Mathematical Explorations for the Christian Thinker

What does it mean to learn math from a Christian perspective? This book is ideally suited for a Christian audience who wishes to significantly extend his or her knowledge of mathematics while developing biblical perspectives on the mathematical-philosophical questions posed in each section. Among other compelling issues, readers will wrestle with questions as to the relationships between God, nature, mathematics, and humans. The integration of Christian thought is weaved throughout the text. [**Note: there are two versions of this book. Read below for more details.] Through the mathematics content presented in this book, you will broaden your understanding of geometry by investigating dimensions, fractals, topological equivalence, and other geometries. You will develop your reasoning skills through identifying deception in statistics, discriminating between cause and correlation, evaluating various voting methods, and exploring chaos theory. Finally, you will refine your understanding of numbers and systems through studying prime, figurate, vampire, narcissistic, powerful, abundant, and transcendental numbers. After studying each mathematical topic, you will consider how the topic informs your answers to questions like: Who are we? What is the nature of reality? How do we know if something is true? What is good? What is beautiful? These questions and their related sub-questions have been part of the human experience from the dawn of human history. Considering how mathematics helps to inform these questions provides for a deeper, more meaningful understanding of mathematics and our world. This book is ideal for: - An undergraduate “Mathematics for Liberal Arts” course at a Christian college - A half-year senior mathematics elective as part of a focus on worldview at a Christian high school - A Christian homeschool family that wishes to extend their children’s learning beyond the standard curriculum in a Christian centered context - Anyone interested in extending his or her own understanding of the scope and depth of mathematics Each section features: - Introductory exercises that prompt the reader to recall relevant information or skills - Concept development sections that explain the mathematics for even the math-phobic student - Content sections that connect the mathematics to literature, art, music, science, and other subjects - A “Something to Consider” section that asks the reader to think about related enduring questions from a Christian perspective - “Covering the Reading” questions that help to process the text - “Problems” that require the reader to research and consider the topic more thoroughly [** There is another version of this book titled "The Mathematical Expanse: Excursions into the Enduring Questions." That version asks many similar questions but is appropriate for a public school setting.]

Jason VanBilliard has been professionally involved in the field of mathematics education since 1997. His experiences include teaching middle school and high school mathematics at Plumstead Christian School, teaching mathematics and pedagogy courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels at Cairn University, serving as a private consultant and a consultant for College Board, working for Educational Testing Service in a variety of contexts, and presenting at local and regional mathematics education conferences. Jason holds a B.S. in 7-12 Mathematics Education and a B.S. in Bible from Cairn University in Langhorne, PA, a M.A. in Mathematics from West Chester University in West Chester, PA, and an Ed.D. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology in Mathematics Education from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.