Senior Seminar

As the milestone of graduation approaches, senior students gather in seminars to forge communities and again explore big questions about humanity, the natural world, and God through different modes of inquiry.

They will also ask questions that help them reflect on their liberal arts education such as: What does it mean to be a lifelong learner? What are my abiding beliefs and convictions and how can I live them out? What is my worldview? How can I make a difference in the world?

As the historic Christian faith is central to the mission of 换妻社区, Senior Seminar explores how Christianity engages with the broader world. The examination and discussion of both Christian and diverse viewpoints helps students to refine their own convictions even as they learn to comprehend, consider and evaluate perspectives different from their own. This is accomplished by engaging in activities that allow students to practice Hope鈥檚 Virtues of Public Discourse.

Associated Student Learning Outcomes

The following learning outcomes will be reinforced:

1. Examine fundamental or emerging questions about humanity, the natural world, or God by seeking answers through different modes of inquiry.

3. Practice 换妻社区's Virtues of Public Discourse: humility to listen; hospitality to welcome; patience to understand; courage to challenge; honesty to speak the truth in love.

7. Explain their own values, commitments, and convictions.

IDS 452/492 level courses (3 Credits)

The specific purpose of the senior seminar is to ensure that before students graduate from 换妻社区, they have explicitly confronted questions of value and belief in a practical and concrete way. These courses will deliberately examine 鈥淏ig Questions鈥� by seeking answers through multiple disciplines, practice 换妻社区鈥檚 Virtues of Public Discourse, demonstrate an ability to communicate clearly, explore Christian ways of knowing, and explain what they believe and why.

Students will develop an understanding of the diverse and life-giving purposes and perspectives by which people live. They will also deepen their ability to discuss differences sensitively, reasonably, and honestly.

Because this course serves as the capstone to a student鈥檚 liberal arts education, this course should be taken no earlier than the May Term of a student's junior year.

Course Descriptions

Spring 2026

492.01. The Creative Life
In his essay 鈥淥n Fairy Stories鈥�, JRR Tolkien claims that an essential aspect of being made in the image of God is the impulse toward creativity. This claim aligns with Genesis 1:27鈥�28, where humans are mandated to explore and develop the possibilities and potentials inherent to God's creation. Thus, creativity is not just for artists; it鈥檚 an integral part of what it means to be human and is potentially at the core of every human vocation. But what does it mean to be creative? And how is creativity relevant to areas like business, science, the service professions or even ministry? Moreover, what does it mean to pursue creativity in one鈥檚 personal and family life? This course will explore all these questions, as well as how society and institutions might be structured to encourage a greater degree of human creativity instead of inhibiting it.

492.02. Around the Table
Tables are pivotal in our lives. We eat around them, we pursue dreams and make plans around them, foster love around them and even mourn death around them. Good food, drink, games or art at the table allows for people to be together in ways that would otherwise not be possible. In short, we make tables as objects, but around them are we made as persons. And come to see personhood in those we are with. Community may on some level, then, be the dynamic interaction of these persons through time with one another. The question that we will explore as a class is: How do we foster the possibility of and avoid challenges to community in the modern world? The table, and what happens around it, will be the literal and metaphorical tool we鈥檒l use throughout the semester. Beyond in-class sessions revolving around themes of identity, relationships and community, we will also add in the practice of having a series of dinners together in my home as we include the role of food and eating in our reflections.

492.03. Science, Anti-Science and the Christian Faith
Science is a gift from God. Loving God with our minds is a biblical exhortation. In this course we will read material from various domains of the social and natural sciences. We will read research on how and why people refute or deny scientific findings. We will examine cases of how disinformation about science is spread and consider methods to prevent it. We might read some primary research articles, but they won鈥檛 require specific background in a particular field. Most of our readings will be from scholarly books. Students do not need to be a major in the social or natural sciences. Students would enjoy the course if they are open to being informed by or have an appreciation for scientific inquiry.

492.04. How Much is Enough?
Americans today live in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. While many of our religious and philosophical traditions have understood wealth to be spiritually dangerous, the pursuit of wealth and the steady increase of possessions are a hallmark of American culture and economics. In this course we will consider the role of material possessions in a good life and the role of wealth in flourishing communities. Source materials will include religious and philosophical perspectives on wealth as well as scientific study of the impacts of wealth, poverty, and wealth inequality on individuals and communities.

492.06. How to Live: Writing, Reflection, and Rest
This Senior Seminar course asks some of the most enduring Big Questions faced by adults: How should I live? What habits will shape my time and experiences? What are my most important values, and how can I shape my life around the cultivation of those priorities? Where should I live? How should I spend my resources? What kinds of friends, mentors and colleagues do I need? In this course, students will read, write, reflect and meditate on the wisdom of others who have thought deeply about these same questions. By the end of the course, students will write their own thoughtful responses to this driving question: How should I live?

492.07. Unpacking Study Abroad, Repacking for Global Citizenship
Hope鈥檚 mission statement articulates that we will 鈥減repare students for lives of service and leadership in a global society.鈥� What does it mean to be a responsible and engaged member of a global society? How do we make sense of our global experiences and identities in order to have a positive impact on those around us? How does faith influence my actions in my community, both locally and globally? How do we define 鈥渟ervice and leadership鈥� in the context of justice issues and what does our responsibility to engage in these critical issues look like as global citizens? This Senior Seminar course will dig into these questions and more as we prepare to wrap up our time at Hope and step out into all the world. It is designed to help the returned study abroad student or international student articulate their global story and discern meaning of their time abroad. We will explore global citizenship through the colleges鈥� global learning outcomes of curiosity, empathy, knowledge, responsibility and self-awareness.

492.08. God鈥檚 Story, Your Story
What is your life story? What do you imagine the following seasons to be like? What about God鈥檚 story? What does the Bible tell us about His story? What if God鈥檚 story becomes your own story? In this course, we will explore how God鈥檚 story is unfolding in our own lives and in the lives of others. We will read 鈥淕od鈥檚 Story, Your Story: When His Becomes Yours鈥� by Max Lucado, and 鈥淧leasure of His Company: A Journey to Intimate Friendship with God鈥� by Dutch Sheets. We will also read an autobiography of a special Japanese artist, Tomihiro Hoshino, and enjoy his beautiful artworks and poems which he draws with a pen in his mouth. Through these books and other stories, we will examine how God uses both the ordinary and life-changing events to bring out unexpected beauty in life.

Wherever you may be in your faith journey, you are welcomed to join in the dialogues as we seek together to find God鈥檚 beauty in our own unique life story.

492.09. Mistakes, Mindsets and a Meaningful Life
Problem solving is an important part of learning at any age and is far more than a classroom skill. It鈥檚 a way of approaching life. In this seminar, we will ask together: How do we learn and flourish beyond the classroom? Drawing on insights from mathematics, psychology, education and faith traditions, we will consider what it means to persevere in the face of challenge, to think creatively and to grow through mistakes in our quest for a meaningful life. We will explore engaging problem-solving tasks, developing our capacities for reasoning, communicating and perseverance. Along the way, we will reflect on the habits of mind that allow us to tackle complex problems 鈥� listening, planning, reflecting on whether our current course makes sense, and adapting as necessary. We will explore how these practices shape not only our reasoning but also our character, relationships, and capacity for flourishing. Christian and diverse perspectives will guide our conversations as we connect problem-solving with bigger questions about human growth, mindset, resilience and purpose.

492.10. The Virgin Mary in Theology, History, Fiction and Culture
How do others, and especially holy people from the past, help us in our lives today? Our course will focus on one person in particular, with whom the world has been fascinated for two thousand years. In this class, we will ask what the Virgin Mary tells us about the dignity of human beings, of women, of the poor and of the oppressed. While we will read some Christian Scripture, we will focus mainly on how other writers have received her memory, along with how, if we believe their accounts, she has revealed herself to many of the world's cultures. We will read St. Maximus the Confessor鈥檚 biography of Mary, Anne Rice鈥檚 fictional account of Mary鈥檚 role within the life of the young Jesus, the reflections of the Qur'an, some writings of the popes, some feminist writings, and some of the most famous stories of Mary鈥檚 appearances, focusing particularly on Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico and Our Lady of Kibeho in Rwanda. We鈥檒l also watch some film accounts. Some students will find the Virgin Mary extremely important and some will not. Some will find the stories about her intriguing but flimsy and others will receive them devoutly. Accordingly, we will learn how to talk with one another across these differing beliefs.

492.11. A Republic, if you can Keep it
In our senior seminar, we鈥檒l consider what it means to be a citizen of a democracy and a citizen of the world. We鈥檒l examine both historical and current autocratic movements around the world and examine how democracies hold firm and how they crumble. We鈥檒l reflect on our faith and values and how these shape our commitments. We鈥檒l also focus on discernment, decision-making, and 鈥渄esigning鈥� our lives post-graduation.

492.12. Science and Christian Belief
This course will explore what it means to reconcile matters of personal faith with those of rigorous scientific perspectives. We will explore the roles that both science and faith play in contributing to a more complete understanding of the human experience and how these two interact with each other. We will also dig into some of the historical 鈥渃onflicts鈥� between science and faith with the goal of more thoroughly appreciating both perspectives.

492.13. Film and the Meaning of Life
Film serves as an intellectual platform for art, literature and communication. It is arguably one of the most influential modes of thinking and public dialogue in our time. These qualities make film an ideal gateway for exploring the meaning of life. We often enter the world of a film by identifying with its characters or recognizing familiar life contexts within it. The diversity of themes and narratives also makes film an especially appealing subject of study. The ultimate question of this semester-long journey is: What kind of character is each of you becoming in the film you are just beginning to create? This is the central question of the Senior Seminar, and we will use films to get to it. A curated list of films will guide us through the questions we have about our future. We will discuss their themes, characters, contexts, histories, philosophies, conflicts and more. This course incorporates four distinct intellectual exercises: viewing films as texts, researching backgrounds and contexts, presenting analyses and findings, and discussing each film to share and broaden our perspectives, enriching our experiences and worldviews.

492.14, 15. The Art of Listening
Author Adam McHugh wrote, 鈥渢he sort of people that we become is, in large part, determined by the voices that we choose to listen to.鈥� In this class we will explore listening to the voices of both God and others and learn about the beauty and deep value of silence. We will engage in conversation over cups of tea, and we will listen deeply to the stories of others. Be prepared to check your phone at the door, enter with a curiosity for what you will hear, and leave the class with a newfound attentiveness that allows you to, in the words of poet Mary Oliver, 鈥渆very day see or hear something that more or less kills you with delight.鈥�

492.16. Science and Christian Belief
This course will explore what it means to reconcile matters of personal faith with those of rigorous scientific perspectives. We will explore the roles that both science and faith play in contributing to a more complete understanding of the human experience and how these two interact with each other. We will also dig into some of the historical 鈥渃onflicts鈥� between science and faith with the goal of more thoroughly appreciating both perspectives.

492.17. Faith, Wholeness and the Calling
This course explores living a whole and healthy Christian life. It integrates faith, well-being and personal vocation. Students reflect on how wholeness influences their decisions, relationships and sense of purpose. The course focuses on building habits that support mind, body and spirit, aligning with Christian values.

492.18. The Responsible Self: Wellness, Virtue, Meaning
This course explores responsibility through the lens of wellness (physical, emotional, financial, etc.). Students will examine how personal choices affect not only their own lives but also their relationships, families and communities. Through readings, discussions and reflection, they鈥檒l consider what it means to make ethical decisions, care for themselves and contribute to the well-being of others in a complex world.

492.19. The Responsible Self
This course explores responsibility through the lens of wellness (physical, emotional, financial, etc.). Students will examine how personal choices affect not only their own lives but also their relationships, families and communities. Through readings, discussions and reflection, they鈥檒l consider what it means to make ethical decisions, care for themselves and contribute to the well-being of others in a complex world.

492.20. Human Flourishing

As you prepare to step beyond 换妻社区, this seminar invites you to reflect on what it means to flourish as a human being. Together, we will ask enduring questions:

How can we cultivate joy in the ordinary tasks of daily life?
What does it mean to find contentment in the pursuits that give our lives meaning and direction?
How do our connections with others through friendships, family, community, faith communities, and even the companionship of pets shape our sense of belonging and purpose?
How do we carry forward the habits of lifelong learning that a liberal arts education has nurtured?
And how might our understanding of God and the Christian faith inform these questions of human flourishing as we engage them alongside diverse perspectives?

Through readings, conversations and reflective practices, we will explore diverse perspectives on flourishing while also considering how the historic Christian faith engages these questions. In our seminar community, students will be encouraged to articulate their own convictions, listen well to others and imagine how they might live with purpose, connection, faith and hope in the years ahead.

492.21. Creation Care
Curious about sustainability? Creation care is a Christian theology that highlights God鈥檚 call for humanity to steward the Earth. Creation includes our land, air and waters 鈥� and it also includes you. No matter your faith or your major, your life intersects profoundly with the environment and those you share it with, both locally and globally. As you prepare for life beyond college, what better way to ground yourself than by learning about the soil beneath your feet? We鈥檒l spend time thinking about our practical, everyday choices and how we can make choices that benefit ourselves, those around us and the Earth. Through writing a life-view essay, you will articulate how your values and beliefs can guide you in shaping your future. Join us in exploring what it means to be a human on Earth through discussions on creation, stewardship and vocation.

492.22. In Search of the Good Life
As you stand at the trailhead of your life after Hope, with so many different paths before you, it would be beneficial to consider your end goals first. When you look back on your life choices, what will you have hoped to accomplish and how can you get there? In this course, we will be reading fiction, biographies and autobiographies of some amazing humans. We will also be interviewing family and community members we admire and viewing films representing historical figures who have given of themselves to others. We will be considering what makes these lives worthy of study and emulation. Is happiness a necessary component of a good life, or can we still live a good life, even when it鈥檚 tough to see the sun through the clouds? In our small senior seminar community, we will be discussing, debating and discerning our next steps in the hope that no matter where you land after graduation, you will be living, or headed toward, a good life.

492.23. Plotting your Course in an Unsustainable World
The first command to humans in the Bible, 鈥淏e fruitful, and multiply鈥� 鈥� is ultimately unsustainable. As we near the limits of resources like soil and fresh water, and as we strain the planet's capacity to absorb pollutants, the need for a sustainable world is as clear as the recognition that we don't live in one. Through weekly readings and discussions we will explore a variety of responses to this dilemma, from permaculturists trying to create their own sustainable environments to survivalists planning to wait out impending disasters to technologists seeking to colonize space. What models might we follow as individuals or as a society? We will ponder a variety of ideas to see which ones might be useful as you choose your own adventure over the next 60 or 70 years.

Fall 2026

492.01 Psalms for Life
This course takes a look at the biblical book of Psalms and its influence on the life and faith formation of its readers 鈥� including you! We will examine the Psalms in their biblical setting, in Christian theological understanding, in their historical use for Christian worship, and as they appear in art and culture around the world. We will also focus on the Psalms as expressions of human identity developing over time 鈥� identity lived in relationship with God and others.

492.02 Encountering Awe: From Brain to Spirit
Human beings have long sought out experiences that lift them beyond the ordinary, moments of wonder, beauty, smallness and transcendence that we often call awe. This Senior Seminar asks: What role does awe play in a meaningful life, and how might living with awe shape who we are becoming? Drawing on insights from psychology, neuroscience, theology, literature and the natural world, students will examine how encounters with awe, whether in nature, music, moral beauty or the divine, impact our brains, reshape our sense of self, deepen our spiritual lives and expand our capacity for human connection. Together we will consider how awe might guide our future vocations, relationships and commitments, and explore practices that help us cultivate wonder in a distracted and fast-moving world.

492.03 The Art of Listening
Author Adam McHugh wrote, 鈥渢he sort of people that we become is, in large part, determined by the voices that we choose to listen to.鈥� In this class we will explore listening to the voices of both God and others and learn about the beauty and deep value of silence. We will engage in conversation over cups of tea, and we will listen deeply to the stories of others. Be prepared to check your phone at the door, enter with a curiosity for what you will hear, and leave the class with a newfound attentiveness that allows you to, in the words of poet Mary Oliver, 鈥渆very day see or hear something that more or less kills you with delight.鈥�

492.04 Readers for Life
After formal education ends, learning can remain a part of your life if you wish it to. One great way is through reading fiction: a chance to slow down, broaden your understanding and discover the kind of human you want to be. From book clubs to BookTok, many adults also build community through reading. In this class, we鈥檒l read a few great works of classic and modern literature focused on the idea of education and adulthood. Rather than the traditional classroom model of literary study, we鈥檒l practice what reading for life can look like with creative, spiritual and virtue-based reading strategies. We鈥檒l let stories by great writers lead us into conversations about kindness, honesty, sacrifice, grief, courage, commitment and more.

492.05 The Responsible Self: Wellness, Virtue, Meaning
This course explores responsibility through the lens of wellness (physical, emotional, financial, etc.). Students will examine how personal choices affect not only their own lives but also their relationships, families and communities. Through readings, discussions and reflection, they鈥檒l consider what it means to make ethical decisions, care for themselves and contribute to the well-being of others in a complex world.

492.06 Cultivating a Life of Meaning, Work and Attention
What if the life you鈥檙e supposed to build isn't about having it all figured out, but about learning to pay attention? This seminar explores the tension at the heart of launching a life: living meaningfully while doing work that doesn鈥檛 destroy you, holding together purpose and pragmatism, learning when to move fast and when to slow down. We鈥檒l engage one practitioner鈥檚 raw, honest reckoning with building a sustainable livelihood while doing work that matters. We鈥檒l explore questions about the good life 鈥� drawing on Christian and diverse perspectives, social science research on human flourishing, and philosophies of work that push back against our culture鈥檚 addiction to busyness and to 鈥渕ore.鈥� And we鈥檒l practice contemplative disciplines drawn from sacred and secular traditions 鈥� Examen, silence, Lectio Divina, meditation 鈥� to cultivate the inner attention that wise living requires. You鈥檒l wrestle with questions about pace, presence, work and what you actually want your Monday mornings to feel like. No formulas. No five-step plans. Just space to be honest, tools to think clearly, practices to listen deeply and honest attempts to live accordingly.

492.07 A Storm of Luminous Water: Close Reading for Life
What do John Ames (a character in Marilynne Robinson鈥檚 Pulitzer-prize winning novel Gilead), 19th-century Russian story-story writers Chekhov and Gogol, the poet Jane Kenyon, and biblical authors like Paul and the writer of Song of Songs have in common? They all pay attention to the world, something we鈥檒l call 鈥渃lose reading鈥� (especially of texts, but also our lives more broadly). In this seminar, students will facilitate class discussions by responding to course readings (including the authors listed above). The final life-view paper will address the ways our close readings 鈥渃hanged you when you read them, made the world seem to be telling a different, more interesting story, a story in which you might play a meaningful part, and in which you had responsibilities鈥� (George Saunders).

492.08 Living a Good Story
In her bestselling children鈥檚 book Tale of Desperaux, Kate Dicamillo writes, 鈥淪tories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Begin at the beginning. Tell Gregory a story. Make some light.鈥� Jonathan Auxier offers a different perspective. In his young adult novel, The Night Gardener, one of his characters reflects 鈥淎 story helps folks face the world, even when it frightens 鈥檈m. And a lie does the opposite. It helps you hide.鈥� Tim O鈥橞rien, author of the Vietnam War memoir The Things They Carried, offers yet another perspective on story. He writes, 鈥溾€� story-truth is truer sometimes than happening-truth鈥� That鈥檚 what fiction is for. It鈥檚 for getting at the truth when the truth isn鈥檛 sufficient for the truth.鈥� In this senior seminar, we will use 鈥渟tory鈥� as a framing concept for our discussions about what shapes us as individuals and as a society. We鈥檒l encounter and discuss a variety of stories throughout the semester 鈥� children鈥檚 picture books, young adult literature, memoirs, films 鈥� as a way of reflecting on the different purposes of storytelling, different ways of telling stories, criteria for evaluating stories, and how stories can affirm or push against our own worldview beliefs.

492.09 God Story, Your Story
What is your life story? What do you imagine the following seasons to be like?

What about God鈥檚 story? What does the Bible tell us about His story? What if God鈥檚 story
becomes your own story? In this course, we will explore how God鈥檚 story is unfolding in our own lives and in the lives of others. We will read 鈥淕od鈥檚 Story, Your Story: When His Becomes Yours鈥� by Max Lucado and 鈥淧leasure of His Company: A Journey to Intimate Friendship with God鈥� by Dutch Sheets.

We will also read an autobiography of a special Japanese artist, Tomihiro Hoshino, and enjoy his beautiful artworks and poems which he draws with a pen in his mouth. Through these books and other stories, we will examine how God uses both the ordinary and life-changing events to bring out unexpected beauty in life. Wherever you may be in your faith journey, you are welcomed to join in the dialogues as we seek together to find God鈥檚 beauty in our own unique life story.

492.10 Human Flourishing

As you prepare to step beyond 换妻社区, this seminar invites you to reflect on what it means to flourish as a human being. Together, we will ask enduring questions:

How can we cultivate joy in the ordinary tasks of daily life?
What does it mean to find contentment in the pursuits that give our lives meaning and direction?
How do our connections with others through friendships, family, community, faith communities, and even the companionship of pets shape our sense of belonging and purpose?
How do we carry forward the habits of lifelong learning that a liberal arts education has nurtured?
And how might our understanding of God and the Christian faith inform these questions of human flourishing as we engage them alongside diverse perspectives?

492.11 Core Commitments on Divisive Issues
This course raises fundamental questions about human values and engages students in considering, discussing and writing about their philosophy of life in a compelling, coherent and disciplined manner. Students will also consider how one鈥檚 Christian faith/faith perspectives can inform their philosophy of life. They will approach these issues through the lens of an examination of three divisive issues that are currently dominating much of today鈥檚 discussion of where our priorities should be as individual human beings and as a society. The three core issues examined in this class are centered on:

Our ecological environment
Our ongoing political discord
Our all-too-common lack of respect for religions other than our own (including denominational discord within Christianity)

492.12 The Social Dilemma: Finding Community in a Digital Age
This course examines the ways in which we connect with one another and create community, both in face-to-face and digital/online contexts. We will critique our consumer society, examine the decline of community and neighborhoods in modern U.S. culture, consider ways to build community after graduation, and reflect on the possibilities and limitations of virtual community. Sherry Turkle鈥檚 Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age will be used as a foundational text as we examine the ways in which our communication is both impacted by and fundamentally changed by digital technology. The course concludes with examining what is Christian community and the ways in which the historic Christian faith encourages us to be in community with one another. Readings, discussion, journaling and a final paper (world-and-life-view paper) will provide a framework for reflecting on the key questions of your course.