Dr. Aikman is an Associate Professor of History and Writer in Residence at Patrick Henry College, a Christian liberal arts college located in Purcellville, Virginina. He teaches upper-level courses in the modern history of China, of the Middle East, and a course on global international relations. He also oversees practicums for students wanting to become writers.

 

About Patrick Henry College

The mission of Patrick Henry College is to train Christian men and women who will lead our nation and shape our culture with timeless biblical values and fidelity to the spirit of the American founding.

The College strives to provide an attractive learning environment, support services, and staff and faculty to enable students to:

• Understand the principles of the Christian worldview.
• Understand the liberal arts and sciences.
• Enhance critical thinking and language skills in reading, researching, speaking, and writing.
• Integrate the Christian worldview with the study of the liberal arts and sciences.
• Develop and apply Christian leadership skills which integrate faith and lifelong learning.

For more information, visit PHC on the web at www.phc.edu.

 

 

Courses

 

Below are brief overviews of the courses Dr. Aikman is teaching during the Fall 2006 term at Patrick Henry College.

 

Ages of Revolution

 

This course will examine the concept of revolution from its first appearance in the modern age (England in the 1640’s). It will examine “radical” revolutions and “conservative” revolutions in the context of what was being attempted politically, socially, economically, and culturally during a given revolution and what was actually achieved. The starting point of the study will be the Christian-based practical as well as utopian schemes during the English revolution. Then, in turn, the American, French, Russian, Chinese, and Iranian revolutions will be looked at, both analytically, and through the eyes of participants in them. The interplay of religious, historical, political and literary influences will also be examined.  

 

History of Islam

 

This course will examine the background, origins and development of Islam from the birth of Mohammed in 570 A.D. to the present day.  It will look closely at Mohammed's life, the content of the Koran and the haddiths, early Islamic expansion, the concept of jihad and dhimmi, classical Islamic culture, and the spread of Islam to non-Arab parts of the world.  It will cover the development of sharia and the four main Islamic legal systems. Reform efforts within Islam will be discussed, as well as the emergence of radical movements like Wahabbism, Shiite radicalism, and Islamofascist movements like al-Qaeda.