PH 245 Philosophy of Religion
Course Syllabus
Southwest Virginia Christian Leadership Network
&
John Leland Center for Theological Studies
Spring 2010

 Instructor: Steve J. Collins, B.A., M.A
Church Office Phone: 276-479-3222
Home Phone: 276-467-2389
E-mail: fbcnick@mounet.com

Class Meeting Place, Dates, and Time
Meeting Place: First Baptist Church, Ministry Center, Nickelsville, VA
Dates: Each Thursday Night beginning January 28 th and ending May 13 th.
Time: 6:30 – 9:20 PM

 Course Description This is an introductory study that will focus on the philosophical foundations of religious beliefs. Throughout the course we will focus on the traditional arguments for God’s existence, the immortality of the soul and life after death, revelation and miracles, the problem of evil, freedom and determinism, and the challenges of recent thought.

Course Objectives
This course is designed to equip participants to defend their faith in Jesus Christ by providing a sound apologetic foundation for their continual growth in the Christian faith. As a result of enrollment, participation, and hard work each class member will:

• Be introduced to and gain a basic understanding of the relationship that exists between philosophy and Christian theology.
• Better understand and articulate the traditional arguments for God’s existence.
• Develop and be able to outline the non-traditional transcendental argument for God’s existence.
• Comprehend the challenge of the problem of evil and develop a response that honors God, strengthens them, and others.
• Recognize the major philosophical movements that challenge Christianity and react in a manner that displays integrity and understanding.
• Expand, undergird, and strengthen their Christian worldview.
• Enhance their skills in the areas of self-directed research, as well as their ability to better communicate their Christian beliefs both orally and in their writings.
• Improve their ability to help others who struggle with 21 st century issues that arise between biblical faith and modern philosophy.

Required Texts

• Philosophy of Religion: Thinking about Faith, Second Edition, C. Stephen Evans & R. Zachary Manis, InterVarsity Press (IVP) Academic, Downer’s Grove, Illinois, 2009, ISBN 978-0-8308-3876-9
• The Bible (your choice of a reputable translation)
• Supplemental Readings: As distributed by the instructor (no purchase of texts required).

Other Recommended Texts

• Knowing God, J.I. Packer, InterVarsity Press (IVP), Downer’s Grove, Illinois, 1973, ISBN 0-8308-1651-8

CLASS SCHEDULE

Week 1 Jan. 28
Course Introduction & Syllabus Overview

Week 2 Feb. 4
What is Philosophy of Religion?
Philosophy of Religion and Other Disciplines
Philosophy of Religion and Philosophy
Can Thinking About Religion Be Neutral?
Fideism & Neutralism
Text: pgs. 1-35

Week 3 Feb. 11
The Theistic God: The Project of Natural Theology
Concepts of God
The Theistic Concept of God
A Case Study: Divine Foreknowledge & Human Freedom
Freedom
The Problem of Religious Language
Natural Theology
Proofs of God’s Existence
Text: pgs. 36-61

Week 4 Feb. 18
Classical Arguments for God’s Existence
Ontological Arguments
Cosmological Arguments
Teleological Arguments
Moral Arguments
Conclusions: The Value of Theistic Argument
Text: pgs. 62-97

Week 5 Feb. 25
Religious Experience
Types of Religious Experience
Two Models for Understanding Experience
Experience of God as Direct and Mediated
Are Religious Experiences Veridical?
Checking Experiential Claims
Text: pgs. 98-115

Week 6 March 4
Special Acts of God: Revelation and Miracles
Special Acts
Theories of Revelation
Is the Traditional View Defensible?
What is a Miracle?
Is is Reasonable to Believe in Miracles?
Can a Revelation Have Special Authority?
Text: pgs. 116-137

Week 7 March 11
Mid-Term Exam

Week 8 March 18
Religion, Modernity & Science
Modernity and Religious Belief
Naturalism
Do the Natural Sciences Undermine Religious Beliefs?
Objections from the Social Sciences
Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
Text: pgs. 138-155

Week 9 March 25
Research Paper #1 Due – to be presented in class

Week 10 April 1
The Problem of Evil
Types of Evil, Versions of the Problem & Types of Responses
The Logical Form of the Problem
The Evidential Form of the Problem
Text: pgs. 156-172

Week 11 April 8
The Problem of Evil – Cont.
Horrendous Evils and the Problem of Hell
Divine Hiddenness
Text: pgs. 172-182

Week 12 April 15
SPRING BREAK – NO CLASS

Week 13 April 22
Faith(s) and Reason
Faith: Subjectivity in Religious Arguments
The Evidentialist Challenge to Religious Beliefs
Reformed Epistomology
The Place of Subjectivity in Forming Beliefs
Interpretive Judgments and the Nature of a Cumulative Case
Text: pgs. 183-202

Week 14 April 29
Faith(s) and Reason – Cont.
Can Faith Be Certain?
Faith and Doubt: Can Religious Faith be Tested?
What is Faith?
Could One Religion Be True?
Text: pgs. 202-216
Research Paper #2 Due

Week 15 May 6
Final Exam

Week 16 May 13
Final Class

COURSE REQUIREMENTS  

• Attendance – 10% of final grade. Students are expected to attend all class sessions. If for any reason it is not possible to attend a class, it is common courtesy to inform the instructor beforehand, or in case of an unavoidable emergency, at the earliest opportunity.
• Reading – 10% of final grade. There will be regular reading assignments from the text, the Bible, and other sources in preparation for the class. Class participants are expected to do all of the assigned readings prior to each session and come to class prepared to critically discuss the main themes covered in their reading assignments.
• In Class Participation – 10% of final grade. The facilitator will occasionally distribute in-class case studies dealing with philosophical issues in religion. Students are encouraged and expected to interact and provide input in these impromptu settings.
• Exams – There will be two exams given during the semester (a mid-term and a final) each accounting for 20% of the student’s final grade. These exams will be in class projects which the entire class will participate in.
• Two research papers – which will constitute 30% of the student’s final grade (each paper counts as 15% of the final grade). The student will present one of these research papers (either of their choice) in class on April 29 th. The topics, guidelines, and due dates of the research papers are as follows:

(1) Topic #1 – the problem of evil and suffering that Job experienced in the loss of his family, his wealth and his health. The paper should focus on 3 thoughts: Why did Job suffer? Where was God in his time of suffering? How did Job’s reactions honor God? In conclusion, the paper should focus on the way(s) we can honor God in personal times of suffering and loss.

(3) Topic #2 – the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke chapter 16, verses 19-31. Using this scripture and other scriptural references participants will contrast two thoughts concerning the hereafter: The eternal bliss awaiting the believer and the eternal torment awaiting the unbeliever.

(4) Guidelines: Research papers should be 3 to 5 pages in length (not including the cover sheet and bibliography), double-spaced, using #12 font. Papers #2 and #3 should cite at least two different sources apart from the Bible. Footnotes and a bibliography are expected with papers #2 and #3.

(5) Due Dates:
Paper #1 – March 25 th
Paper #2 – April 29 th

*A copy of A Manual for Writers of Term Papers (6 th edition) by Kate L. Turabian, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Ill., 1996 is available for use by the students in the Nickelsville classroom.

*All students are expected to familiarize themselves with the plagiarism statement on the following page.

THE SCHOLASTIC GRADING POLICY

A+ 98 – 100 (4.3) The student has demonstrated the mastery of the
A 95 – 97 (4.0) material and its application.
A- 93 – 94 (3.7)

B+ 90 – 92 (3.3) The student has demonstrated above average
B 87 – 89 (3.0) mastery of the material and its application.
B- 85 – 86 (2.7)

C+ 82 – 84 (2.3) The student has demonstrated the required mastery
C 79 – 81 (1.7) of the material and its application.
C- 77 – 78 (1.7)

D+ 74 – 76 (1.3) The student has demonstrated below average
D 71 – 73 (1.0) mastery of the material and its application.
D- 69 – 70 (0.7)

F 68 – below (0.0) The student has failed to master the material and its application.

P Passing WP Withdrew Passing

I Incomplete WF Withdrew Failing

PLAGIARISM  

Academic integrity is an important part of the educational process. As such, honesty and accountability are vital to each student who truly wishes to learn and honor God in the process. With this in mind:

• Students are expected to write their own work. While students are encouraged to study and talk with fellow students and the instructor, each student must write their own assignments.
• If you borrow more than 3 or 4 words in a row from another source, it should be properly referenced using quotation marks and full bibliographic information, including page numbers. When you borrow ideas but not actual words, you may cite the source at your discretion to help your reader follow up on your writing.