PHI 502L02.A Philosophy of Religion(ON LINE)

CRISWELL COLLEGE

SPRING 2016

PHI 502L02.A Philosophy of Religion(ON LINE)

Professor:Dr. Craig Mitchell

Contact:214-818-1311

4010 Gaston Ave., Dallas, TX 75246

Office hours:Room E-318; hours posted outside office door.

Course description:

An advanced study of historical and contemporary worldviews and philosophical issues relevant to Christian ministry, such as religious pluralism, the problem of evil, and the relationship between faith and reason.

Course Objectives / Learning Outcomes:

The student who successfully completes this course will demonstrate the ability to:

• Analyze and process the language of philosophical theology.
• Investigate some of the major historical thinkers, principles, ideas, and theories in the field of philosophical theology.
• Link some areas of philosophical theology’s concern to contemporary life.
• Present critical evaluation relating to one or more positions in the field of philosophical theology.
• Support one’s own conclusions concerning specific topics in philosophical theology.
• Do all of the above from a biblical, Christian perspective.

Course texts:

• Michael Peterson, et al. Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings, 4thed. New York: Oxford, 2010. ISBN: 9780195393590
• Alvin Plantinga. Warranted Christian Belief. New York: Oxford, 2000. ISBN: 0195131932

• Anselm. Anselm of Canterbury: The Major Works. New York: Oxford, 2008. ISBN: 9780199540082

Course requirements and evaluation procedures:

Grade Scale with 1,000 Points:

Requirements for Credit:

Course Requirements in Detail:

Quizzes: 300 Points (6@50 Points Each)

There are six quizzes over the lectures and text book readings. Students should take the quizzes after reading and studying the lectures and text book materials. While students may use books, lectures, and notes, students may not use help from other students, and must complete each quiz within thirty minutes. Blackboard will make note of this. Questions are true/false and/or multiple choice.

Spiritual Movie Analysis: 100 Points
Students will write one (1) movie analysis this semester. In the review the student will discuss the basic plot and themes, discuss the theological/spiritual issues that are raised, evaluate the theological/spiritual conclusions of the film, and critique the film as a work of art. The student should focus on the overall message of the film and how it is presented by the director and portrayed by the actors. Explain what the film has to say about eschatology. The review will be approximately two (2) pages, double spaced. A list of films will be provided in Session 1.

Research Paper:300 Points
Each student will write a research/position paper. The meaning of research/position is this: do good research on a topic, issue, idea, or thinker, etc. relevant to the course, and take a personal position. Argue your position clearly and carefully, anticipating and defending against objections. As part of this research project, graduate level students should read, research, synthesize, write, summarize, and draw conclusions. (Minimum 6 books, 3 journal articles, excluding internet sources and assigned texts.) This paper should include cover sheet, table of contents or outline page, body of the essay, and works cited page. 15-20, not including cover page, contents page, and selected bibliography. The paper will be written in Times New Roman font (12 Pt.), and it will be double-spaced. Page margins will be one-inch all the way around.

In this graduate level course, grammar and spelling should not even be an issue. That is, you should proof your work and it should be free from spelling/grammar problems. Clear your topic with the professor by the end of week 2.Your thoughts should be supported by evidence in the paper.

Research Paper Grading Rubric:

• Thesis Statement_____(20 Pts.) (Does the paper have a clear thesis?Does the paper do what it claims to do?)
• Introduction and Conclusion_____(20 Pts.) (Does the paper have a clear introduction and conclusion?)
• Body of the Text_____ (75 Pts.) (This item will be assigned a number 1-4 based on the numbers below.) (Is the paper well organized?Does it stay on Task?Are the writer’s thoughts clear and easy to follow?)
• Evidence/Claims_____(75 Pts.) (This item will be assigned a number 1-4 based on the numbers below.) (Are the claims made by the writer supported with good academic resources?Does the writer present enough evidence to prove his or her claims?)
• Analysis/Argumentation_____(100 Pts.) (This item will be assigned a number 1-4 based on the numbers below.) (Does the writer deal effectively with the counterarguments?Does the writer analyze the evidence of the counterarguments as well as the arguments that support the thesis?)
• Grammar_____(10 Pts.)
  (Are the sentences complete as opposed to fragmented?Are their few grammatical mistakes?Are there any spelling mistakes?Is the format of the paper consistent?Are there a title page, a table of contents, and a bibliography?Is the paper typed in Times New Roman, Size 12 font, with 1 inch margins on the sides and 1 inch margins on the top and bottom?Are the pages numbered?)

Reading: 200 Points
Students will be asked on the final week of class to share what percentage of the required reading was completed from the textbooks and the online sessions. They will select the answer most closely associated with the amount of reading completed.

Class Participation: 100 Points (4@25 Points Each)

In order to receive full credit for class participation every week, each student must respond to the professor's Class Discussion question for that week by Wednesday at 11:55 P.M. of that week. Next, the student must respond to at leasttwo other students' posts by Friday at 11:55 P.M. of that same week. Finally, the student must answer any questions that are asked ofhim/her by other students by Sunday at 11:55 P.M. in your time zoneat the end of that week. Please be courteous to other classmates by not waiting until the last minute each week to post on the Discussion Board.

Additional Discussion Board Guidelines (Maria Puzziferro):

• An acceptable post to the Discussion Board would contain accurate, original, and relevant comments. The comments should stimulate additional thought about the issue being discussed. A simple "I agree" or "I disagree" will not be counted as an adequate comment.
• Your postings should reflect a) facts, b) logical reasoning, c) be related to the topic, d) be written well (no spelling errors, etc.), and e) be on time. Try to avoid sharing your personal opinions if you cannot back them up with facts and/or statistics.
• You may certainly express your views and beliefs in the context of the discussion topic, but DO NOT use your views to attack others. Simply use your best judgment and treat others with respect. This will be important to bear in mind as we discuss very sensitive and controversial issues.
• Read the assigned chapters before you post your response to the question so that you can tie in the main ideas and facts in the readings to your postings.
• You will be evaluated on the quality and thoughtfulness of how you present your point of view. A quality message is well thought out, clearly presented, and well-formulated.
• When posting, be sure to present your thoughts and point of view in an unbiased way. You can and should cite evidence for your assertions where appropriate. Use your textbook, and other selected web resources as educational aids.
• Your postings should be clear, yet concise. Please do not feel as though you have to write a lot. Think quality over quantity. Please try to keep messages to one paragraph (150-200 words), if possible.
• Once you have posted, check back frequently to see if anybody has responded to you.

Course Communication:
Students can expect to receive email replies from their online instructor within 48 hours of sending an initial email. Students can expect to have most assignments graded within one week of the due date. For example, week 1’s material is due on a Sunday night, and so will be graded by the following Sunday night (the day before week 3 begins).
Attendance Policy:
Weekly student participation and response in online courses is considered necessary for the learning process. In distance education classes, weekly course participation is equivalent to class attendance. Online participation may include: e-mail to faculty/class members, response to a discussion board posting, an assignment being turned in, and/or other communication which reflects ongoing learning in the course. If no student response occurs during a week of the term, the student is considered absent. More than three (3) absences for online classes will result in a grade of “F” for the courses. The professor and the Vice President of Academic Affairs must approve all exceptions to this policy. Students are responsible for all absences due to illness or any other reason. Granting of excused absences is permitted at the discretion of the professor.

Grading System

The significance of letter grades is as follows:

A97-1004.0 grade points per semester hour

A-93-963.7 grade points per semester hour

B+91-923.3 grade points per semester hour

B 88-903.0 grade points per semester hour

B-86-872.7 grade points per semester hour

C+83-852.3 grade points per semester hour

C 80-822.0 grade points per semester hour

C-78-791.7 grade points per semester hour

D+75-771.3 grade points per semester hour

D 72-741.0 grade point per semester hour

D-70-710.7 grade points per semester hour

F 0-690.0 grade points per semester hour

The following grade symbols are also recognized for transcript evaluation:

AU Audited CourseCRCredit

EXExemptIIncomplete

NCNo CreditPPassed Non-credit Course

RCRepeat CourseSSatisfactory Progress

WWithdrawnWFWithdrawn Failing

WPWithdrawn Passing

NOTE: An “I” will be changed to an “F” 60 calendar days after the close of the term or semester in which the “I” was awarded, if the course work is not completed by the stated date published in the Academic Calendar.

Course outline:

A “week” in a Criswell on line course runs from 12:01 AM Monday morning to midnight Sunday night (11:59 PM), so a given week’s assignments are due by Sunday night each week unless otherwise noted (e.g. Discussion board threads are due by Thursday):

Week:Assignments*:

1Reading:Plantinga: Preface, Part I, and Parts II.3 and II.5; and week 1 lecture

DB thread 1 by Thursday night; 2 replies by Sunday night.

2Reading: Peterson IX “Religious Language,” and III “Faith and Reason”; and week

2 lecture

Quiz 1

Submit Final Paper in Blackboard.

3Reading: Peterson IV “Divine Attributes,” and V “Arguments About God’s Existence”

(excludingReichenbach and Adams); and week 3 lecture

Quiz 2

DB thread 2 by Thursday night; 2 replies by Sunday night.

4Reading: Peterson VI “Knowing God Without Arguments,” and VII “The Problem of

Evil”(excluding Hick and Adams); and week 4 lecture

Quiz 3

5Reading: Peterson VIII “Divine Action,” and X “Miracles”; and week 5 lecture

Quiz 4

6Reading: Peterson XIII “Religious Diversity”; and week 6 lecture

DB thread 3 by Thursday night; 2 replies by Sunday night

Quiz 5

7Reading: Anselm’s Proslogion; and week 7 lecture

Quiz 6

Remember that your final paper is due at the end of week 8, next week!

8Reading: Plantinga chapters 13-14; and week 8 lecture

Final paper due

*NOTE: If you plan to graduate this term, you must work out a plan with the professor for getting your work in early enough!

Changes to this document:

The instructor reserves the right to add, delete, or change any information contained in this document when he deems it necessary, with adequate notice given to the student. Students are responsible for any information missed due to absence.

Recommended bibliography:

The Holy Bible

The Apostle’s Creed

The Nicene Creed

The Chalcedonion Creed (or TheChalcedonion Definition of Faith)

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000

Audi, Robert, editor. The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge, 1995.

Cahn, Steven M. Ten Essential Texts in the Philosophy of Religion: Classics and Contemporary

Issues.

Clark, Kelly James, ed. Readings in the Philosophy of Religion.

Copleston, Frederick. A History of Philosophy. 9 volumes. New York: Doubleday, 1993-1994.

Craig, William Lane. Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1994.

______. The Kalam Cosmological Argument. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2000.

Dulles, Avery. A History of Apologetics. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 1999.

Honer, Stanley M., Thomas C. Hunt, and Dennis L. Ockholm. Invitation to Philosophy: Issues and Options. 8th edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1999.

Journal of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, PhilosophiaChristi.

Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers, Faith and Philosophy.

Lewis, C. S. Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, The Abolition of Man, Miracles, and The

Pilgrim’s Regress.

Loades, Ann and Loyal D. Rue, editors. Contemporary Classics in Philosophy of Religion.

Moreland, J. P. Love Your God With All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1997

Peterson, Michael, William Hasker, Bruce Reichenbach, and David Basinger, editors. Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings. 4th edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

______. Reason and Religious Belief: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion. 4th edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

Plantinga, Alvin. God and Other Minds: A Study of the Rational Justification of Belief in God. Ithaca, NY: Cornell, 1990.

Pojman, Louis P. Ethics: Discovering Right and Wrong. 4th edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2002.

______. What Can We Know? An Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1995.

Rowe, William L. Philosophy of Religion: An Introduction, 4thed.

Solomon, Robert. Introducing Philosophy: A Text With Integrated Readings. 9th edition. Oxford: Oxford, 2008.

Woodfin, Yandall. With All Your Mind.