DESCRIPTION:

This course covers standard issues in current philosophy of religion, such as arguments for the existence of God, faith and reason, miracles, life after death, the relation of morality and religious belief, while exploring differences between analytic and post-analytic approaches to philosophical methodology.

Many of the issues considered in this course constitute challenges to the rationality of Christian belief. Some of these same challenges are raised by both church members and those outside the church. Students in this class should begin to resolve these issues for themselves, and thus be in a position to offer guidance to others. A secondary benefit from the course should be better reasoning skills, applicable to a variety of ministerial tasks.

Mostly lecture; some small-group discussion. The class will meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions.

Peterson, Michael, et al. Reason and Religious Belief: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.

__________. Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Seech, Zachary. Writing Philosophy Papers. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1993.

Two in-class essay exams covering readings and lectures; one ten-page term paper on one of the topics covered in the course.

None. This is a good course for beginning students.

Meets M.Div. core requirement in Philosophical Theology (PHIL).

None.