KSP151: Christian Writing and Rhetoric Course
KSP151 is the introductory course to the Kuyper Scholars program and the only course all Kuyper Scholars take together. Therefore, it is an academically rigorous course that sets the bar for the specialized, independent work that makes up the rest of the program. Throughout the semester, students walk through the philosophy of rhetoric, looking at how it was used effectively in the past and how speakers' tactics have changed throughout history. Students are then given the opportunity to practice using rhetoric, writing essays and giving speeches on whichever topics suit their fancy.
Therefore, I used each assignment in this course as an opportunity to introduce myself to college-level thinking on the subjects that most interest me. As a Christian, I thoroughly enjoyed writing papers on James K.A. Smith's Letters to a Young Calvinist and on the development of Christian worldview, using both to gain terminology and understanding for faith-based discussions. As an English major, I used my compare/contrast essay to do something I love doing anyways: analyzing short stories. And as a theatrical directing major who would love to work in a school setting someday, I enjoyed researching high school dating relationships for my argumentative essay -- undoubtedly, I'll develop more understanding on this subject in my (hopeful) future occupation.
A Response to James K.A. Smith's "Letters to a Young Calvinist"
September 2014
I was baptized in a Congregationalist church, and I was a regular attendee until age twelve. There, I could recall and recite all the details of the most-well known Bible stories, as they were implanted into my mind through the rigid Sunday school curriculum. However, as mentioned, I only knew the most well-known Bible stories. I could ramble about Noah’s infamous ark or Jesus feeding the 5,000. I could sing many a memory verse or any requested song from Joseph: King of Dreams. However, I had never heard of Ruth or Elijah or Elisha or Jeremiah or Deborah or the book of Revelation; I had no idea that Jesus was coming back – which is a decently important component of the Christian faith!
When I was in the sixth grade, my father became a Christian and my family transferred to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. There, I began to understand what it truly meant to be a Christian, as I was exposed to many examples of genuine Christians seeking to live genuinely God-honoring lives each day of the week in each activity; in other words, I began to see Christianity as a worldview.
In the church shuffle, I never went through a confirmation or a catechism class. The Congregationalist church offered one, but I had just become of age when we retracted our membership. The EPC church doesn't offer any sort of course, though we do work through the New City Catechism casually as a youth group. When I moved to Sioux Center and began making my home at Dordt, I was intimidated by all my CRC/RCA/URC peers who had the basic understanding of church history and terminology that I lacked.
In reading Letters to a Young Calvinist twice and in writing about it, I practiced giving concrete words to the abstract concepts existing within my mind. In turn, I developed and solidified my understanding of what it means to be Reformed. I found that I always knew what it meant, but I had never possessed the vocabulary necessary to express my beliefs. Thus, having written this paper, I better understand the extent of my need for verbal processing.
Definition Project: The Development of Christian Worldview
October 2014
Prior to this exploration, I understood what it meant to hold a Christian worldview. However, I didn't know where the worldview concept originated nor what it entailed for my future occupation. Reading Walsh and Middleton's The Transforming Vision, wrestling with Kuyper's Lectures on Calvinism, and compiling an essay on both books helped me practically apply my intellectual knowledge to my daily life and my occupational goals.
As an English major, physically writing down all the abstract concepts I'd witnessed in my EPC church solidified the essence of a Christian worldview within my intellectual and practical capacities. Thus, writing these essays taught me much about my own learning style while simultaneously giving me vocabulary to express my foundational beliefs.
Compare/Contrast Project: "The Lottery" and "Girl"
November 2014
My KSP151 course read both of these short stories to develop our analytical abilities. As an English major, I truly enjoyed the activity as much as I enjoyed each piece. So, what better way than to indulge my love of storytelling than to compare these two remarkable short stories?
Surprisingly, writing this essay never proved tedious. I genuinely enjoyed conducting research and reading various theories about each piece's symbolism and thematic content. I genuinely enjoyed compiling and sorting through all the information I gleaned in the research process. And ultimately, I genuinely enjoyed writing the paper and then presenting it during class.
In essence, this process reinforced my confidence in my program of study. English majors read stories, analyze stories, discuss stories, and write stories; theatre majors read stories, analyze stories, discuss stories, write stories, and present stories in a way that makes analysis accessible to others. Through this essay, I tried my hand at each of these tasks and found fulfillment, confirming that I am indeed called to storytelling.
Argument Project: The Romantics of High School Romance
December 2014
When I began studying at Dordt, I was a secondary education major hoping to have my own English classroom someday. Yes, yes -- I am the type of crazy person that genuinely cares about teenagers' development, both in academic and social realms. And even though I'm no longer studying to be a teacher, I still get a lot of energy from interacting with and mentoring teenagers. In fact, I'm not opposed to working in a school setting someday, possibly through offering English tutoring or directing after-school plays. So even though this essay was designed to help me in my future classroom, which I will no longer have, all the truths I learned still apply to my life now and my future profession.
In this argumentative essay, I explored social development, specifically in the romantic realm, and its effects on teenagers. Research deems healthy (and I give a very narrow definition of healthy) romantic relationships to be more beneficial than detrimental. This conclusion surprised me, as I've grown up in a Christian community where young relationships were often deemed mere sources of future heartache. In turn, this project reshaped my predispositions, and I found information that will prove useful in my future interactions with students.