Philosophy of Religion

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

People are raising many philosophical questions about religion these days, and this course aims to address a number of the more central ones. Most of these questions have been treated by prominent thinkers of high philosophical quality, and we will be examining thinkers from both the past and the contemporary philosophical scene. These latter are particularly important since there has been much recent work in the philosophy of religion. In the past forty years there has been a robust resurgence of interest in applying contemporary philosophical methods to perennial issues pertaining to religion, and new perspectives have opened up, yielding new approaches to old problems and new areas for investigation. We will be discussing some of the following topics: God and evil, religious experience, faith and reason, who God is, proofs for God’s existence and whether belief in God needs proof, language about God, miracles, life after death, religion and science, religious diversity, religion and morality. By conversation and confrontation with the philosophers and their writings on these topics, you will be in an informed position to develop your own views.