Todd Cothran Todd has been with Summit since 1993. He came on full-time staff in 1996 as Summer Program Director and now serves the Summit as Resource Department Director. He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Communications with an emphasis in Journalism and is working toward an M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. He has spoken to all ages on worldview, apologetics, and Biblical Integration. Todd, his wife Renee (whom he met here on summer staff in 1993) and four children, David, Jonathan, Maggie, and Mollie, love and cherish their community of friends here at the Summit as well as the vibrant and committed body of believers at their local church where Todd serves as an Elder, Bible Study Leader and Sunday School teacher.
Thinking Worldviewishly: Loving God with Your Mind (2-6 hours)
This seminar is a favorite of Todd and his audiences: worldviews made easy and interesting. An engaging demonstration of why worldview thinking is crucial for every Christian, including a complete introduction to worldview thinking and a contemporary look at the major worldviews that compete for our allegiance, as well as the basics for developing a truly Biblical worldview.
Teaching Worldviewishly: Biblical Integration for Christian Educators (2-6 hours)
This seminar is ideal for Christian school teacher in-service training and for home education networks. Studies show that nearly 50% of Christian students will set aside their faith by the time they leave college. This seminar clearly shows why helping our students develop a Biblical worldview must top our priority list as parents and educators, and how to do it. Topics include: "Biblical vs. Secular Education", "Why a Truly Christian Education is Biblical Worldview Education", "The World of Worldviews", "Using the Culture to Teach Worldviews", "Building on Biblical Foundations" and Biblical worldview integration in each disciplinary area.
Introduction to Worldviews | Outline | Video Preview
Based on the concept that "ideas have consequences," this session introduces the "world of ideas" by defining "worldview" as comprising 10 disciplines, from philosophy and theology to psychology, science, economics, law, and politics. [1 hour]
Biblical Christianity | Outline
The Bible is shown to contain a worldview as current as today's newspaper and intersecting every area of life, dispelling the notion of a secular/sacred dichotomy. [1 hour]
Secular Humanism
Far from a benign belief system, Secular Humanism is a religious worldview that is changing the way we think about science, the family, ethics, and politics. [1 hour]
Postmodernism | Outline
This talk discusses the postmodern approach to truth, reality, and human nature.
Cosmic Humanism
A look at how the "New Agers" of the 70's are still with us, expressing their worldview through movies, public education and radical feminism. [1 hour]
Islam | Outline
Is Islam a peaceful religion or does it endorse holy war against infidels? This comparison of Islam and Christianity reveals the stark contrast between the founders, basic beliefs, and history of these two major religions. [1 hour]
The Resurrection
An evaluation of the primary source documents that confirm the resurrection of Jesus. [1 or 2 hours]
Can We Trust the Bible?
Analyzing recent archeological evidences for the reliability of the Bible and the internal evidence for the inspiration of the Bible. [1 or 2 hours]
Creation and Evolution | Outline
An explanation of the scientific debate concerning neo-Darwinian evolution compared with the concept of "intelligent design." Illustrations are taken from high school biology textbooks. [1 hour]
Science and Evolution | Outline
Based on the writings of recent scientists, this critique of neo-Darwinian theory highlights its failure to account scientifically for the origin and development of life on earth. [1 hour]
Foundations of Science | Outline
A look at the ideas that were instrumental in the development of "modern science" and the scientific method compared with current definitions of science as "naturalism" to show the "religious" nature of the scientific enterprise. [1 hour]