Welcome to What’s the Big Idea? An Introduction to the Christian Vision for a Humane Life.
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I’m delighted to have you aboard.
(Be sure to Bookmark This Page for easy reference in the future)
For the most part we’re going to keep things simple, but do be sure to take some time to look around at the links below before class begins, so you can become familiar with the layout and the environment.
Who’s Teaching This Course?
My name is Scott. I’m married to my high school sweetheart, have four amazing kids, an fantastic son-in-law, and a grand-daughter we call affectionately call Maddie-cakes. I served in pastoral ministry for 20 years, planting churches, and starting private Christian schools. I have earned degrees in creative writing, theology, religion, and classical studies. Currently, in addition to launching this educational platform, called Coram Deo Communitas, I’m pursuing a Ph.D in Humanities and teaching Integrated Humanities to high school students. You can read an expanded bio here.
Who Are You?
Please introduce yourself to the class here, so we can get to know each other better. This is also where we will host all our discussions.
Important Information
Be sure to order your book Six Great Ideas by Mortimer J. Adler.
Depending on the format of book you purchase, it will cost you about $4-$15. This should be the only cost you incur for this class. It will make a great addition to your library, if you don’t already own it, but if you don’t want to purchase it, you may be able to find a copy at your local library.
The class will officially open on Sunday, January 31st and we’ll wrap up around March 12th. You can grab your syllabus here.
Be sure you have a connection to Google Hangouts, and we’ll plan a conference call around the 3rd and 6th weeks.
Mission
We have a mission to help culture makers think deeply, communicate cogently, and make a difference that matters, by providing the tools and resources one needs to get an quality education at a fraction of the cost of attending a University. With the technology available and the proliferation of information available online, you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on a University Education unless you are going to be teaching at a University. I wrote an article here showing how you could get a $30,000 education for just about $300.
We are all here to learn together; that’s the nature of recitation and dialectic engagements. I’m here to be a tutor, and help guide you where I’ve already been, but ultimately, you will get out of this class what you put into it. Do the reading. Watch the lectures. Ask leading questions. Dialogue with other students. And try to make both hangouts.
If you do the work in the class, I promise you’ll finish this class a different person. And if you find this is the kind of education you need more of, there will be more opportunities available at the end of this class.
Also, this is an experiment. As I said, we’re here to learn from each other. Please be patient, and if you find there is something we could do better, by all means, please share. Don’t be shy. Email me at scott@scottpostma.net.
One final note: We are approaching this experience with the presupposition that the gospel of Christ is the true and final hope of humanity. We are not limited to a particular denomination and you don’t have to be a confessing Christian to participate. But I think it’s fair you know where we stand. Our statement of faith simply affirms The Apostle’s Creed.
See you around the Agora!