Philosophy of Religion
(PHIL 201)
Course Description | Course Schedule
Study Helps & Philosophy Links
Fall 2018
Monday-Wednesday-Friday 1:50-2:50
John R. Howard Hall, Room 102
Email:
Class Email:
Office:
John R. Howard Hall 223
Office Hours:
MWF 10:30-11:30
M 3:00-4:30
TTh 9:00-12:00 & 1:00-3:30
and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Thomas Jefferson: "We shall have our follies without doubt. Some one or more of them will always be afloat. But ours shall be the follies of enthusiasm, not of bigotry.... Bigotry is the disease of ignorance, of morbid minds; enthusiasm of the free and buoyant. Education and free discussion are the antidotes of both.... I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past."
Oscar Wilde: "Religion is like a blind man looking in a black room for a black cat that isn't there, and finding it."
This is an introductory course in philosophy of religion. There are two required texts:
Alternative Concepts of God: Essays on the Metaphysics of the Divine
Edited by Andrei A. Buckareff and Yujin Nagasawa
Oxford University Press, 2016
Feminist Philosophy of Religion: Critical Readings
Edited by Pamela Sue Anderson and Beverly Clack
Routledge, 2004
Paperback
Feminist Philosophy of Religion is available through the College Bookstore, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble
In this course, we will examine the various conceptions of God (or of the gods) that philosophers from different cultural, historical, and religious traditions have articulated, and the reasons these philosophers have offered to support those articulations.
Students will engage meaningfully with and demonstrate knowledge about a region or regions of the world other than the United States of America (through reading, writing, conversation, presentation and/or first-hand experiences). Topics of study include historical experience, cultural traditions, past and current social and economic realities, or transnational issues.
There are also learning outcomes for students who graduate with a major in Philosophy.
In preparation for each class meeting, you should have read the assigned material. You should arrive in class with prepared questions or comments about something in the assigned reading.
In addition to learning about the philosophy of religion, a major goal of this course is to cultivate intellectual abilities which have general application. This course aims to provide the resources which will enable you to develop intellectual survival skills, question what passes as common knowledge and accepted wisdom, evaluate your own and others' positions, and formulate new ideas. Such skills consist in the ability to summarize the assigned material, and to write pieces in which ideas and arguments are articulated, criticized, defended. Such skills also involve developing the ability to think critically about the views of ourselves and others. Critical thinking consists in understanding several sides of a debate, and seeing both the advantages and limitations of an opinion. Learning to question your opinions is as crucial as arguing for them. If you only learn to give reasons for opinions already held, you merely are giving rationalizations for prejudices. You need to learn to think for yourself, developing, defending, and criticizing your beliefs.
In this connection, I am especially concerned that you develop the ability to discuss issues cogently and to write intelligent, reflective pieces in clear, grammatical English. It is important that you learn to think, in a disciplined way, about the books and issues they raise. Part of that discipline consists in being able to analyze, evaluate, and formulate arguments. This involves knowing how to identify basic assumptions, develop a line of reasoning, recognize the steps that lead to a conclusion, and determine whether an argument is sound. In this way, hopefully, you will develop intellectual curiosity and the competencies to reason logically, evaluate critically, communicate effectively, imagine creatively, and appreciate aesthetic and creative expressions of humanity.
You are encouraged to share your questions and observations with the rest of the class, and to engage critically with the material, myself, and each other. By participating in class discussions, you will encounter directly differing interpretations of the material, become aware of the history of these views, and be encouraged to develop your own critical perspectives. In interacting with the material and each other, you will acquire a knowledge and appreciation of self, society, human cultures, and the natural world. I intend that you discover what has been written and said concerning, in the words of Socrates, "the most important things" -- questions about human character and the conduct of life. Such skills will enable you to succeed in subsequent courses and in endeavors outside of the classroom. Those abilities also will contribute to your development as educated citizens in a democratic society.
Each student will write a précis for almost every reading assignment, complete various research exercises that teach research skills, and write and present in class one assessment on a specific reading assignment. There also will be one argumentative research paper (which includes a prospectus, two drafts, and a mandatory rewrite). And a class presentation of the argumentative research paper on the Final Exam Day.
The précis, research exercises, and class participation will be weighted together and will count for 20% of your final grade. The assessment will count for 20% of your final grade. The prospectus will count for 5%, the first draft will count for 10%, the second draft will count for 15%, and the argumentative research paper will count for 25% of your final grade. The presentation will count for 5% of your final grade. The grading scale is as follows:
A = 93%-100%
A- = 90%-92%
B+ = 86%-89%
B = 83% 85%
B- = 80%-82%
C+ = 76%-79%
C = 73%-75%
C- = 70%-72%
D+ = 66%-69%
D = 60%-65%
F = 0%-59%.
A précis will be due almost every class session. Each précis will be one typed page -- never longer -- double-spaced, with 1 inch margins on the right & left sides and the top & bottom. It must be at least 3/4 of a page in length. Use a 12-point Times or Times Roman font. There will be no spelling or grammatical errors in your précis. Your name will be typed in the upper right-hand corner. In each précis, you will summarize -- in your own words, without using any quotes -- the assigned reading's main claims, as well as the reasons which are given to support those claims. You will not include any opinion, evaluation, or commentary. At the bottom of each précis, or on the back, you will write one question that you have about the reading. This question must written prior to, not during, class. I never will accept a late précis, but I will allow you to drop one.
An assessment should be approximately 1500 words, typed, double-spaced. Except for the length, the assessment should follow the same format requirement as the précis. You will sign up for a dates on which you will present your assessments. On the day you present, you will distribute copies to all of the persons in this class. This will require, of course, that you have enough copies made so that each member of the class has one. You first will read your assessment, and then you and I will serve as the main resource persons for fielding questions concerning the material. Since the class discussion will be centered around the assessment, it is crucial that you distribute the assessment the class session when you present it, and that you actually be in class to read your assessment.
An assessment is not a summary of the reading. Its primary purpose is to consolidate and explicate the central issues, main points, and key motifs of the assigned reading in order to facilitate class discussion of the material. It is important that the assessment contextualize the reading by describing briefly both how the reading is a continuation and development of material which has come before, and how it contributes to the text's overall trajectory.
It is crucial that your assessment be argumentative, and that critically engage the reading, in conversation with the secondary literature. You might argue that a claim that the author makes is incorrect, for example, or that a criticism in the secondary literature is incorrect. Alternatively, you might argue that an interpretation advanced in the secondary literature is incorrect. The assessment should reflect an acquaintance with the requisite secondary literature. This means that you must incorporate at least three secondary sources you consulted while writing your assessment.
A student presenting an assessment will not submit a précis of that material too.
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, and Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy will be useful.
The Philosopher's Index will be vital for the Assessment and Argumentative Research Paper.
The Chicago Manual of Style's Citation Quick Guide is online.
There will be an argumentative research paper, 2000 words, typed, double-spaced. It will be on the same topic as your assessment.
You're welcome to consult the Writing Center, located on the main floor of Watzek Library.
Also useful is the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University.
If you would find it useful to create concept maps, to help write your assessment or argumentative research papers, you can download the software to create them from IHMC Cmap Tools.
All work must be submitted when it is due. Late work -- précis, assessments, papers -- will not be accepted and will receive no credit.
This class will be successful only if there is a high degree of participation and attendance, and so I want you in class participating. The final grade for the course will be lowered by a full-letter grade if you miss four class sessions, the final grade will be lowered by two full-letter grades if you miss five class sessions, and you will be withdrawn from the course if you miss six or more class sessions. I will not accept make-up work unless you can document the reason for your absence. Documenting the reason for your absence means providing a note from, for example, your doctor explaining why you were absent. Serious illnesses and emergencies will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Throughout the course you are expected to read carefully the assigned material. It is impossible to do well in this course without reading and studying the books. You should spend a minimum of three hours preparing for each class session. Read the assigned material at least twice and take notes on what you read. You are expected to attend all class sessions, come to class having read thoroughly the assigned material, and to contribute to the discussions.
Gorgias of Leontini maintained that "those who neglect philosophy and spend their time on ordinary studies are like the suitors who desired Penelope but slept with her maids." In philosophy, unlike ordinary studies, there are few right and wrong answers. There are better and worse arguments and ideas, however, usually in direct proportion to thoughtfulness and care. What is important is that you think for yourself, and that you develop and defend your own ideas. It would be an excellent idea to write drafts or outlines of your précis and papers, and to have a comrade read them to check on spelling, grammar, development of arguments, and so forth.
You are strongly encouraged to discuss the class material, your ideas, your puzzles and difficulties with each other. A word to the wise: Find a study partner to discuss things with outside of class. (To see why this is effective for creativity and learning, read Malcolm Gladwell's article, Group Think: What Does "Saturday Night Live" Have in Common with German Philosophy?, The New Yorker, 2 December 2002, pages 102-107).
There's a Bollwood tune for every occasion. Click here.
When it comes to finally writing your précis and essays, though, do your own writing. That is the only way you will get the full benefit of your own efforts. I will be happy to discuss ideas with you, read outlines and rough drafts, and so forth. That is partly why I keep office hours.
A final word to the wise. It is not difficult to do well in this class, but it also is easy to do badly. Let me talk about the bad stuff first. You will receive a major grade reduction -- or fail this course -- if you do not read the material, seldom participate in class discussions, do not write your précis, assessment, or argumentative research paper, plagiarize, cheat, and so forth.
About plagiarizing and cheating. All students are expected to follow Lewis & Clark College's Academic Integrity Policy. Plagiarizers and cheaters will be given an "F" for the entire course (they will not be allowed to drop or withdraw from the course). I also will turn their cases over to the Honor Board; I will recommend that disciplinary penalties be assessed. It is never in your interest to plagiarize or cheat!
Now for the good stuff. With a concerted effort, you will do well in this class. To do well, you must participate in class discussions, read and study the assigned material, write the précis, assessment, argumentative research paper, be in class (almost) all of the time, etc. I do not grade on a curve, and so there is no good reason why you should not get an "A" for the course!
Course policy on disability accommodation. If you have a disability or learning difference that may impact your academic performance, you may request accommodations by submitting documentation to Student Support Services, located in Albany 206 (access@lclark.edu, 503-768-7156). They will notify me of the accommodations for which you are eligible.
Course withdrawals. You may drop this course on WebAdvisor by Friday of the second week of class, and no W grade will appear on your transcript.
After the second week and before 4:00 pm on Friday of the 10th week, you can withdraw from the course by submitting a Course Withdrawal form to the Registrar’s Office. In this case, a W grade will appear on your transcript.
The last day to withdraw is Friday, November 9. It is not possible for you to withdraw from the course after that date. At that point, you will need to complete the course, and receive whatever grade you have earned.
If you have questions or concerns about your performance in the course, please talk with me before November 9.
COURSE SCHEDULE
As a high-school student, when I asked my Sanskrit teacher whether it would be permissible to say that the divine Krishna got away with an incomplete and unconvincing argument, he replied: "Maybe you could say that, but you must say it with adequate respect."
-- Amartya Sen, The Argumentative Indian:
Writings on Indian History, Culture
and Identity, (New York: Picador,
2005), page 5.
Week 1
Monday, September 3:
Labor Day
Wednesday, September 5:
Read:
Critical Reading: The First Steps to Good Writing.
Malcolm Gladwell's "Group Think" in the New Yorker.
Ethan Watters, "We Aren't the World", Pacific Standard.
Joseph Henrich, Steven J. Heine, and Ara Norenzayan, "The Weirdest People in the World?", Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Volume 33:2-3, June 2010, pages 61-83.
Friday, September 7:
Charles Taliaferro, "Philosophy of Religion", Stanford Encyclopedia of Religion; précis.
Discussion of research.
Week 2
Monday, September 10:
William Wainwright, "Concepts of God", Stanford Encyclopedia of Religion; précis.
Sign-up for Assessments.
Discussion of (annotated) bibliography, reasons for citations, proper quoting (block or in-line).
Wednesday, September 12:
Andrei A. Buckareff and Yujin Nagasawa, "Introduction: Alternative Conceptions of Divinity and Contemporary Analytic Philosophy of Religion", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Discussion of (annotated) bibliography, reasons for citations, proper quoting (block or in-line).
Pantheism
Friday, September 14:
William Mander, "Pantheism", Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy; précis.
Discussion of (annotated) bibliography, reasons for citations, proper quoting (block or in-line).
Exercise for Monday: Find one book and one article that will be relevant to your Assessment. Provide one block quote from the book and one in-line quote from the article. List the book and the article in proper format for bibliography.
Week 3
Monday, September 17:
Peter Forrest, "The Personal Pantheist Conception of God", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Discussion of search procedures for articles and books.
Wednesday, September 19:
Karl Pfeifer, "Pantheism as Panpsychism", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Discussion of search procedures for articles and books.
Friday, September 21:
John Leslie, "A Way of Picturing God", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Discussion of search procedures for articles and books.
Exercise for Monday: In proper bibliographical format, list three additional articles that you found through the Arts & Humanities Citation Index or the Philosopher's Index that are relevant to your Assessment.
Week 4
Monday, September 24:
Brian Leftow, "Naturalistic Pantheism", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Discussion on using the Arts & Humanities Citation Index and the Philosopher's Index.
Panentheism
Wednesday, September 26:
John Culp, "Panentheism", Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy; précis.
Discussion on using the Arts & Humanities Citation Index and the Philosopher's Index.
Friday, September 28:
Yujin Nagasawa, "Modal Panentheism", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Discussion on using the Arts & Humanities Citation Index and the Philosopher's Index.
Exercise for Monday: In proper bibliographical format, list one additional article that you found through the Arts & Humanities Citation Index or the Philosopher's Index that is relevant to your Assessment.
Week 5
Monday, October 1:
John Bishop and Ken Perszyk, "Concepts of God and Problems of Evil", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Wednesday, October 3:
Marilyn McCord Adams, "Horrors: To What End?", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Discussion of annotated bibliography and reliability of sources.
Further Alternatives
Friday, October 5:
Charles Taliaferro, "Taking the Mind of God Seriously: Why and How to Become a Theistic Idealist", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Discussion of annotated bibliography and reliability of source.
Exercise for Wednesday: Submit a 1-3 page prospectus of your argumentative research paper in which you:
(1) indicate your topic and thesis.
(2) describe the problem or issue to be treated.
(3) outline your anticipated procedure and probable conclusion.
(4) include an annotated bibliography of works to be consulted (a minimum of six books or articles, with at least a paragraph discussing the relevance of each work to your project).
Week 6
Monday, October 8:
J. L. Schellenberg, "God for All Time: From Theism to Ultimism", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Discussion of note taking and perusing for content.
Wednesday, October 10:
Due: Prospectus of Argumentative Research Paper
Friday, October 12:
Fall Break.
Week 7
Monday, October 15:
Robin Le Poidevin, "Playing the God Game: the Perils of Religious Fictionalism, Robin Le Poidevin", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Discussion of formulating a thesis: outlines, drafts, revisions.
Causal versus Non-Causal Accounts
Wednesday, October 17:
Willem B. Drees, "The Divine as Ground of Existence and of Transcendental Values: An Exploration", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Discussion of formulating a thesis: outlines, drafts, revisions.
Friday, October 19:
Andrei A. Buckareff, "Theological Realism, Divine Action, and Divine Location", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Discussion of formulating a thesis: outlines, drafts, revisions.
Exercise for Monday: In proper bibliographical format, list one additional article that you found through the Arts & Humanities Citation Index or the Philosopher's Index that is relevant to your Assessment.
Week 8
Monday, October 22:
Hugh J. McCann, "Free Will and the Mythology of Causation", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Discussion of articulating a thesis: arguments, objections, replies.
Naturalism and Alternative Concepts
Wednesday, October 24:
Emily Thomas, "Samuel Alexander's Spacetime God: A Naturalist Rival to Current Emergentist Theologies", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Discussion of articulating a thesis: arguments, objections, replies.
Friday, October 26:
Eric Steinhart, "On Religious Naturalism", Alternative Concepts of God; précis.
Discussion of articulating a thesis: arguments, objections, replies.
Week 9
Monday, October 29:
Nancy Frankenberry, "Feminist Philosophy of Religion", Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy; précis.
Approaches to Feminist Philosophy of Religion
Wednesday, October 31:
Nancy Frankenberry, "Feminist Approaches", Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 3-27; précis.
Assessment: Andrew Morales.
Friday, November 2:
Grace M. Jantzen, "A Psychoanalytic Approach",
Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 28-41; précis.
Assessment: Alec Evans.
Due on Monday: Submit the First Draft of your Argumentative Research Paper.
Week 10
Monday, November 5:
Due: First Draft of Argumentative Research Paper
Wednesday, November 7:
Ellen T. Armour, "A Post-Structuralist Approach",
Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 42-53; précis.
Assessment: Andrew Steinberg.
Friday, November 9:
Fionola Meredith, "A Post-Metaphysical Approach", Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 54-72; précis.
Assessment: Ian Esmonde.
Week 11
Monday, November 12:
Harriet A. Harris, "A Theological Approach",
Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 73-86; précis.
Assessment: Toby Luongo.
Wednesday, November 14:
Pamela Sue Anderson, "An Epistemological-Ethical Approach", Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 87-102; précis.
Assessment: Sierra Gundersen and Kendall Malone.
Philosophical Topics in Feminist Philosophy of Religion: Divinity
Friday, November 16:
Tina Beattie, "Redeeming Mary: The Potential of Marian Symbolism for Feminist Philosophy of Religion", Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 105-122; précis.
Assessment: Ariel Trinidad.
Due on Wednesday: Submit the Second Draft of your Argumentative Research Paper to Fritzman and to your peer evaluator.
Week 12
Monday, November 19:
Heather Walton, "Women Writing the Divine", Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 123-135; précis.
Assessment: Annie Austrian and Mollee Chenoweth.
Wednesday, November 21:
Due: Second Draft of Argumentative Research Paper
Submit a copy to Fritzman and your Peer Evaluator
Friday, November 23:
Thanksgiving Break.
Week 13
Monday, November 26:
Melissa Raphael, "The Price of (Masculine) Freedom and Becoming: A Jewish Feminist Response", Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 136-150; précis.
Assessment: Emily Drevdahl.
Philosophical Topics in Feminist Philosophy of Religion: Embodiment
Wednesday, November 28:
Kathleen O'Grady, "Sacred Metaphor: Julia Kristeva and Umberto Eco", Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 151-169; précis.
Assessment: Julia Groves.
Friday, November 30:
Alison Jasper, "Recollecting Religion in the Realm of the Body (or Body©)", Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 170-182; précis.
Assessment: Josiah Basaldua and Sonja Tierney.
Week 14
Monday, December 3:
Beverley Clack, "Feminism and Human Mortality", Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 183-196; précis.
Assessment: Alex Walsh.
Philosophical Topics in Feminist Philosophy of Religion: Autonomy and Spirituality
Wednesday, December 5:
Janet Martin Soskice, "Love and Attention", Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 197-209; précis.
Assessment: Hayley Brinker and Iwalani Jensen.
Friday, December 7:
Dorota Filipczak, "Autonomy and Female Spirituality in a Polish Context: Divining a Self", Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 210-224; précis.
Assessment: Savannah Dickson.
Week 15
Philosophical Topics in Feminist Philosophy of Religion: Religious Practice
Monday, December 10:
Amy Hollywood, "Practice, Belief and Feminist Philosophy of Religion", Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 225-240; précis.
Assessment: Guy Tal.
Wednesday, December 12:
Vrinda Dalmiya, "Loving Paradoxes: A Feminist Reclamation of the Goddess Kali", Feminist Philosophy of Religion, pages 241-263; précis.
Assessment: Sarah Broadhead.
Friday, December 14:
Reading Day.
Week 16
Saturday, December 15:
Argumentative Research Papers due at 1:00 PM.
Submit four items:
(1) the final rewrite.
(2) the second draft on which I wrote comments.
(3) the second draft on which your peer evaluator wrote comments.
(4) the peer evaluation form.
Presentation of Argumentative Research Papers.
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