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I Believe!
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Introduction
Every person lives by some kind of belief system. Many people have not reflected on what they believe. Their beliefs, nonetheless, show up daily by influencing their thoughts, words, and actions. I Believe! can be helpful in discovering and exploring what a person really believes. I Believe! is a Spiritual Education and Enrichment elective course designed to assist adult learners in exploring their belief systems and in determining how well their beliefs are serving their spiritual growth. Over the eight-week course, students may discover hidden beliefs that influence their thought and behavior. The course begins with an examination of three categories of belief systems: Public, Private, and Visceral. It goes on to explore some of the formative factors, events, early learnings, relationships, and other factors that helped shape one’s belief system. In succeeding weeks, I Believe! explores specific areas of belief, including views of human nature, beliefs about God, Jesus Christ, and the relationship among God, humankind, and Jesus, prayer, sin and evil, law and grace, and the rituals and sacraments of the Christian church. How the Course is Presented The instructor will prepare a Learning Guide for each week’s work. The Learning Guide will include comments about the topic to be studied during the week, as well as suggestions about what to look for in the assigned readings. Along with this posting, the instructor will initiate discussion threads by posting specific questions related to the week’s topic of study. Students will post responses to the discussion questions and will be able to respond to other students’ postings, as well as ask questions of interest to the class. The instructor will respond as appropriate. Questions of special interest to individual students will be answered by e-mail. There will be weekly quizzes and a final essay exam. |
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Learning Objectives
Required Texts
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Requirements for Learners
Reading assignments will vary in length, with no week’s assignment being overly long. Readings from recommended books will be listed along with readings from required texts. Although not obligatory, the recommended readings will add to your learning experience. Participate in Online Discussions Several questions will be posted in the Discussion Forum each week. Students are asked to post a response to at least two discussion questions and to respond to other students’ postings, as they feel inspired to do so. Visit Recommended Web Sites and Recommend Web Sites You Have Discovered Throughout the course, the instructor will suggest Web sites related to course content. You are encouraged to visit the recommended Web sites. You are also encouraged to do your own "surfing" or exploring for Web sites related to the course material and let others in the class know what you’ve found and your estimate of the site’s quality. Successfully complete weekly quizzes and a final exam. |
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Grading
As is the case with all SEE courses, evaluation for I Believe! will be based on a Credit/No Credit system. To successfully complete I Believe!, students must participate in each week’s discussion forum and submit a final essay. A grade of "incomplete" will be assigned for any students who do not submit the required essay within two weeks of the close of the course and/or have not participated sufficiently in the Discussion Forum to receive credit for the course. |
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Also, make sure you read the technical requirements for this course and review our online learning FAQs. For information, call Customer Service toll-free at 1-800-248-6489, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (CT). You may also e-mail us at customerservice@unityonline.org. We invite you to explore our other study programs, including online self-study or the Spiritual Education and Enrichment (SEE) programs held at the Unity Village campus. |
