Time Schedule:
Michael Rosenthal
PHIL 467
Seattle Campus
Study of selected topics and problems in the philosophy of religion, such as: arguments for the existence of God; the problem of evil; atheism; faith; religious experience and revelation; the attributes of God; miracles; immortality; and the relation between religion and morality. Readings from historical and contemporary authors.
Class description
This course will survey the main topics in contemporary, analytic philosophy of religion. We will begin with arguments that attempt to prove the existence of God and then consider the attempts to disprove the existence of God through the so called “problem of evil.” We will consider the debates regarding the attributes of God and then turn to various philosophical problems that arise in revealed religions involving God’s relation to creation, such as whether there are miracles, immortality and resurrection, and how we can know God. The final sections of the course will look at contemporary challenges to revealed religions, including evolution, the existence of a competing belief systems, and the possibility of secular ethics. Although we will cover a lot of material, the course cannot consider all points of view. The goal is to deepen your understanding of some key philosophical debates within religious traditions based on revelation.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
