Religious Studies

HRE13 - Religious Studies
Grade 9, Open (credit value: 0.5)
In this course, archaeology is used to aid the study of the Old Testament by illustrating and illuminating the cultural background of the Bible lands. Covering an area from Mesopotamia to Egypt and spanning the time period from Creation to the Hellenistic period, it highlights the themes of the Old Testament. Creation, the Fall, and the Flood are discussed in their biblical and cultural context. A study of some of the prophetic books of the Bible will contribute to an understanding of the culture of the Assyrians, Persians, and the Temple Period.

HRE23 - Religious Studies
Grade 10, Open (credit value: 0.5)
The theme of the course is the growth of the early Christian church within the context of Greek, Roman, and Palestinian influences. The Gospel of Matthew will be used to illustrate the work of Christ. A comparison with the other gospels will concentrate on showing the distinctive characteristics of each. The study of the Book of Acts will focus on the spread of the gospel and the founding of the early church. The Letter to the Galatians will be used to show how Paul gave direction to the early church in teaching the essential importance of the doctrine of justification by faith. The history of the early church will be traced as far as the formulation of the ecumenical creeds.

HRE33 - Religious Studies
Grade 11 or 12, Open
In this course the emphasis will be placed on an in-depth study of the unity of the Bible. Special attention will be paid to recurring themes, concepts, symbols, and metaphors. Students will trace the covenant of love throughout the Scriptures, study selections from the Psalms and from Revelation in relation to other parts of the Bible, and focus on central themes of the Reformation as expression of what is taught in the Scriptures as a whole.

HRE43 - Religious Studies
Grade 11 or 12, Open
In this course students will integrate the following: developing Bible study skills, increasing their knowledge of Scripture, and examining issues related to the interpretation of Scripture. In this connection the focus will be on the Letter to the Romans and Ecclesiastes. Other areas of concentration are the history of the church since the nineteenth century, the defence of the Reformed faith in confrontation with such world religions as Islam and Buddhism, an examination of contemporary issues from a Biblical perspective, as well as an overview of the Three Forms of Unity, with special emphasis on the Canons of Dort.