Senior Seminar

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 Hope College, 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’s 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 Hope College'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 Hope College, they have explicitly confronted questions of value and belief in a practical and concrete way. These courses will deliberately examine “Big Questions” by seeking answers through multiple disciplines, practice Hope College’s 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's liberal arts education, this course should be taken no earlier than the May Term of a student's junior year.

Course Descriptions

Fall 2025

452.01. Education and Christian Ways of Living
Am I a healthy person? Am I a happy person? And am I a good person? We will ask these questions and try understanding who we are through readings and discussions. As a group, we will explore how to care for our souls and add depth and meaning to our lives. We will then turn to our vocation as teachers capable of sincerely loving and serving others and together find a path toward becoming those teachers beloved of God.

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 — 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 — identity lived in relationship with God and others.

492.02. Building Bonds and Fostering Belonging

“A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically and spiritually wired to love, to be loved and to belong.” —Brené Brown

How do we build meaningful connections and foster a sense of belonging, both now and in the future? In this senior seminar, students will embark on a journey of self-discovery by reflecting on their identities, understanding others, and envisioning their paths forward. They will explore and develop strategies to cultivate bonds and nurture belonging in various dimensions of their lives.

492.03. The Art of Listening
Author Adam McHugh wrote, “the sort of people that we become is, in large part, determined by the voices that we choose to listen to.” 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, “every day see or hear something that more or less kills you with delight.”

492.05. What Makes for a Meaningful Life?
What makes for a meaningful life? Drawing from interdisciplinary approaches, this class will explore some of life's biggest questions to offer a unique perspective on human flourishing and finding meaning. Students will have the opportunity to articulate a meaningful life philosophy that fully accounts for the limits of being human and the reality of core existential concerns.

492.06. Friendship and Community
Drawing on the humanities, arts, and sciences, we will explore the importance of friendship and community to flourishing human life, especially in troubled times. We will reflect on our experiences of friendship and community and how to be more intentional about them. Readings will range from works by classic Christian thinkers, such as Aelred of Rievaulx, C. S. Lewis, and Desmond Tutu, to novels such as Wendell Berry’s Jayber Crow or Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, to work by social scientists and the interdisciplinary framework of René Girard’s mimetic theory. Written requirements will include daily responses, short essays, and a lifeview paper.

492.07. A Storm of Luminous Water: Close Reading for Life
What do John Ames (a character in Marilynne Robinson’s 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’ll call “close reading” (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 “changed 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” (George Saunders).

492.08. Human Rights, Human Wrongs
This course focuses on “human rights and human wrongs” in a global, interconnected world. We look at various treaties, the different forms of legal avenues available, and the impact of human rights and human wrongs on various populations of the world. Students will examine their world views, their philosophy and values in the context of understanding human rights worldwide. In the course of the class, students will look at various faiths and their treatment of human rights. Students will write a life-view paper analyzing their traditions and ways of acting, knowing, living and learning and highlighting their values, commitments and convictions — all while demonstrating their understanding of the diverse and life-giving purposes and perspectives by which we talk of human rights and human wrongs.

492.09. How Does Science Connect to the Bible and Daily Life?
Science, the Bible and daily life are three things that we don’t often discuss together. So what do they have in common or, rather, how do they inform each other. In this section, explore several relevant facets for how good scientific thinking dovetails with biblical wisdom, epistemic rituals, and how those can positively shape our lives and communities.

Spring 2026

452.01. Education and Christian Ways of Living
In her bestselling children’s book Tale of Desperaux, Kate Dicamillo writes, “Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Begin at the beginning. Tell Gregory a story. Make some light.” Jonathan Auxier offers a different perspective. In his young adult novel, The Night Gardener, one of his characters reflects, “A story helps folks face the world, even when it frightens ’em. And a lie does the opposite. It helps you hide.” Tim O’Brien, author of the Vietnam War memoir The Things They Carried, offers yet another perspective on story. He writes, “… story-truth is truer sometimes than happening-truth… That's what fiction is for. It's for getting at the truth when the truth isn't sufficient for the truth.” In this senior seminar, we will use “story” as a framing concept for our discussions about what shapes us as individuals and as a society. We’ll encounter and discuss a variety of stories throughout the semester – children’s picture books, young adult literature, memoirs, films – 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.

492.02. 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’ll 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’t 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’s mission statement articulates that we will “prepare students for lives of service and leadership in a global society.” 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 “service and leadership” 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’ global learning outcomes of curiosity, empathy, knowledge, responsibility and self-awareness.

492.08. God’s Story, Your Story
What is your life story? What do you imagine the following seasons to be like? What about God’s story? What does the Bible tell us about His story? What if God’s story becomes your own story? In this course, we will explore how God’s story is unfolding in our own lives and in the lives of others. We will read “God’s Story, Your Story: When His Becomes Yours” by Max Lucado, and “Pleasure of His Company: A Journey to Intimate Friendship with God” 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’s beauty in our own unique life story.

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’s biography of Mary, Anne Rice’s fictional account of Mary’s 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’s appearances, focusing particularly on Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico and Our Lady of Kibeho in Rwanda. We’ll 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’ll consider what it means to be a citizen of a democracy and a citizen of the world. We’ll examine both historical and current autocratic movements around the world and examine how democracies hold firm and how they crumble. We’ll reflect on our faith and values and how these shape our commitments. We’ll also focus on discernment, decision-making, and “designing” our lives post-graduation.

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. The Art of Listening
Author Adam McHugh wrote, “the sort of people that we become is, in large part, determined by the voices that we choose to listen to.” 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, “every day see or hear something that more or less kills you with delight.”

492.15. The Art of Listening
Author Adam McHugh wrote, “the sort of people that we become is, in large part, determined by the voices that we choose to listen to.” 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, “every day see or hear something that more or less kills you with delight.”

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’ll 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. What do you mean I have to pay for a gym now?
In KIN 140: Health Dynamics, you were taught the basics of how live a healthy lifestyle in college. While useful at the time, (spoiler) maintaining health and exercise becomes a lot harder when you don’t have the resources provided on a college campus. Whether you are a varsity athlete who’s had a coach and a team to train with regularly, a fitness enthusiast who’s taken advantage of the free gym, intramural sports, and a safe and walkable campus, or someone who’s been struggling to maintain healthy habits for the last four years, the transition out of college and into your next life phase can be a challenge — one that can affect, and be affected, by how well you maintain your exercise and health. In this class, we will discuss the benefits of exercise for your long-term physical and mental health, practice setting personal, realistic goals for your fitness, and learn to plan, adapt, and overcome setbacks to exercise, all with the goal of developing skills you can use to continue your health and fitness journey long after graduation.

492.21. Creation Care
Creation care is a Christian theology that highlights God’s call for humanity to steward the Earth. Creation includes our land, air, and waters — 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? 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’s 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, “Be fruitful, and multiply… ” 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.