Philosophical Theology and Apologetics Course Descriptions
Courses in philosophy of religion are designed to provide an appreciation for the contribution that philosophical thought can and has made to an understanding of the biblical Christian faith. In these courses, the student will be challenged to develop answers to the problems posed by philosophical and scientific inquiry and equipped to present reasonable evidence for the tenets of the Christian faith.
PR 5500 (511) Apologetics
An introduction to the discipline of Christian apologetics, its relation to theology and evangelism, and its place in Christian ministry. Selected intellectual challenges to core Christian claims for contemporary culture (e.g., the existence of God, the problem of evil, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, religious pluralism), along with Christian responses to those challenges, are explored. Two hours.
PR 6000 (675) Current Studies in Philosophy of Religion
Topics selected deal with significant issues related to philosophy of religion. One to three hours.
PR 6410 (611) History of Philosophy of Religion I
This course covers ancient and medieval philosophy of religion and ends with discussion of the rationalists Descartes, Spinoza, and, Leibniz. Three hours.
PR 6411 (612) History of Philosophy of Religion II
This course begins with study in the early modern period with the empiricists (Locke, Berkekey, and Hume) and continues with an examination of the contemporary period. Three hours.
PR 7220 (751) Ethical Theory
An analysis of the principal theories and problems of philosophical ethics, including the meaning of ethical language, alternative theories of the right and the good, and the implications of moral issues for the concept of God and other theological questions. Three hours.
PR 7300 (732) World Religions
Cross-list as ME. Three hours.
PR 7330 (761) Philosophers of Religion and of Religious Significance
In-depth consideration of the philosophy of an important religious thinker such as Augustine, Aquinas, Kierkegaard, Tillich, and Hartshorne, or of an important nonreligious thinker such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, Leibniz, Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Russell, or Wittgenstein, whose thought strongly influenced religious and theological issues. May be repeated for credit. Three hours.
Philosophical Theology and Apologetics: Advanced Master’s/Doctoral Level
PR 7625 (741) Analytic Philosophy
Examination of the main streams of thought arising out of Wittgenstein, including Russell, Ayer, Wisdom, Ramsey, and others as they bear on current issues in philosophy of religion. Offered alternate years. Master’s three hours, doctoral 3+1 hours.
PR 7630 (743) Existentialism
Comparative study of the religious thought of the principle existentialist philosophers, including Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Jaspers, Heidegger, and Sartre. Two hours, master’s or doctoral.
PR 7705 (721) Religious Epistemology
Examination of the ways of knowing and tests for truth with special emphasis on the problems of religious knowledge and their implications for theological issues. Cross-list as CC. Master’s three hours, doctoral 3+1 hours.
PR 7715 (722) Theism
Study in the existence and nature of God with emphasis on theistic arguments (ontological, cosmological, teleological, and moral) and on the internal coherence of such divine attributes as necessity, omnipotence, and omniscience. Master’s three hours, doctoral 3+1 hours.
PR 7750 (817) Philosophical Issues in Religious Pluralism
Consideration of the major epistemological and metaphysical issues for philosophy of religion arising from the discussions on religious diversity and religious pluralism. The views of influential philosophers such as John Hick, William Alston, Keith Ward, and others are examined, as well as responses to their work. Master’s three hours, doctoral 3+1 hours.
PR 8000 (845) Seminar: Current Issues in Philosophy of Religion
Analyses of selected issues in philosophy of religion and their implications for Christian thought. Examples include the following: questions concerning the concept of God, the nature and possibility of the miraculous, freedom and determinism, religion and science, phenomenology, and the historicity of the resurrection of Christ. Two to three hours, doctoral as posted.
PR 8030 (730) The Problem of Evil
Cross-list as ST. Master’s three hours, doctoral 3+1 hours.
PR 8361 (815) Jonathan Edwards
Cross-list as CH. Master’s three hours, doctoral 3+1 hours.
PR 8720 (766) Postmodern Theology
Cross-list as ST. Master’s three hours, doctoral 3+1 hours.