Ryan C. MacPherson, Ph.D.

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Planning a workshop or seminar? Seeking a keynote speaker for your conference? From rural midwestern churches to the U.S. Capitol Building, Dr. MacPherson has 20 years of experience talking to a broad range of audiences concerning issues of great importance:

  • Marriage & Family
  • Christian Education
  • Pro-Life Compassion
  • Evangelism
  • American Values
  • Constitution Day Speeches
  • ... and more!

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My Courses at Bethany

Courses

I teach courses in American history, history of science, and bioethics at Bethany Lutheran Colleges. Following are the syllabi and other class materials for several of my courses.

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History 207: History of the USA, Part I

This course surveys the history of the United States from its Native American and European colonial roots through the Civil War and Reconstruction. Topics include the American Revolution, Westward Expansion, and the Sectional Crisis.

History 208: History of the USA, Part II

This course surveys the history of the United States from the late 19th century to the present day. Topics include the Indian Wars, Immigration, Progressive Era Reform, the Great Depression and New Deal, the World Wars, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the War on Terrorism.

History 410: Era of the American Revolution

An in-depth exploration into the background, causes, war, and consequences of the American Revolution. Critical assessment of the historical interpretation of the era.

History 420: Constitution and Early Republic

This course explores the development, ratification, and legacy of the U.S. Constitution from 1787 through the 1820s. In both primary and secondary documents, students will explore American life under the Constitution with special attention to questions of religion, race, gender, and individual rights.

History 450: Civil Rights Movement

This course examines the American Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1973. Topics include the Brown decision, the Montgomery bus boycotts, the student movement, the northern urban housing crisis, differing strategies within and between the black and white communities, the transformation of national political parties, the woman's liberation movement, affirmative action, and the relationship between religion and politics.

History 460: Religion in American History

This course explores the role of religion, with particular emphasis on Christian denominations, in major developments of American history, such the American Revolution, nineteenth-century evangelicalism, the evolution of higher education, the Civil Rights Movement, and the rise of the Religious Right. Students will grapple with enduring questions concerning the relationship between church and state, the role of personal faith in civic activism, and the viability of theological commitment amid religious pluralism.

History 470: Supreme Court and the American People

This course analyses the relations between the Supreme Court and the American people from the Constitutional era to the present day. Students will explore competing theories of jurisprudence as these have applied to the contested meanings of "equal protection of the Laws" in regard to religion, race, gender, and individual rights.

History 480: Historical Society Practicum

Students will develop skills in oral history, archival research, and historical writing, editing, and publishing by completing service-learning projects for the Evangelical Lutheran Synod Historical Society and presenting their work at the Society’s annual meeting. To develop sufficient background knowledge for those projects, students also will study the history of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod and explore several historical case studies in detail.

Philosophy 204: Ethics

Through exposure to Western moral philosophies from antiquity through the postmodern era, students explore the foundations of ethical standards and judgments. These perspectives are then applied to the analysis of contemporary moral debates and ethical case studies.

Science 320: History and Philosophy of Science

This course examines the social and intellectual foundations of Western science from antiquity to the present. Students will evaluate scientific achievements in their respective historical, philosophical, cultural, and theological contexts, and compare previous scientific understandings to present ones.

Science 330: Ethics in Science

Students will examine the ethical dimensions of contemporary science, including standards of professional research and principles of biomedical ethics. Informed by both theological and secular moral philosophies, students will explore how the meaning of the human person is challenged by current scientific trends.

 
 

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Faculty Positions

  • Professor and Department Chair, B.A. in History Program, Bethany Lutheran College
  • Adjunct Professor, M.A. in Theological Studies Program, Martin Luther College

Current Projects

Recent and Forthcoming ...

  • Issues, Etc. radio interview: The Magdeburg Confession of 1550 and the Lutheran Principles of Political Resistance, July 3, 2020 [Learn More]
  • Vaccines in Prolife Perspective—LIVE ZOOM CONFERENCE—June 30, 2020 [Learn More]
  • Is the Old Testament Reliable? The Evidence Within the Text:  Mankato, Minnesota, June 27, 2019 [Learn More]
  • The Perils and Promises of Lutheran Science Education in the 21st Century: Madison, Wisonsin, February 14, 2019
  • Getting the Facts Straight: How Grammar, History, and Logic Can Rescue Education from Postfactualism: San Antonio, Texas, January 26, 2019 [Learn More]
  • Rebuilding the Church from the Family Up, Rebuilding the Family from the Elders Down: Manitowoc, Wisconsin, August 4, 2018 [Learn More]
  • What’s Worldview Got to Do with Everything?: Mankato, Minnesota, June 21, 2018 [Learn More]
  • Thank God, There Are So Many Old People in the Church! Ft. Wayne, Indiana, August 1–3, 2017 [Learn More]
  • Biblical Worldview Conference in San Antonio, Texas, February 10–11, 2017 [Learn More]
  • United We Divide: Explaining how no-fault divorce became so universally accepted. [Learn More]
  • Generational Generosity: A study revealing the driving causes of church membership trends. [Learn More]

Books by Dr. MacPherson

Rediscovering the American Republic, vol. 1: 1492-1877 (author)

Rediscovering the American Republic, vol. 2: 1877-Present (author)

Debating Evolution before Darwinism (author)

The Culture of Life (author)

Studying Luther's Large Catechism (author)

Telling the Next Generation (managing editor)

Here We Stand (contributing writer)

Natural Law: A Lutheran Reappraisal (contributing writer)

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www.ryancmacpherson.comCopyright © 2009–2020 by Ryan C. MacPherson, www.ryancmacpherson.com. All Rights Reserved. The material on this website may be copied and distributed for nonprofit educational purposes so long as this copyright notice and website address are included.

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