I have been enjoying the time studying with my children through the elementary worldview series from Apologia (What We Believe). As I’ve mentioned, I know what I believe, but don’t always know the “why”. For oneself, that is usually enough, to believe. If you want to share your faith or “be ready to give an answer”, then you need to understand much more thoroughly. That is where a worldview curriculum comes in. It will help you to know why you believe and to share your beliefs.
From the title of the book, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, I wasn’t expecting much from this set (book $16.00 and curriculum/workbook $33.00 ). I was unsure if I even wanted to review this. I have never been disappointed in any Apologia materials, but this one, I just didn’t know. I am so glad the Lord is in control and not me. I would have missed out on something I didn’t even know I needed.
I’ve been digging deeper as I study alongside my children (I sorely miss having grown up with Biblical teaching). But not deep enough, I need to grow. My children are growing-physically and spiritually. They will be looking for that next step. This is where the IDHEF curriculum fits in.
The curriculum (270+ pages in a spiral bound workbook) has study questions, activities and other material to take you through, chapter by chapter, the book and truly think on and study the information shared. The layout of the lessons are easy to implement and schedule as frequently as suits your needs. This study could be completed in as little as a few months to a year. The recommended pace is 2-3 weeks per chapter.
I like the way each lesson is introduced: Before Starting This Chapter, a Road Map (12 points that prove Christianity is true – specifically which are covered in this lesson), Key Topics, and Key Terms. Then you have the Hook, Book, Look and Took. The Hook is a bit of summary of the chapter and some questions to get your mind warmed up and those wheels turning. The Book is where you see if you were paying attention and got what you should have from the text. The Look is where you do some research on your own instead of just taking someone else’s word for it (love this!). The Took is where you see what you can do with what you are taking away from the lesson – application. There are pages throughout the workbook that feature important people – both for and against Christianity.
I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist can be done as an independent study, in a small group/co-op setting or as a family. This is intended for mature thinkers, high school age and older. My 6th grade daughter is often more mature thinking for her age, but she is not ready for this – yet. In a couple of years, she will have her turn. Right now, it is my turn. I am enjoying sharing with my husband, too.
Do you think a study like this has answers? Yes, but not in the workbook. There is a link included where you can download them and chapter tests as well from Apologia‘s website. An optional DVD series is also available.
Read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew on the blog.
