Academic Catalog 2023-2024

HON - Honors Program

HON 1000  Introduction to Christian Scholarship (FE)  (1 Unit)  

This course introduces students to the Humanities Honors Program. Students will be introduced to the history and aspirations of the Christian liberal arts and ways that their education as aspiring scholars is situated within the larger context of God's will and purposes for their lives. Students will also be introduced to and participate in various acts of Christian devotion and works of mercy that are important practices of the Wesleyan tradition.

HON 1001  Rhetoric: Critical Communication (FE)  (4 Units)  

This course sharpens students' rhetorical skills through research-based written and oral communication assignments. It also introduces to and equips them for critical analysis of various written, oral, and visual media.

HON 1002  Introduction to Philosophy (FE)  (3 Units)  

This course will help students develop an openness toward the pursuit of wisdom; nurture creative and reflective thinking by reading significant primary texts within the Western philosophical tradition; examine what it means for us to be human; examine the nature of language and meaning formation; examine ethical issues, such as the nature of courage and humility; introduce several philosophical issues found in the Western tradition including human knowledge, the relationship of the soul to the body, and the meaning of human existence; and wrestle with these issues as they relate to their lives.

HON 1020  Foundations in Humanities I: Ancient/Medieval (FE)  (4 Units)  

Designed to integrate knowledge of civilizations from the ancient and medieval worlds, this course will incorporate select primary texts that are foundational to the humanities by exploring how key questions regarding the ultimate nature of reality and truth, and what it means to be human are grappled with during these eras from a Christian perspective. The course will include coverage of historical, political, philosophical and literary works, along with important movements and works of music and art from these eras.

HON 1050  Humanities Honors Abroad (FE)  (3 Units)  

This hybrid course takes place inside and outside the classroom. It allows students to learn through traditional methods of instruction about a foreign culture, ethnic diversity, and differing worldviews and challenges in the contemporary world. It also permits students to travel abroad in May and immerse themselves in the sights, sounds, smells, and customs of a foreign place. Integrating classroom and experiential learning over the course of the Humanities Honors Program is the goal of this course.

HON 2001  Old Testament History and Religion (FE)  (2 Units)  

Within the context of the history of Israel, this course provides an overview of the literature of the Old Testament with special attention to its religious and theological meaning. This course (in conjunction with HON 2002 in sequential quad terms) highlights the theological unity of the Christian Scriptures, while exploring the literary diversity of the two-testament canon.

Taken in conjunction with HON 2002 in sequential Quad terms.  
HON 2002  New Testament History and Religion (FE)  (3 Units)  

Within the context of Christian origins, this course provides an overview of the canonical literature of the New Testament with special attention to its literary history and theological themes. This course (in conjunction with HON 2001 in sequential quad terms) highlights the theological unity of the Christian Scriptures, while exploring the literary diversity of the two-testament canon.

Taken in conjunction with HON 2001 in sequential Quad terms.  
HON 2010  Politics of Race, Class, and Gender (FE)  (4 Units)  

This course introduces and analyzes the construction of the social categories of race, class and gender through the lens of Christian faith and assesses how these structures have shaped the experiences of people in the United States and globally, placing special emphasis on how these categories interact and create intersecting systems of power, privilege and oppression. Students will examine political, historical, legal, and economic bases for the experiences of race, class and gender, as well as use autobiographical materials to understand how individuals experience their particular situations in this matrix.

HON 2020  Foundations in Humanities II: Renaissance/Enlightenment (FE)  (4 Units)  

This course explores the key intellectual, artistic, social, religious, and political transformations in Europe in its efforts to comprehend the significance of the discovery of the New World, new ideas in art science and politics, and Europe's expansion into global trade by 1800. It explores changing ideas about God, humanity, and truth during this period from a Christian perspective. The effects of these European transformations on Europeans' relationships to non-European societies is also considered.

HON 3010  Christianity in Global Perspective (FE)  (3 Units)  

This course introduces students to the rich depths and diverse expressions of the Christian tradition. Students will learn about the historic roots and development of the Christian church and its theology and practices while engaging the variety of historical and contemporary expressions of Christian faith. Students will be challenged to recognize their own cultural biases even as they are encouraged find practical ways to deepen their commitment to and participation in the Body of Christ.

HON 3020  Foundations in Humanities III: 19th/20th Centuries (FE)  (4 Units)  

In this course, students will assess the key intellectual, artistic, social, religious, and political developments in the Western world during the 19th and 20th Centuries from a Christian perspective. They will explore changing ideas about God, humanity, and truth during this period, as well as the effects of these developments on relations between Western and non-Western societies.

HON 3050  Humanities Honors Integrative Seminar (FE)  (1 Unit)  

This course helps students tie together their various honors experiences and coursework. Through mini-lectures, discussion, and reflective practice, students will consider the major themes of the Humanities Honors program and the relationship between these themes and their personal, spiritual, and intellectual growth. They will also identify possible areas of research interest for development in the Honors Scholars Program (HON 4098/HON 4099) or within their chosen majors.

HON 3099  Foundations of Independent Research  (1-2 Units)  

A course designed to assist students in doing the substantial background work needed to prepare for an honors project. This course is meant to support those students whose majors do not offer other means of preparing the foundation for such projects. This course is not a prerequisite for HON 4098.

May be repeated up to a total of four (4) units. Credit/No Credit.  
Prerequisite(s): Consent of the director of the Honors Scholars Program and the respective department chair/school dean.  
HON 4098  Honors Project I  (2 Units)  

An intensive project to be completed by students who are designated as Point Loma Nazarene University Honors Scholars. The course includes the first stage of a seminal study within a scholar's major under the supervision of a faculty advisor. In the liberal arts tradition, scholars from different disciplines meet together every week to discuss progress on their projects. The interdisciplinary portion of the course includes a workshop on project preparation and presentation. The experience culminates with the scholar's formal presentation of progress to his/her Advisory Committee not later than December 15.

Credit/No Credit.  
Prerequisite(s): Normally restricted to students in the senior year with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.500 or higher. Approval of the director of the Honors Scholars program and the department chair/school dean in which the scholar's major is housed.  
HON 4099  Honors Project II  (1 Unit)  

A continuation of HON 4098. In this course, students meet regularly with their advisor, complete their project, and prepare for two formal presentations: one to their Advisory Committee and a second at the Point Loma Nazarene University Honors Conference held in mid-April. Honors projects are bound and kept as an annual collection in the university's Ryan Library.

Credit/No Credit.  
Prerequisite(s): HON 4098