Academics
Overview
General Education & Liberal Arts: Rebuilding CHRISTIAN CULTURE
In our attempt to recover what we have lost in the Fall and to be conformed into the image of Christ, who is the image of the Invisible God, and to exercise the Dominion Mandate and the Great Commission in our world, we have designed the Christian Culture major. While it resembles a general liberal arts approach, it distinguishes itself by taking all thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ and in applying knowledge with wisdom from God. This is not just a discipline, it is discipleship.
ASSOCIATE of ARTS Degree
The Associate of Arts degree is made up of 20 core courses (61 units) designed to prepare the student for a life of faithfulness as well as to pursue further studies at university level. The biblically-grounded preparation that this degree will provide for those student going on to higher education at less faithful universities is critical for the general welfare of the student. The degree is conferred and the units are backed by the regionally accredited Colorado Christian University. The student will also receive our diploma.
Courses: Old Testament, New Testament, Philosophy, English Composition, Personal Health and Fitness, Traditional Forms of Art, Speech & Debate, Theology, Apologetics, Foundations of Economics, and Foundations of Government, and more being added.
Christ-Centered Curricula
Curricular choices become all the more important in the context of distance education since authors of texts play a major role in the intellectual and spiritual development of the student. Therefore, we strive to bring our curricula under the Lordship of Christ. We will never hesitate to expose any ideas that do not comport to the sovereignty of Christ. We have adopted Generations’ Four Pillars of Distinctively Christian Curricula (https://sites.generations.org/curriculum) and we have added a fifth pillar. New partnerships are in progress.
Family Discipleship
We fully encourage dual enrollment as a means of gaining college credit while in high school. This avails an excellent opportunity to have parents and their children learn side by side and to give a structured platform for which the parents to carry on their biblical duty to disciple their children at this pivotal point in their academic and spiritual development (Deut 6:7; Eph 6:4).
Biblical Worldview
Developing as biblical worldview is key to thinking God’s thoughts after Him. The Believer is called not to live by blind faith but to grow in the knowledge of the Lord by exercising faith. We care called to resist the patterns of the world and to be transformed by the renewal our minds so that we may discern the will of God (Rom 12:2). Our striving to know the will of God depends upon renewing our minds according to the biblical patterns that God has provided for His children to live by.
Best Teachers, Best Books
Great godly minds have gone before us, and by God’s grace let us learn from these masters that we might stand upon their shoulders and pass on their wisdom to the next generation and for generations to come. Let’s be honest, we will only have a limited time to invest in the acquisition of knowledge through books; and therefore, we are wise to invest our energies into those books that will strengthen, challenge and stretch us in the Faith.
Worship and Life Application
We boldly proclaim that doctrine must begin and end with doxology. In other words, because we worship God and want to come to a greater knowledge of Him, we investigate all that He has marvelously revealed about Himself, us and the world in which He has placed us. When we come to know Him and His wondrous words and works, we ought to be driven back into a state of worship. And worship needs to become a lifestyle; everything we do, say and think ought to reflect the glory of God (Col 3:23).
Common Grace
God has revealed His eternal and special truth to His children, but He has also revealed a general truth to all of His image bearers. There are some unbelievers who have come to truth and aided the Believer in coming to understand it. As Augustine has suggested, we ought to “plunder the Egyptians” of their knowledge that we might redeem it for our benefit and for the building of the City of God among the cities of men.
Sovereignty College courses:
First & Second Years for the Associate’s Degree
- Foundations of Theology (Fall of 2023)
Foundations of the Theology covers basic issues, themes, and categories of Christian theology in a systematic format This course leads students through a study of the fundamental teachings of the Bible, encouraging students to better know, trust, love, and live by God’s Word.
2. Old Testament (Fall of 2023)
This course is designed to lead the student through a comprehensive study of the Old Testament. Themes, theologies, historical backgrounds, literary genres, and application will all be investigated as part of gaining greater understanding of God’s Word.
3. New Testament (Spring of 2023)
This course is designed to lead the student through a comprehensive study of the New Testament. Themes, theologies, historical backgrounds, literary genres, and application will all be investigated as part of gaining greater understanding of God’s Word. This course is designed to lead the student through a comprehensive study of the Old Testament. Themes, theologies, historical backgrounds, literary genres, and application will all be investigated as part of gaining greater understanding of God’s Word.
4. Traditional Art Forms (Fall of 2023)
This course is an integrated overview of historical developments in the traditional arts within Western Civilization with attention to the principles of critical appreciation and relationships to religious, socio-economic, intellectual, and cultural trends.
5. History of the Ancient World
This course is designed to present the earliest history of the world from the perspective and with the goal of understanding the active Hand of God’s Providence. This course will span the times of Creation to the introduction of the Roman Empire into the geo-political scene. Special attention will be given to the historical data that will assist the student in reading the Bible in historical context.
6. History of the Western World
This course is designed to present the history of the Western world from the perspective and with the goal of understanding the active Hand of God’s Providence. This course will span the times of Christianity to the era of the Renaissance and Reformation. Special attention will be given to Church’s history and placement in the grand scheme of God’s redemptive narrative.
7. College Composition (Fall of 2023)
This course introduces the student to effective composition writing at the collegiate level. Emphasis is placed on critical reading, writing and thinking by generating questions, investigating issues and formulating well-grounded arguments. This class will prepare the student for all courses requiring lucid and winsome writing, and more specifically Logic and Rhetoric.
8. Foundations of Literature
This course investigates the basic questions of the validity of literature as an expression of living as the image of God. This course prepares students with some basic theoretical understanding of literature so they will more proficiently and critically read literature in future classes and throughout life.
9. Foundations of Philosophy (Spring of 2023)
This course introduces the student to philosophy by means of surveying the historical landscape of major philosophers throughout history from Ancient Greece to the modern day. Furthermore, the student will understand and grasp the philosophies of each philosopher and will critique them according to biblical standards.
10. Christian Worldview (Fall of 2023)
This course gives an introduction to the concept of a Christian world and life view, and a comparison of a Christian worldview with alternative contemporary worldviews. Special attention will be given to an examination of the implications of a Christian worldview for contemporary social, moral and religious issues. Students will develop an appreciation for how worldview shapes the cultural milieu of the times, understand the intellectual ideas and paradigms that have shaped Western civilization, identify various paradigms and how they affect one’s view of social issues and institutions, and begin to formulate a rational, coherent, Christian view of contemporary issues.
11. Speech and Debate (Fall of 2023)
12. Foundations of Government (Spring of 2023)
13. Foundations of Economics (Spring of 2023)
Foundations of Economics draws upon the wisdom and principles of God’s Word and applies them to real life in economic settings. Issues of ownership, stewardship, charity, profit, loss, scarcity, abundance, supply, demand, entrepreneurship, workmanship, capitalism, interventionism, and socialism are all explored from a biblical perspective.
14. Foundations of Apologetics
Courses in process:
15. History of America
16. Foundations of Biblical Interpretation
17. Natural Philosophy of Biology
18. History of Christianity
19. Algebra in Theory and Practice
20. Personal Health and Fitness
What to Expect:
These are college-level courses, so students should expect to be challenged intellectually, but with our help and the guidance of parents, the reward will be in the work itself as well as in renewing the mind in the developing of the mind of Christ, into whose image we are being fashioned by the Holy Spirit.
Imago Dei
Gap Year Activities & Subjects:
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Art & Culture History
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Arts & Crafts
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Athletics & Agility
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Auto Mechanincs & Maintanance
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Business
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Church Planting
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Concerts
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Construction
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Equestrianism
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Farming
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Fencing
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Field Trips
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Financing
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Firearm Etiquette
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Irrigation
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Mission Trips
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Plumbing
Accreditation
Imago Dei College and Sovereignty College are not accredited themselves but are in partnership with Colorado Christian College that is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and, as such, has the best possible success at transferring units to another university. The Associate of Arts degree consisting of 60 units of general education liberal arts is conferred by CCU but designed and taught by Imago Dei and Sovereignty.
Articulation Agreements
An articulation agreement is an arrangement between two schools that the students’ work at one school will be accepted at another school, usually one that offers a higher degree. Students who desire to further their education beyond the Associate or Bachelor degrees and have interests in specific universities are encouraged to inform Imago Dei and Sovereignty Colleges as soon as possible so that we might begin discussions with these schools about acceptance of Imago Dei Sovereignty units and degrees. Having units accredited by Colorado Christian University is a huge advantage, and decreases the chances that the units will not be transferable. There is no guarantee that we can acquire articulation agreements in every case, but it will not be due to the lack of our effort in these cases.
Academic Calendar
Sovereignty College: As an online program, a student may inquire at anytime when a particular course may begin. We are generally as accommodating as possible to allow the student to start and finish a course according to their schedule, negotiating between convenience and accountability.
Imago Dei College: The basic calendar is a 14-week semester before Christmas and a 14-week semester after the New Year. We will arrange the specific dates with our current student-disciples.
Concluding each semester is the Don Rag, which is a final presentation by the students in a variety of courses. These presentations are followed by an oral examination by the professors, and an open evaluation by the professors, as family members are invited to attend and ask their own questions.
Regarding Life Skills:
Life is complex. We have more modern conveniences today that ever before that make life easier, but we have also lost the simple skills that used to be common in generations past because we have overly depended upon these conveniences. So that we do not lose our personal freedoms by constantly being dependent upon the experts, we must engage in basic skills that keep us invaluable to our families’ prosperity. We will teach the student-disciples how to maintain vehicles, how to maintain homes, how to build a room addition, how to fix a leaky plumbing, how to manage personal finances, gardening, business principles, and so many more skills that we assign to others and have taken for granted.
Address
Redlands CA 92373
Class Times
Sun : Closed
Mon – Friday : To be determined