Course Descriptions - Traditional Undergraduate
PSCI 352 — Christianity and Politics. 3 hours. An historical analysis of the ways Christians have participated in culture. Particular emphasis will be placed on an examination of the major, contemporary Christian voices in American politics and the terms of the ethical debates that are taking place. The course is designed to answer the question: What is a Christian view of politics? Offered in alternate years.
God and the existence of inalienable rights given by the Creator. This course explores the historical development of the American constitutional heritage, focusing in particular on the political theory and case law underlying the freedoms of speech, press, and assembly. Recommended prerequisite: PSCI 447. PSCI 460 — Postmodern Political Theory. 3 hours. The students will study the most recent significant developments in postmodern political theory. The students will study the arguments of political theorists in the post-Enlightenment age, focusing on the work of theorists in the past 20 years. The students will also be challenged to think about postmodern political theory from a Christian perspective.
PSCI 360 — Politics of Russia. 3 hours. Same as HIST 360. PSCI 373 — Christian Courage in Public Life. 3 hours. Focusing on law and public policy, this course employs an interdisciplinary, liberal arts approach in examining five different ways in which various Christian traditions have historically related to or engaged culture. In particular, it looks at the life and writings of British statesman William Wilberforce, an evangelical Anglican, as a model for thoughtful, Christian engagement in the realms of law, government and politics today. Emphasizing the need for Christians to be courageous and to exemplify civic virtue, the course equips students with an appreciation for the Anglo-American constitutional heritage and its commitment to the rule of law under God, and challenges them to confront calamitous issues such as global terrorism and the emergence of a naturalistic “culture of death” in America. Recommended prerequisite: PSCI 352.
PSCI 465 — American Heritage of Religious Liberty. 3 hours. According to a growing consensus of scholars, one of America’s most enduring contributions to Western civilization, indeed to all of humanity, is its constitutional commitment to religious liberty, particularly as reflected in the religion clauses of the First Amendment. This course examines the historical development and judicial interpretations of the religion clauses, especially the establishment clause. Students who successfully complete this course will develop a deep appreciation for America’s historical and constitutional commitment to religious freedom, begin to formulate a Christian worldview that incorporates a proper understanding of the institutional roles of church and state and recognizes the importance of religious freedom in achieving a just society, and learn how to be a more effective Christian citizen and witness in a society committed to religious freedom and pluralism. Recommended prerequisite: PSCI 447.
PSCI 379 — The Developing World. 3 hours. Same as HIST 379. PSCI 385 — Selected Topics in Political Science. 3 hours. This course is a senior-level history/political science course in which the professor or professors chooses a topic, event, or development and structure a one-time course around that specific interest. The topic will be given in the schedule of courses when the course is offered. Prerequisite: one foundational course in Political Science or permission of instructor.
PSCI 471 — Senior Seminar in Political Science. 2 hours. Same as SSCI 471. Prerequisite: PSCI 390. PSCI 475 — Jurisprudence. 3 hours. Relying heavily on primary source documents, this rigorous course examines the lives and thought of the great legal philosophers and jurists in the Western legal tradition from ancient to modern times. Beginning with the ancient near eastern antecedents to Hebrew law in the Torah, the course then covers the legacies of Greek thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle, Roman leaders such as Cicero and Justinian, and early and medieval Christian theologians such as St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. After exploring the Hebraic, Greco-Roman and early Christian influences on the Western legal tradition, the course focuses on the emergence of the Anglo-American legal heritage, forged largely by concepts emerging from the Reformation, Renaissance and Enlightenment. Students wrestle with the writings of “higher law” theorists such as Thomas Hooker, John Locke, William Blackstone, Edmund Burke, and several American Founders, as well as the writings of the utilitarian and legal positivist thinkers such as Jeremy Bentham, Thomas Paine, John Stuart Mill, John Austin, and John Rawls. Prerequisites: PSCI 220; 280 or 290.
PSCI 390 — Historiography. 4 hours. Same as HIST 390. PSCI 422 — History of Political Philosophy. 3 hours. A survey of the significant political philosophies and theories within the Western tradition. A major focus will be placed on understanding the present state of Western civilization, rooted in its philosophical and ethical context. Part I of this course will cover ancient political philosophy, including pre-Socratic, Greek, Hellenic, and Stoic philosophy. Part II covers medieval political philosophy, including the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas. Part III covers modern political philosophy from the early Renaissance through contemporary postmodern political philosophy. PSCI 447 — American Constitutional Law. 3 hours. Includes the study of the origin, adoption, and the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the federal Constitution in such areas as judicial review, federalism, separation of powers, interstate commerce, contract clause, taxing powers, due process clause, equal protection of the laws, and civil liberties. Recommended for all Pre-Law students. Prerequisite: HIST 231, PSCI 223, or consent of instructor. Offered alternate years.
PSCI 490 — Political Internship. 1-6 hours. This course offers supervised opportunities for senior students to work in a variety of paid and volunteer internship opportunities in local, state, or national government during the school year or in the summer. Each internship is arranged in consultation with the student. PSCI 494 — Readings in Political Science. 1-4 hours. Same as HIST 494.
PSCI 455 — First Amendment and American Democracy. 3 hours. One of America’s most enduring contributions to Western civilization is a written constitution securing fundamental liberties as bulwarks against governmental tyranny. The most precious of these liberties—those of religion, speech, press, and assembly--are protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Historically, the Constitution and the fundamental rights which it protected emerged from a venerable “higher law” tradition which stressed the rule of law under 167