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Cultivating What is Essential
Photo from 2019 by David Norris
Chaplain Don Moldstad helped create a new class to introduce essentials of Christianity to students with little or no knowledge of the Christian faith.
BY CHAPLAIN DON MOLDSTAD • DIRECTOR OF CAMPUS SPIRITUAL LIFE
Dr. Gene Veith, an author of over twenty books on topics involving Christianity and culture, Lutheranism, literature, and the arts, identified today’s group of college students as the first “post-Christian generation.” For the first time in our nation’s history, the majority of young people have grown up with little or no knowledge of the teachings of the Christian faith. An increasing number of new students at Bethany have not had the privilege of Christian education.
In addition, Bethany has been blessed with a large group of international students of late. Recently, a Bethany religion class of twenty-five students had nine nations represented. In another class, there were no less than thirteen different languages spoken by the students in that one room. It is exciting to teach to such a diverse group and learn more about their backgrounds and home countries.
Through the years, these wonderful opportunities have also presented an interesting challenge to the College’s religion faculty. While Bethany continues to be blessed with new students who have already experienced many years of formal Christian education, there is a growing and significant number who are from backgrounds with little or no knowledge of the faith. In an attempt to address these differences, we have developed two separate paths for their firstyear religion requirements.
Nearly twenty years ago, three Bethany religion professors, Mark DeGarmeaux, Mark Harstad, and Erling Teigen created an excellent Christian introductory class for freshmen which is still taught to half of our students. Using core elements from their materials, I was asked to develop a new course in hopes of allowing those with less of a church background to learn the essentials of the Christian faith, and prepare them for future Religion classes. The new course is called, “Essentials of Christianity.” Dr. Brian Klebig (Communication) and I now teach four sections with nearly 25 students enrolled in each class. From my perspective, it continues to be a work in progress, but is also very rewarding.
The class’ first semester lessons focus on the primary doctrines of Christianity, similar to a study of the catechism: the Trinity, Creation, the Revealed Knowledge of God, Redemption, etc. Students bring Bibles to class so they can read the various teachings in order to familiarize themselves with a study of the Scriptures. Take home readings and assignments guide them through a survey of Bible history in both the Old and New Testaments. Students keep a reading journal, included in their textbook, where they answer questions about Biblical history and important historical figures.
The second semester is a survey of the history of Christianity from the time of the Apostles to today. Our study continues to research what the Bible has to say as we work through the development of the early creeds, the early controversies about the Person of Christ, the Reformation, and other great events in Church History.
By the end of their first year of Religion classes, these students should have a solid knowledge of basic Christian doctrine, a foundational background in Bible history, a familiarity with the terms used in Scripture, and a good understanding of the larger events in the history of the Church. The classes are also infused with many elements of worship among Christians through the centuries.
God has provided Bethany with such tremendous blessings through the years. Many of us can remember our favorite religion professors, Sigurd Ylvisaker, Rudy Honsey, Bjarne Teigen, John Moldstad, Sr., Erling Teigen, Mark Harstad, Bill Kessel and many others. It is such a privilege to follow in their footsteps as we continue to proclaim the same truths from God’s saving Word to a new generation.
