Schedule Phil 201 

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Tentative Schedule

 

Readings marked “PR” are in Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings, 4th Ed. (our textbook).

 

All other readings are in the google folder under the file for that week. So, for example, week 2 readings that are not in PR are in the Week 2 folder.

 

 

 

Date Topics, Readings, and Assignments

 

Introduction; Background: Independent Research; The Nature of Religion

 

 

Week 1

 

Thurs. Jan. 18 Introduction, syllabus, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 2

 

 

Tues Jan. 23 No class AND read FOR TUESDAY QUIZ (below)Philosophy of Religion (our textbook; hereafter PR): “Introduction” (p. 1-4) and Introduction to part I (p. 5-9)

 

 

Thurs. Jan 25 No class, but you can meet in the classroom and do the assignment for Tues Jan 30.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 3

 

Tues. Jan. 30 PR: Dennett, “An Evolutionary Account of Religion” (p. 10-18)

QUIZ 1

Graded In-Class Activity #1

 

 

Religious Experience: Mysticism and Perceiving God

 

Thurs. Feb. 1 James, “Religious Experience as Feelings Forming the Root of Religion” (p. 43-50)

 

*I expect students to read the introduction to each part as we cover it (for example, p. 35-39 for Part Two).

 

 

 

 

 

Week 4

 

Tues. Feb. 6 PR: Saint Teresa of Jesus, “Religious Experiences” (p. 40-42) and  Al-Ghazali, “Deliverance from Error”

 

Thurs. Feb. 8 PR: Alston, “Religious Experience as Perception of God” (p. 51-58)

 

Quiz #2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 5

 

Tues. Feb. 13 PR: Martin, “Critique of Religious Experience” (p. 68-78)

Short Reaction Paper #1

 

 

The Nature of the Divine

 

Thurs. Feb. 15 PR: Aquinas, “God is Omnipotent” (p. 138-140) and Pike, “Divine Omniscience and Voluntary Action” (p. 144-149)

 

 

 

 

 

Week 6

 

Tues. Feb. 20 PR: Boethius, “God is Timeless” (p. 150-152) and The Upaniṣads, “Ātman is Brahman” (p. 160-162)

 

 

Traditional Western Arguments for the Existence of God

 

Thurs. Feb. 22 PR: Anselm, “The Classical Ontological Argument” (p. 169-170) and PR: Gaunilo, “Critique of Anselm’s Argument” (p. 171-173)

 

 

 

 

 

Week 7

 

Tues. Feb. 27  PR: Aquinas, “The Classical Cosmological Argument” (p. 184-186) and PR: Mackie, “Critique of the Cosmological Argument” (p. 205-211)

 

Thurs. Feb 29 PR:  PR: Aquinas, “The Classical Cosmological Argument” (p. 184-186) and PR: Mackie, “Critique of the Cosmological Argument” (p. 205-211)

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Quiz #3

 

 

 

 

Week 8

 

Tues March 5 Paley, “The Analogical Teleological Argument” (p. 212-214) and PR: Hume, “Critique of the Analogical Teleological Argument” (p. 215-221)

 

Graded In-Class Activity #2

 

 

An Argument against the Existence of God: The Problem of Evil/Suffering

 

Thurs. March 7 PR: Hume, “Evil Makes a Strong Case Against God’s Existence” (p. 276-281)

 

 

 

 

 

Week 9

 

Tues. March 12 PR: Hick, “Soul-Making Theodicy” (p. 316-323)

 

 

Thurs March 14 PR: Rowe, “The Evidential Argument from Evil” (p. 324-332)

Quiz #4

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 10

 

Tues. March 19 D2L: Barbour, “Process Thought” (Read p. 281-287 AND 293-304)

 

Short Reaction Paper #2

 

 

Assignment: Explore a Religious or Spiritual Movement of Your Choice

 

 

Thurs. March 21: Class Discussion about Religion/Spirituality

 

 

SPRING BREAK MARCH 23-31

 

 

 

 

Week 11

 

Tues April 2   Graded In-Class Activity #3

 

Faith and Reason

 

Thurs. April 4 PR: Aquinas, “The Harmony of Reason and Revelation” (p. 92-95) and Pascal, “The Wager” (p. 96-98)

 

 

 

 

Week 12

 

Tues. April 9  James “Will to Believe” (p. 104-110)

 

 

Religious Diversity

 

Thurs. April 11 Hick: Religious Pluralism  pg. 597

Quiz #5

 

 

 

 

 

Week 13

 

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Tues. April 16 Cantwell Smith "The Meaning and End of Religion"

Short Reaction Paper #3

 

 

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Thurs. April 18 Kim Daoism Chapter 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 14

 

Tues. April 23 Kim Daoism Part 2 "Humanity"

 

Thurs. April 25 Continue Kim Daoism

Quiz #6

 

 

 

 

Final paper due by 11:59 PM May 2.