Nathan L.K. Bierma
Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Calvin College
Grand Rapids, Michigan
nbierma [at] calvin.edu
ENGL 101
ENGL 101
Professor Bierma
Essay Topics (just a tip of the iceberg!)
Note: In many cases, especially for shorter assignments, you will need to narrow the scope of your answer considerably.
Politics and Current Issues
• What is flawed about the red-state/blue-state model of the American political map? (see this)
• Is lifetime tenure for Supreme Court justices a good idea? (see this)
• Is the filibuster a good thing for the U.S. Senate? (see this)
• Should we abolish the Electoral College? (see this)
• What is the future of the airline industry? (see this)
• What should be done for the victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing? (see 3rd item here)
• How should we prepare for the "end of oil"? (see this)
• What should happen to the Hubble telescope? (see this)
• Will democracy work in Russia? in Iraq?
• How has the European Union changed European cultures? (see this)
• Should Turkey be admitted to the EU?
• What went wrong in Haiti? (see this)
• What can be done about rising malpractice insurance costs that are putting doctors out of business?
(see 3rd item here)
• What can be done about the problem of traffic? (see this)
Science
• What is new research saying about deja vu? (see this)
• What is "the neuroscience of architecture? (see 3rd item here)
• How can we define "consciousness"? (see this)
Technology
• Is technology making us more or less connected to each other?
• Is technology usurping our leisure time? (see this)
• Is Linux a better operating system than Windows?
• Does Wikipedia have more or less reliable information than other encyclopedias?
Philosophy
• Is "pop philosophy" a good thing? (see this)
• To what extent has sin disrupted our epistemic abilities?
Religion
• Why is Jonathan Edwards, whose theology was complex and nuanced, remembered mostly for his simplistic and harsh view of God in his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"?
• What role did the ancient city of Petra play in biblical history? (see this)
• What is the Christian thing to do when you meet a panhandler? (see this)
• Why has expository preaching declined? (see this)
• How can churches reject the simplifications of "worship wars" and make wise liturgical choices? (see this)
• Are God and Allah the same?
• Does The Purpose-Driven Life present a shallow view of Christianity?
• Are megachurches good for Christianity? (see this)
History
• How was Napoleon's interest in culture and the arts congruous with his political and military goals? (see this)
• Did the New Deal work?
• Should the U.S. have dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Iwo Jima?
Psychology
• Is the DSM model an objective or arbitrary measurement of mental health? (see this
Literature
• What was Walden's worldview? (see this)
• What was Twain's worldview?
• What was Poe's worldview?
• How does science inform literature, or the other way around? (see contact)
• Which is better: the movie or the book version of The Godfather?
• How does Superman illustrate the story of the Incarnation? (see this)
Language
• Is Spanish a threat to the primacy of English in the United States? (see this)
• Why has the influence of French been ignored in English etymology, and what was its importance? (see this)
• Should U.S. schoolchildren be required to learn a foreign language?
• Which is a better approach to language: prescriptivism or descriptivism? (see this)
• Is instant messaging hurting students' writing abilities? (see this)
Popular Culture
• What is Donald Trump's worldview?
• What is Oprah's worldview? Or: How is Oprah a spiritual leader? (see this, this, and this)
• What is David Letterman's worldview?
• Are the news media helpful or harmful in the way they cover political campaigns? (see this)
Sports
• Has instant replay been a good thing for the National Football League?
• Should the MHSAA have boys and girls play their basketball seasons at the same time? (contact)
• Should P.E. be a mandatory part of the grade school and high school curricula?
• What is the appropriate age for children to begin playing competitive sports?
Other Topics:
• Persuasive Essay topics from Professor Engbers
• Over 100 topics from Georgia Tech
• Perspectives section of the Calvin Chimes
• Today's editorial pages
• Briefings and editor's notes from The Week
• Topics and related links from Glendale Community College
Topics for personal essays:
• Sample College Board essays
• University of Chicago admissions essays