. Although many sides of the origin-of-life issue will be studied, the lecturer holds to an old-earth-creation position and does not believe the scientific record supports biological evolution.

Topics:

• Survey of prominent scientific models – old-earth creationism, theistic evolutionism, and secular evolutionism
• Trends in origins-of-life research
• Defining life
• RNA-world hypothesis
• Bottom-up approach
• Top-down approach
• Biochemical design

Audience: Graduate-level students and anyone who wants to improve their witnessing efforts with unbelievers.

Prerequisites: Certificate students will find it helpful to have first taken both "Creation and the Bible" and "Creation vs. Evolution" or if they have an extensive background in chemistry. Some parts of this course contain semi-technical discussions of issues related to chemistry and biochemistry. A college-level understanding of chemistry is helpful, but not required.

Tuition and Registration

Registration options for this course

• Anyone may audit a class for personal enrichment.
• Earn a certificate in science apologetics through Reasons Institute.
• Earn undergraduate Christian college credit through Northern CA Bible College.
• Earn graduate credit through Biola University.

Bookstore

• Purchase materials for this course.

For further information about Reasons Institute, please contact us at (855) REASONS or learning@reasons.org.

Next offered: January 13, 2020

Course Number: RI0601

Length: 15 weeks

Lecturer: Dr. Fazale "Fuz" Rana

Online Instructor: Dr. Richard Deem

Course Description: Did humans evolve from an ancient ape-like ancestor? What does the evidence actually say? This 15-week graduate seminar taught by Dr. Fuz Rana explores the integration of the biblical account of humanity's origin with the scientific record. The most prominent biblical and scientific models for human origins will be surveyed, including young-earth creationism, old-earth creationism, theistic evolutionism, and secular evolutionism. This year we have 32 brand new video lectures for students to learn and grow from.

Topics:

• Survey of prominent scientific models – young-earth creationism, old-earth creationism, theistic evolutionism, and secular evolutionism
• Fossil record
• Genetic data
• Paleoarchaeological data
• Hominids ("Lucy," homo habilis, etc.)
• Neanderthals
• Adam and Eve

Audience: Graduate-level students and anyone who wants to improve their witnessing efforts with unbelievers.

Prerequisites: Students may take this course after their completion of both "Creation and the Bible" and "Creation vs. Evolution." Some knowledge of chemistry or genetics will be helpful, but isn't required.

Tuition and Registration

Registration options for this course

• Anyone may audit a class for personal enrichment.
• Earn a certificate in science apologetics through Reasons Institute.
• Earn undergraduate Christian college credit through Northern CA Bible College.
• Earn graduate credit through Biola University.

Bookstore:

• Purchase materials for this course.

Next Offered: March 9, 2020 (8 weeks)

• Course Number: RI1801

Lecturers: RTB Scholar Team

Online Instructor: Colin Burgess

Course Description: This course will explore evangelism strategies to reach analytically-minded people, especially scientists, with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, how do you take the apologetics arguments that you’ve learned in other RI courses and apply them to real life conversations and ministry. The readings and writing assignments focus on cultivating your understanding of this people group—what it means to communicate with them through an evidential approach to faith. In our class dialogue, we will practice the principles of communicating with “gentleness, respect and a clear conscience” (1 Pet. 3:15–16). In seeking to understand and appreciate how to communicate with scientists, skeptics and atheists, we will cultivate love and empathy, both of which are essential to interacting in a global context. 

Prerequisite: Creation and the Bible and one of the following - Astronomy and Design OR Creation vs. Evolution

Audience: College-level students and anyone who wants to improve their witnessing efforts with unbelievers.

Tuition and Registration

Registration options for this course

• Anyone may audit a class for personal enrichment.
• Earn a certificate in science apologetics through Reasons Institute.

Bookstore:

• Purchase materials for this course
  

For further information about Reasons Institute, please contact us at (855) REASONS or learning@reasons.org.