REL3851
Family Relations
The course involves a study of contemporary family life from a Christian perspective and presents psychological and behavioral principles that are essential in building and maintaining healthy family relationships.
UPON COMPLETION OF THE COURSE, THE STUDENT WILL BE COMPETENT IN:
- Understanding the value of Christian principles in building healthy family relations.
- Identifying basic human needs from a Christian perspective.
- Understanding the deepest meaning of love as illustrated by biblical images of divine love.
- Discussing the family as a system, including family systems theory, and the traits of both dysfunctional and functional families.
- Describing factors that influence mate selection.
- Understanding the nature of marriage from a Christian perspective and the value of covenant to help maintain a healthy and lasting marriage.
- Discussing the role of communication in the home.
- Understanding healthy conflict resolution in the home.
- Discussing the concepts of sex and healthy sexuality in the home.
- Describing the role of parents and children in the home, based on Christian principles.
- Discussing adolescence as well as common problems including alcohol, drugs, sex, social pressure, eating disorders, etc.
- Discussing divorce and remarriage and their effects on the family.
- Identifying the various forms of non-traditional families represented in today’s culture.
- Discussing aging and its effects on family relations.
- Evaluating how families are undermined by the “bondage to commodities,” and how to break free.
- Discussing how churches should respond to the numerous challenges faced by families today.