Scope & sequence for studying Logos resources
Now that a few people have more books in Logos than they know what to do with, I have a request. Can anyone recommend a resource (web-based, hard copy or Logos format) that outlines the different subjects covered by our various Logos resources?
For years I have used the "Outline of Knowledge" contained in Encyclopaedia Britannica's Propaedia volume.
Caveat: It is a humanistic perspective rather than the Harvard Classics' Judeo-Christian perspective. Still, it is a very worthwhile resource.
I have a video lecture series by R. J. Rushdoony called "A Christian Survey of World History." I am hoping to find a similar handling of the "bigger picture." A person should not have to go to seminary to learn about creeds, the Second-Temple period, comparative systematic theologies, and so on.
Is there a systematic way to survey the different branches of creeds, theologies, historical accounts and philosophical bents of the different books? I guess I am asking for a scope & sequence for laymen.
Any recommendations?
related but not exhaustive: Reading lists videos.
Logos 7 Collectors Edition
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Matthew C Jones said:
A person should not have to go to seminary to learn about creeds, the Second-Temple period, comparative systematic theologies, and so on.
Is there a systematic way to survey the different branches of creeds, theologies, historical accounts and philosophical bents of the different books? I guess I am asking for a scope & sequence for laymen.
As with learning about all areas of human knowledge, I would advocate an interest-based approach. There is too much collected human knowledge to learn it all in a lifetime, but if you start with a general basis from school and then explore further as your interest is raised, you will probably learn more in the long run than if you follow someone else's outline of the stuff every educated adult should know. Ditto for theological fields. Also, it is an iterative process. You learn something about history of Christianity, and then come back to probe it further later after learning about philosophy, and the learning of both will impart depth to each other. There is no best sequence to learn things in. Just dive in and don't get too hung up about doing it right.
And no, I don't know of any layman's outline of a curriculum for teaching yourself what one might get in a seminary education. But poke around on some seminary websites and see if you can find course syllabi with recommended readings. Or Google theology syllabus. (And plug in "Church history" or "biblical studies" or "pastoral care" etc. instead of theology).
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Rosie Perera said:
if you start with a general basis from school and then explore further as your interest is raised,
Back in the 1980's our homeschooling efforts dramatically improved when we heard Greg Harris talk of "delight-directed studies" in his homeschooling seminars. My children had no problem scanning our shelves for books of interest. Now that many books are only in digital form, it is hard to even know of their availability. (My own studies are "delight-directed" resulting in a humongous Logos library and not enough years to read it all.)
Rosie Perera said:I don't know of any layman's outline of a curriculum for teaching yourself what one might get in a seminary education.
I'm not kidding myself that reading seminary textbooks from my Logos library equates to sitting at the feet of the master teachers who penned those tomes. But it is better than anything previously available to the general public. I'm sure I would not be totally content with the included or excluded content of others' outlines of religious knowledge. I am just hoping to get a skeletal framework to hang it all on. My motivation here is not of a comprehensive "acquire everything" attempt but to offer a basic launch pad for further studies in life.
Guess I better get to searching for outlines. I will start with Logos first and branch out into Google searches.
Thx
Logos 7 Collectors Edition
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I would recommend the following book.
The Portable Seminary: A Master's Level Overview in One Volume
Product Description
In this one-of-a-kind book, lay people and pastors will find the major topics included in a typical seminary masters program, including surveys of the Old and New Testaments, systematic theology, church history, apologetics, missions, ethics, Christian education, and more. Designed for anyone who wants an introduction to a seminary education but cannot afford the time or money to attend seminary, who lives where formal training is unavailable, or whose previous education is primarily secular. Complete in one volume. The Portable Seminary features a distinguished international faculty of more than fifty professors, lecturers, and authors including: Donald G. Bloesch, Lillian Breckenridge, Walter A. Elwell, Kenneth O. Gangel, Norman L. Geisler, Julie Gorman, Carl F. H. Henry, Marlene Lefevre, Alistair E. McGrath, Leon L. Morris, Mark A. Noll, Robert L. Saucy, Bruce Shelley, Tite Tiinou, John R. W. Stott, C. Peter Wagner, and Ravi Zacharias.I hope that you can find this to be helpful. Just a friendly suggestion. God bless your studies.
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You can learn alot by checking the courses out that are offered at the seminary of your choice. Find out what the classes are and the books, they use if possible!
You can get a good idea what you should study and in what order by following the examples you find at different seminaries, pick the one or ones that you have the most respect for. Many schools have lists of books they feel are important, get a hold of those lists and start working on the books that catch your eye.
If possible get together once every week or two and discuss what you are learning with the local elders or pastor of your fellowship or one that you are comfortable with. You may even learn more than if you went to seminary. I am currently working on my DTH, but I would not feel bad just using the suggestions I have given to educate myself further! There are many advantages with logos and you can even study views that compete with each other without any worry about what the school would think!
Keep in mind we study to better know Christ and the riches of His Grace!
In Christ,
Jim
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Pastor Jesse Blevins said:
The Portable Seminary: A Master's Level Overview in One Volume
Thank you Pastor Blevins. This is very close to what I was looking for. I placed my order for it after reading this post and the review on Amazon by "our own" Dr. Charles A. Wootten . The table of contents looks like the book will serve as a good overview.
Logos 7 Collectors Edition
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Jim VanSchoonhoven said:
You can get a good idea what you should study and in what order by following the examples you find at different seminaries, pick the one or ones that you have the most respect for.
I highly respect these (although there are more, three will do):
- Wheaton College
- The Masters Seminary
- Dallas Theological Seminary
Jim VanSchoonhoven said:There are many advantages with logos and you can even study views that compete with each other without any worry about what the school would think!
That one comes in handy around these parts. It is sometimes difficult to inquire about divergent beliefs without undue critical analysis for "heretical leanings."
Jim VanSchoonhoven said:If possible get together once every week or two and discuss what you are learning with the local elders or pastor of your fellowship or one that you are comfortable with.
I used to do this every Friday for lunch with about 12 gentlemen (mostly pastors & priests) from various denominations. It was an education and most enlightening. But my current interest is more related to making good use of my newly enlarged Logos library. Delight-directed studies, as discussed with Rosie above, must still be based on a foundation of the backgrounds and Biblical reasons such questions were raised to begin with. I am probably past the point in life where I can spend several years and tens of thousands of dollars on a seminary education for myself. I'm the old guy on the dock who you see pushing the rowboats full of young people out into the waters for their seafaring adventures. I just want to know which direction to push.
Logos 7 Collectors Edition
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Matthew C Jones said:
I'm the old guy on the dock who you see pushing the rowboats full of young people out into the waters for their seafaring adventures. I just want to know which direction to push.
i too am approaching that point. But did you know that Daniel was in his 80's (or very near) when: he was thrown into the lions den, when God revealed to him the vision of the 70 weeks (ch 9), and when God revealed the vision of a man in Ch 10.
You never know what God has for you/us to do even as we get older. Just thought you might get a chuckle out of this.
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Here's another helpful outline or taxonomy of all the fields within Christian theology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_Christian_theology
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Thinking more about this subject, made me think these sites may be helpful to you. The all provide FREE training at a high level for those that can't go to school. Look at them you may get some ideas.
http://www.biblicaltraining.org/classes/institute
http://bible.org/article/theology-program you can download the program for free and use it or pay for DVDs
http://www.worldwide-classroom.com/
http://www.gordonconwell.edu/dimensions/
This one has a slight cost http://store.gordonconwell.edu/category_s/7.htm
https://www.scofield.me/Degree_Requirements.html look at the free classes they also offer a program at their Seminary based on Logos bible study program books you can call them, but it does cost money.
There are many other examples where you could get some ideas from or maybe even try some free courses. These are a few I could think of off the top of my head.
I hope they help.
In Christ,
Jim VanSchoonhoven
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Here's another one: KOINOS Seminars (http://koinosseminars.wordpress.com). You can listen online for FREE to the recorded all-day seminars that are part of the KOINOS Certificate in Christian Foundations (101 series), Certificate in Christian Theology (201 series), and Certificate in Christian Ministry (301 series) programs: http://www.canadianchristianity.com/koinos/index.html [NOTE: use the links in the table at the top of the page for the 201 series, since it is incomplete in the links below]
They've got the first two levels of completed so far (10 courses in each certificate), and another year of it is underway live in the Vancouver area (Schedule). These courses will appear in due time on the website once they've been recorded and edited. A couple of them are there already (links up near the top below the table). You only get the certificate if you pay and attend the seminars live, but anyone can audit for free over the internet.
The world-class faculty are all scholar-teachers who teach regularly in graduate degree programs.
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Thanks Rosie, those are good resources that I had forgot about, those should be helpful to others!
In Christ,
Jim
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