Philosophy of Religion (PHIL 330)
Manchester University, Spring 2017 Instructor: Steve Naragon
Reading and Essay Schedule
Required Texts
• Peterson, Hasker, Reichenbach, and Basinger, Reason and Religious Belief: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion, 4th ed. (Oxford University Press, 2009). [= RRB] [ISBN: 978-0-19-533599-6]
• Peterson, Hasker, Reichenbach, and Basinger, Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings, 4th (Oxford University Press, 2010). [ISBN: 978-0-19-539359-0]
The Nature of Religion
Wed, Feb 1
Introduction to the Course
Fri, Feb 3
An Evolutionary Account
Reading: RRB, ch. 1; Daniel Dennett, “An Evolutionary Account of Religion” (pp. 10f).
Mon, Feb 6
Realism and Non-Realism
Reading: RRB, ch. 2; Roger Trigg, “A Defense of Religious Realism” (pp. 22f); D. Z. Philips, “The Meaning of Religious Beliefs Is Their Use” (pp. 28f).
Powerpoint Slides: “Realism and Nonrealism” [pdf].
Religious Experience
Wed, Feb 8
James on Religious Experience
Reading: RRB, ch. 3 (pp. 27-33); William James, “Religious Experience as Feelings Forming the Root of Religion” (pp. 43f).
Powerpoint Slides: “Realism and Nonrealism” [pdf].
Fri, Feb 10
Religious Experience as Perception
Reading: RRB, ch. 3 (pp. 33-38); Wayne Proudfoot, “Religious Experience as Interpretive Accounts” (pp. 59f).
Powerpoint Slides: “Proudfoot on James” [pdf].
Mon, Feb 13
Religious Credulity
Reading: RRB, ch. 3 (pp. 38-49); Michael Martin, “Critique of Religious Experience” (pp. 68f).
Powerpoint Slides: “Martin on Credulity” [pdf].
Faith and Reason
Wed, Feb 15
Reason and its Limits
Reading: RRB, ch. 4; Thomas Aquinas, “The Harmony of Reason and Revelation” (pp. 92f).
Powerpoint Slides: “Faith and Reason” [pdf].
Fri, Feb 17
Pascal’s Wager
Reading: Blaise Pascal, “The Wager” (pp. 96f).
Powerpoint Slides: “Pascal’s Wager” [pdf].
Mon, Feb 20
The Ethics of Belief
Reading: William Clifford, “The Ethics of Belief” (pp. 99f); William James, “The Will to Believe” (pp. 104f).
Powerpoint Slides: “Clifford and James” [pdf].
Wed, Feb 22
No Class — Please participate in Discussion Day
Fri, Feb 24
Fideism
Reading: Soren Kierkegaard, “Truth is Subjectivity” (pp. 111f).
Being God
Mon, Feb 27
The Divine Properties
Reading: RRB, ch 5.
Powerpoint Slides: “God's Attributes” [pdf].
Wed, Mar 1
Power
Reading: Thomas Aquinas, “God is Omnipotent” (pp. 138f); George Mavrodes, “Some Puzzles Concerning Omnipotence” (pp. 141f).
Fri, Mar 3
Temporality
Reading: Nelson Pike, “Divine Omniscience and Voluntary Action” (pp. 144f); Boethius, “God Is Timeless” (pp. 150f).
Mon, Mar 6
First Exam [study guide]
Proofs for God’s Existence
Wed, Mar 8
Ontological
Reading: RRB, ch. 6 (pp. 90-96); Anselm, “The Classical Ontological Argument” (pp. 169f); Guanilo, “Critique of Anselm’s Argument” (pp. 171f).
Powerpoint Slides: “The Ontological Argument” [pdf].
Fri, Mar 10
Cosmological
Reading: RRB, ch. 6 (pp. 96-104); Thomas Aquinas, “The Classical Cosmological Argument” (pp. 184f); Bruce Reichenbach, “The Cosmological Argument” (pp. 187f).
Powerpoint Slides: “The Cosmological Argument” [pdf].
Mon, Mar 13
Cosmological (cont.)
Reading: John Mackie, “Critique of the Cosmological Argument” (pp. 205f).
Powerpoint Slides: “Mackie on the Cosmological Argument” [pdf].
Wed, Mar 15
Teleological/Design
Reading: RRB, ch. 6 (pp. 104-6); William Paley, “The Analogical Teleological Argument” (pp. 212f); David Hume, “Critique of the Analogical Teleological Argument” (pp. 215f).
Powerpoint Slides: “The Cosmological Argument” [pdf].
Fri, Mar 18
The Anthropic Principle
Reading: RRB, ch 6 (pp. 106-17); L. Stafford Betty and Bruce Cordell, “The Anthropic Teleological Argument” (pp. 222f).
—————Spring Break!—————
God without Proofs
Mon, Mar 27
Evidentialism and Foundationalism
Reading: RRB, ch. 7.
Powerpoint Slides: “God without Proofs” [pdf].
Wed, Mar 29
Properly Basic Belief
Reading: Alvin Plantinga, “The Reformed Objection to Natural Theology” (pp. 246f); William Hasker, “The Case of the Intellectually Sophisticated Theist” (pp. 262f).
The Problem of Evil
Fri, Mar 31
No Class [off to a conference]
Mon, Apr 3
The Logical Problem of Evil
Reading: RRB, ch. 8 (pp. 145-54); David Hume, “Evil Makes a Strong Case Against God's Existence” (pp. 276f); John Mackie, “Evil and Omnipotence” (pp. 288f).
Powerpoint Slides: “Problem of Evil” [pdf].
Wed, Apr 5
Hick on Soul-Making
Reading: RRB, ch. 8 (pp. 154-67); John Hick, “Soul-Making Theodicy” (pp. 316f).
Fri, Apr 7
A Theist Solution to the Horror
Reading: Marilyn McCord Adams, “Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God” (pp. 333f).
Miracles
Mon, Apr 10
Natural Laws and Divine Intervention
Reading: RRB, ch. 10; John Mackie, “Miracles and Testimony” (pp. 448f); Richard Swinburne, “Miracles and Historical Evidence” (pp. 455f).
Wed, Apr 12
Second Exam [study guide]
Fri, Apr 14
No Class — Good Friday
Life after Death
Mon, Apr 17
On the Possibility of a Bodiless Soul
Reading: RRB, ch. 11; H. H. Price, “The Soul Survives and Functions After Death” (pp. 465f).
Wed, Apr 19
Problems with Life after Death
Reading: Linda Badham, “Problems with Accounts of Life After Death” (pp. 483f).
Fri, Apr 21
Rebirth
Reading: Anon., “Buddhist View of Rebirth” (pp. 499f); Sri Aurobindo, “Rebirth” (pp. 502f).
Religion and Science
Mon, Apr 24
Overview of the Troubles
Reading: RRB, ch. 13.
Wed, Apr 26
[No class for lack of electricity]
Fri, Apr 28
Separate Domains of Interest
Reading: Stephen Jay Gould, “Two Separate Domains” (pp. 515f).
Mon, May 1
Competing Views
Reading: Richard Dawkins, “Science Discredits Religion” (pp. 523f).
Wed, May 3
Design vs Chance?
Reading: William Dembski, “Reinstating Design Within Science” (pp. 527f); Phillip Kitcher, “At the Mercy of Chance?” (pp. 542f); John Lennox, “Reflections on the Intelligent Design Debate” (pp. 560f).
Fri, May 5
Complementary and Congruent
Reading: John Polkinghorne, “The Universe as Creation” (pp. 551f).
Religion and Morality
Mon, May 8
Which God Ought We to Obey?
Reading: RRB, ch. 15; Alasdair MacIntyre, “Which God Ought We to Obey?” (pp. 612f).
Wed, May 10
Natural Law
Reading: Thomas Aquinas, “Ethics and Natural Law” (pp. 619f).
Powerpoint Slides: “Aquinas and Natural Law” [pdf].
Fri, May 12
Ethics without Religion
Reading: Jean-Paul Sartre, “Ethics Without Religion” (pp. 622f).
Powerpoint Slides: “Sartre on Ethics without God” [pdf].
Finals Week
Third Exam [study guide]
Wednesday, May 17 (8:00-9:50 am)
Manchester University // Registrar // Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies // Last updated: 25 Apr 2017