“You are a human animal; you are a very special breed; for you are the only animal, who can think, who can reason, who can read”—so goes the Disney video. And long ago Aristotle noted the same: “it is the special property of man in distinction from the other animals that he alone has perception of good and bad and right and wrong and the other moral qualities, and it is partnership in these things that makes a household and a city-state.”
But what does it mean to exercise those distinctively human capacities? Most of us know that it takes place in communities, through conversation. But are we properly equipped to play our part?
In this course, then we will develop tools for sound thinking and conversing, by considering what makes for a good argument (clear thinking), how to listen to others’ arguments (clear listening and reading), and how to present our arguments in a way that actually promotes the well-being of others (clear writing and speaking). These principles apply in ministry; they also apply in good cultural engagement and responsible citizenship, and we will use examples from all of these arenas. We’ll even examine the proper use of humor!
Course: Thinking, Writing, Reading, & Speaking Clearly (AT581)
Days/Times: Thursday afternoons from 2:00pm-4:00pm, starting January 27 (NOTE: this course will be available on livestream.)
Instructor: Dr. Jack Collins
Credit: 2 units
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Dr. C. John “Jack” Collins is Professor of Old Testament at Covenant Seminary.
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