Summit Semester is proud to have Dr. Michael Bauman as our Scholar-in-Residence. Dr. Bauman comes to us from Hillsdale College, in Hillsdale, Michigan, where he is professor of Theology and Culture, and Director of Christian Studies. He also is a former president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, and was once a member of the editorial department of Newsweek magazine. Dr. Bauman has published numerous books, articles and political editorials; his books include God and Man in the Twentieth Century, Man and Creation, Are You Politically Correct?, 90 Days in the Christian Classics, and Pilgrim Theology.

Courses taught by Dr. Bauman at Summit Semester are:

History of Christian Thought
CT 110 History of Christian Thought, 3 credit hours

Course description:  Students will study carefully the development of Christian philosophical and theological thought from the close of the New Testament to contemporary times.  Special emphasis will be placed on the development of the ecumenical creeds, the philosophy and theology of the apostolic fathers, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Augustine, medieval scholasticism and mysticism, the great thinkers of the Renaissance, the magisterial Reformers, Jonathan Edwards, American revivalism and Evangelicalism.

Christianity and Politics
This course surveys prominent political systems—from utilitarian to liberal, pragmatic to conservative—and emphasizes forming Christ-centered approaches to current social issues, including poverty and welfare systems, abortion, terrorism, gun control, and education.

English Literature
This course seeks to answer our deepest, most important questions about life, death, love, and human beings by carefully studying some of the great stories, poems, and essays of the English language, starting with Beowulf and Sir Gawain, then looking at works by Chaucer, Sidney, Spenser, Shakespeare, Milton, Pope, Wordsworth, Eliot, and the Inklings.

Visiting Scholars:

Dr. J.P. Moreland will join us for a week in which we set our three primary classes aside to think through the disciplines of Philosophy and Ethics. Dr. Moreland is a Distinguish Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He has benefited the Church with his writing which includes over 40 articles and numerous books including Scaling the Secular City, Does God Exist?, Body & Soul, Love Your God With All Your Mind, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, and The Lost Virtue of Happiness: Discovering the Disciplines of the Good Life.

Dr. Don Williams is the Director of the School of Arts and Sciences and Associate Professor of English at Toccoa Falls College, in Toccoa Falls, Georgia. Both an accomplished poet and literary critic, Dr. Williams is also a former president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society and an ordained minister in the Evangelical Free Church of America. He lectures widely on C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. In addition to his many valuable books including Inklings of Reality, Mere Humanity, and Credo: Meditations on the Nicene Creed, Dr. Williams’ articles have appeared in Touchstone and Modern Reformation.

John Stonestreet is the Executive Director of Summit Ministries. Mr. Stonestreet holds a M.A. in Christian Thought from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is on the Biblical Studies faculty at Bryan College. A popular speaker at camps, conventions, and conferences, he works annually with thousands of parents, teachers, and students on developing a biblical worldview, understanding comparative worldviews, defending the Christian faith, applying a biblical worldview to education, and engaging important cultural issues. He is a Fellow of the Wilberforce Fellows, a division of Breakpoint, and is the co-author with W. Gary Phillips and William E. Brown of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview, 2nd. ed., as well as numerous web and journal articles.

Eric Smith loves to help students know God through a thorough understanding of the Bible. Since joining Summit in 2000, Eric has spoken to numerous groups on worldview, Bible, and Christian living topics. He teaches the Bible course at Summit’s Colorado Student Conferences and Summit Semester. In addition to teaching, Eric enjoys his role in program and staff development. He launched and led Summit Semester from 2006 to 2010, and has been on the leadership team of Summit’s Colorado Student Conferences since he joined the Summit. Currently Eric is a member of the Adjunct Faculty at Bryan College, Dayton, TN. He holds a Masters of Divinity degree from Denver Seminary, and a B.S. in Business Administration from Miami University (OH).