TWO ASSIGNMENTS

In Module/Week 7, you will write a Book Critique on Martin’s, Prevailing Worldviews of Western Society Since 1500. In Module/Week 8, you will write a Book Critique on Berger’s, The Desecularization of the World Resurgent Religion and World Politics. The Book Critique must be 3–5 pages, not including the title and reference page. Format the body of your critique in 4 main sections: summary, critique, application, and policy review. Do not summarize or critique the chapters chronologically. Consider the book as a whole. Avoid excessive quotations. State the authors’ viewpoints in your own words and give specific page references when paraphrasing. Be sure to review the Book Critiques Grading Rubric before starting this assignment. Each submission must be in a Microsoft Word document.

·      Summary

Summarize the main theme of the book. What is the overall perspective, purpose, or argument of the book? If the author wanted you to get 1 idea from the book, what would it be?

·      Critique

This section needs to balance the book's strengths and weaknesses in order to unify your evaluation. What strikes you as noteworthy? What has the book accomplished? In what ways was the book effective or persuasive? Challenge assumptions, approaches, or arguments made by the author. Does the argument make sense? You can offer agreement or disagreement as well as identifying where you find the work exemplary or deficient in its knowledge, judgments, or organization. Provide concrete evidence for your assertions. Support judgments with references from the textbook readings in this course and other scholarly resources. The paper must include at least 2 references in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible. All citations must be in current Turabian format. Be sure that your evaluation is balanced, respectful, and fair. Control the tone of your critique.

·      Application

This section must demonstrate how the book has enhanced your understanding of current public policy issues. Why is this topic important today? How can this information be used in forming and maintaining a strong foreign policy?

·      Policy Review

Identify and assess a current public policy issue in current events in light of the theories presented in this material. Do not merely state what the policy is. Explain the policy and provide a short but detailed briefing on the policy. Additionally, state if the policy is good or bad based on the perspective you gained in reading this book. You must also introduce new ideas that go beyond the book if they complement ideas you have gleaned from reading in the book.