Course Details

Course Name and Number: PHIL 052 – Philosophy of Religion

Section Number: 01

Course Modality: In Person

Start and End Time: Mondays 2:45PM-5:30PM

Location: PZ Campus, Fletcher Hall, Room 112

Beginning and Ending Dates: August 26th, 2024 – Dec 9th, 2024

Number of Units: 1

Description: The philosophy of religion is concerned with philosophical reflection on a broad range of questions concerning religious belief. The nature of religious belief is quite varied across cultures. In Western theism, belief in God and a belief in personal immortality are two central religious beliefs. So, philosophy of religion in the West is largely concerned with explicating and clarifying the concept of God and life after death, as well as considering the alleged reasons for supposing God exists or that there is life after death. However, in other traditions belief in reincarnation and karma are central beliefs and so questions regarding the nature, meaning and justification of the concepts of reincarnation and karma are important for an Eastern philosophy of religion. In this course, we will examine similar philosophical questions from Western and Eastern religious traditions as well as African, Native American and a variety of other world religions.

Prerequisite(s): Please check course schedule for requirements.

Note(s): RLST Majors: PRT

Student Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to

compare various regional approaches to religion and religious experience
understand the use the vocabulary of the philosophy of religion
explain competing conceptions of ‘God’
assess at least two arguments for the existence of God
explain the problem of evil from multiple philosophical and theological perspectives
think critically about sacred texts and their interpretation
examine the relationship between science and religion
critically examine the categories of ‘religion’ and the ‘secular’

Required Textbook/Materials

Textbook: None – All reading will be free PDFs on our Canvas course.

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