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Classes & Seminars


One of our prior IDEA Courses, taught in the spring of 2004, was a 15 week course entitled, "The IDEA Course in Orange County."

(Please note that the above graphic is not intended to be a mockery of Charles Darwin or the theory of evolution. It is merely a parody of the movie Orange County and is just for fun. The IDEA Center respects scientists, and all scientific theories of origins, including evolutionary theory, and Charles Darwin, though we believe evolution is incapable of explaining the origin of biological complexity.)

About the IDEA Course:
The IDEA Course is a 5-15 week course on intelligent design theory and the creation - evolution issue, taught by IDEA Center staff. Our first IDEA Course was an 8-week series taught in 2002, and since that time, the course has been taught multiple times. Typical topics taught include:

  • Introduction to intelligent design theory
  • Cosmic design
  • Problems with the Chemical Origin of Life
  • "What it means to be human"
  • Survey of Common Views about Origins
  • Problems with evolutionary theory--the "icons"
  • The Fossil Record
  • The Origin of Biological Complexity
  • Science Education and the Law
  • Philosophical Implications of the Debate

    Please see a sample course syllabus for more information.

    IDEA courses are open to anyone and we are willing to teach them wherever we can. The IDEA Center is also happy to answer any general questions you might have about the course, including questions about how to "book a course." Please contact us at (858) 337-3529 or e-mail IDEA Course primary instructor Ryan Huxley at "ryan@ideaenter.org".

    Course Materials:
    Depending on where an IDEA Class is occurring, the texts listed below may or may not be required for the course (e.g. if a class is being offered for credit at an institution, these books will typically be required). For those wanting to get more in depth information or a heads up on what will be covered, these books provide an excellent resource. The books utilized are as follows:

  • Signs of Intelligence: Understanding Intelligent Design, edited by William Dembski and James Kushiner (Brazos, 2001). This is an excellent book as it is short, and concise, yet contains essays on a broad variety of scientific, philosophical, legal, ethical, and religious questions by leading scholars in the intelligent design movement. It can be purchased online at the ARN Bookstore for $14.00.
  • By Design or by Chance? by Denyse O'Leary. This book provides a great overview of the various topics and history of the design/evolution/creation debate. It can be purchased online at ARN Bookstore for $16.00.
  • The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel. The framework for this book follows a logical and well-thought-out progression. Strobel poses the questions hard skeptics ask on such broad topics as: evolution, faith and science, the Big Bang, fine-tuning of the universe, Earth’s privileged place in the cosmos, biochemical complexity, the origin of life, DNA and, finally, the mind. He interviews many of the top minds in each of these topics, including many prominent ID personalities, such as Michael Behe, Jonathan Wells, Stephen Meyer, Jay Richards, Guillermo Gonzalez, and J. P. Moreland. The material in his interviews often covers very recent work, such as Richards’ and Gonzalez’s Privileged Planet, which came out approximately the same time as The Case for a Creator. (See our review of this book.)

    Instructors and Lecturers:
    Primary instructors include:
  • Eddie Colanter: B.A. Philosophy, UCSD; M.A. Apologetics, Simon Greenleaf University; M.A Faith and Culture, M.A. Bioethics Trinity Graduate School; current doctoral student in Theology, Ethics, and Culture, specializing in bioethics, Claremont Graduate University.
  • Ryan Huxley: M.S., B.S. Structural Engineering UCSD, licensed professional structural and civil engineer.
  • Casey Luskin: B.S. Earth Sciences, UCSD; M.S. Earth Sciences, UCSD; J.D., University of San Diego.
  • Steve Renner: B.A.
  • Questions?
    If you have questions or concerns about anything related to the class, please e-mail Ryan Huxley via e-mail at ryan@ideacenter.org.

    IDEA Course Links:
  • Online Registration
  • IDEA Class @ CBC Syllabus
  • Typical Course Syllabus

    Previous IDEA Courses:
  • The IDEA Course in Orange County
  • The IDEA Course Reloaded
  • The Rock IDEA Course
  • The IDEA Course 2002