Philosophy of Religion

Philosophy of Religion is a Christian approach to the history of the philosophy that shaped theology of western thought. Philosophy of Religion is a humanities course designed to lead students through Western Civilization’s foundational works of philosophy and theology in a true liberal arts fashion. Students in this Philosophy of Religion course will:

• learn to read and appreciate the Great Ideas concerning God from Plato to Augustine, from Aquinas to Kant, and from William Lane Craig and Alvin Plantinga,
• and think critically about, and cultivate answers to, questions concerning God’s existence, the Problem of Evil, and Religion’s role in Morality.

This year-long course consists of four eight-week sections, two eight week sections per semester. Over the 32-week academic year, students will:

• be assigned appropriate weekly readings,
• develop relevant reading questions for live class discussions,
• listen to or view online lectures prior to the weekly live recitation,
• attend once-weekly 2-hour live recitations,
• write two 5-page essays, (one per semester)
• and successfully pass a mid-term and a final-exam.

In the course of the academic year, students will have read most (or all) of the texts listed below and attended a minimum of 30 (ideally 32) live class meetings to discuss the texts in Socratic fashion. In this course, students will develop an appreciation for wisdom in its proper mode of presentation—beauty and clarity. Students learn and apply the disciplines of reading, writing, and critical thinking concerning the arguments that have shaped thinking about God and theology.

Course Objectives:

1. To become proficient in the skills of close readings, interpretive questions, and Socratic discussions of the texts.
2. To gain a grasp of the philosophical arguments and the historical framework of the philosophies that shaped Christian thought.
3. To develop lateral thinking skills by analyzing and synthesizing themes and motifs.
4. To cultivate an appetite for learning as a way of life (the life of the mind).
5. To cultivate a desire to pursue the highest things.
6. To be able to think Christianly and speak persuasively about perennial human questions.

Texts & Required Materials:

• Augustine, City of God, Penguin Classics [ISBN 978-0140448948]
• Aquinas, Shorter Summa, [978-1928832430]
• William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics [978-1433501159]
• William Lane Craig, On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision [978-1434764881]
• Steven M. Cahn, Exploring Philosophy of Religion: An Introductory Anthology [ISBN: 978-0-19-046138-6]
• Occasional articles are given in PDF format as the teacher deems necessary.