St. Cloud State University
General Education Goal Area 6
Humanities & Fine Arts
Academic Affairs Use Only:
Response Date:
Effective Date:
1.
Proposal Number:
Prepared by: Kevin Sharpe
Phone: 308-5316
Email: kwsharpe@stcloudstate.edu
2.
Requesting Unit: Philosophy
3.
Department, Course Number, Title: PHIL 221, Philosophy of Religion
4.
New Course
5.
Will this course be flagged as a diversity course?
Already Designated as Diversity
6.
Will this course also satisfy another General Education Goal Area?
If “Yes” specify which goal area.
Existing Course
No
Diversity Proposal Accompanying This Form
No
Yes
7.
Course bulletin description, including credits and semesters to be offered:
The existence of God, the problem of evil, the nature and justification of religious beliefs,
religious diversity and the role of faith, revelation and science. Prereq.: One of 111-194. 3 Cr. F, S, ALT.
8.
Indicate the clientele for whom this course is designed. Is the course for general education only, or
does it fulfill general education and other program needs for this or another department? Obtain
signatures from any affected departments.
General eduction, Philosophy majors and minors
9.
Indicate any changes that must be made in offerings or resources in your department or other
departments by offering this course.
None.
10.
For new courses or courses not yet approved for General Education, indicate any other SCSU departments
or units offering instruction that relates to the content of the proposed course.
None.
11.
Courses designated as General Education are included in the assessment plan for the Goal Area(s)
for which they are approved. Courses for which assessment is not included in the annual GE
assessment report for two years will be removed from the General Education Program.
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The Requesting Unit understands and recognizes the above conditions.
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12.
Provide a concise explanation of how the following goal is a “significant focus” of the proposed course.
Goal Area 6: Humanities & Fine Arts
Expand appreciation and critical understanding of changing modes of human expression and systems of
thought in the arts and humanities, and develop abilities in the creation and performance of meaning.
In PHIL 221 students read classical and contemporary texts on philosophical issues related to religious
belief and critically evaluate a diverse range of religious views (including anti-religious points of view) in both
their written work and in discussion. Students are also enouraged to critically assess their own religious (or antireligious) beliefs and to develop their own perspective on the issues addressed in the course.
13. In order for a course to be designated as fulfilling Goal Area 6, it must address at least 5 of the 7 student learning
outcomes (SLOs) below. Check the SLOs below that are focused on in the proposed general education course.
1. Demonstrate awareness of the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities.
2. Describe and appreciate works in the arts and humanities as expressions of individual and collective values
within an intellectual, cultural, historical and social context.
3. Interpret and respond critically to works from various cultures in the arts and humanities.
4. Explore intellectually the ideas expressed in works in the arts and humanities.
5. Engage in creative processes or interpretive performance.
6. Articulate an informed personal response to works in the arts and humanities.
7. Analyze the diverse means of communication in the arts and humanities.
14.
Discuss how each Student Learning Outcome checked above is achieved in this course. (Note: Although
descriptions of typical assignments or types of assignments may be part of this discussion, it is not
appropriate to submit copies of actual assignments.)
1. Demonstrate awareness of the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities.
Students are required to read texts that represent a variety of philosophical perspectives on issues
fundamental to religious belief and practice. In addition to representing a numerous points of view, the
texts also represent the diversity in literary style that one finds in the various religious traditions, ranging
from meditations and prayers to formal argumentation and fiction.
2. Describe and appreciate works in the arts and humanities as expressions of individual and collective
values within an intellectual, cultural, historical and social context.
Different historical and cultural contexts give rise to different religious beliefs and conceptions of Divine
reality. In this course, students examine and reflect on the ways in which cultural and historical
assumptions inform a tradition's conception of Divinity, the value of faith and its relation to the value of
rationality. Students also write papers and discuss the role values such as truth, rationality, justice, and
goodness play in informing a tradition's (and individual's) conception of Divinity, religious belief and
practice and the place of religious commitments in society and an individual's life.
3. Interpret and respond critically to works from various cultures in the arts and humanities.
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In both their written work and in discussion students are required to analyze and critically evaluate
religious views and arguments, such as arguments for and against the existence of God, the possibility
of miracles, the rationality of religious belief and the implications of religious diversity on the rationality
of believing in the truth of a single religion. In addition to critically assessing the work of major figures in
the philosophy of religion, students are expected to develop and critically assess their own views on
these matters using distictively philosophical methods.
4. Explore intellectually the ideas expressed in works in the arts and humanities.
In both their written work and in discussion students are expected to interact with with religious views
stemming from diverse religious traditions, such as perfect being theology and non-theistic conceptions
of the divine, evil and theodicies, evidentialism and fideism and the possibility and nature of life after
death. Students are expected to examine the assumptions underlying views such as these, their
theoretical and practical implications and how they are related to other elements within a
comprehensive view of the world.
6. Articulate an informed personal response to works in the arts and humanities
In their written work and discussions students are required to develop and defend their own perspective
on the issues, views, and arguments addressed in the course in a way that reflects a distinctively
philosophical methodology.
15.
List or attach the Course Outline (adequately described and including percentage of time to be allocated
to each topic). Curriculum Committees may request additional information. Topics larger than 20% need
to be broken down further. Indicate in your course outline where the Student Learning Outcomes
checked above are being met.
Conceptions of Divine Reality: 15% (SLO 1)
Theistic and Anti-Theistic Arguments: 40% (SLO 1, 3, 4, 6)
Theistic arguments: 20%
Anti-theistic arguments: 20%
Faith and Reason: 15% (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 6)
Religious Plurality: 15% (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 6)
Religion and Morality: 15% (SLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 6)
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St. Cloud State University
General Education Transmittal Form
Academic Affairs Use Only:
Response Date:
Effective Date:
Proposal Number
Department: Philosophy
Course or Course(s): Phil. 221 Philosophy of Religion
Carla A. H. Johnson
Department or Unit Chair Signature
February 10, 2010
Date
Department forward to Academic Affairs for publication and electronically to Chair of General Education Committee, Chair
of College Curriculum Committee, College Dean
Recommendation of General Education Committee:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
Chairperson
Committee
Signature
Date
Recommendation of University Curriculum Committee:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
Chairperson
Committee
Signature
Date
Recommendation of Faculty Association:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
FA Senate
Signature
Date
Action of Academic Vice President:
Approve
Disapprove
Signature
Entered in Curriculum Data File
12/11/2009
Remarks:
Date