Suffolk County Community College, Grant Campus
Department of Communications and Arts
PL30: PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
Prof. Marc R. Fellenz
Email:
fellenm@sunysuffolk.edu
mfellenz@suffolk.lib.ny.us
PL30-2948, Spring 2005
Office:
Sagtikos 110, 851-6539
Mailbox: Sagtikos 201
Office hours:
 M/F: 12:30-1:45
 T/Th: 12:30-1:45, 5:00-6:00
 W: by appointment
I. COURSE OUTLINE
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Course Objectives:
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Texts:
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To clarify the epistemological status of religious beliefs and pursue their analysis in a philosophical context;
To understand the central tenets of traditional theism and the philosophical controversies they have
inspired;
To examine the alternatives to traditional theism, such as pantheism and process theism;
To explore the arguments for disbelief, including the problem of evil;
To practice analyzing and defending your theological beliefs in a philosophical manner.
David Shatz, Philosophy and Faith: A Philosophy of Religion Reader (required).
Requirements:
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Attendance: Since the material for all assignments and exams will come primarily from class lecture and
discussion, attendance is extremely important. You will be withdrawn if you have more than four
unexcused absences; if you are not passing at the time you last attended you will receive an F for the class.
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Assignments (51% of the final grade): These include three 4-page papers. These assignments will
challenge you to form positions concerning the readings and lectures. They will not test your ability to
summarize or recall the material covered in class, nor are they research projects. Clarity and originality of
thought, quality of argument and writing will be the criteria for grading the assignments. They must be
typed, and will not be accepted after their designated due dates.
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Exams (each worth 15% of the final grade): There will be midterm and final exams. They will be in-class,
essay-style exams that will test your comprehension of the readings and lectures.
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Class participation (19% of the final grade): This means active participation, including initiating
discussion, answering questions, and seeking help (in class, during office hours, or by email). You may also
earn credit by participating in Philosophy Club meetings. Mere class attendance does not qualify as
participation!
Academic honesty:
The easy availability of the Internet and other electronic research tools has led to an alarming rise in
plagiarism. Your work in this and all classes is expected to be your own. Any student caught submitting
plagiarized work will receive a failing grade for the assignment, and will be referred for academic discipline.
PL30-2948
Spring 2005
II. SYLLABUS
Dates
Topic
Reading
1/252/3
Introduction: defining religion and philosophy.
xiv-xvii
2/82/15
Faith and reason: the epistemology of religious belief.
2/173/1
The concept of God: definitions and problems.
1.3;
Anselmian (perfect being) theism: the three “omnis” and the philosophical complexities
they raise. Divine omniscience and human freedom. God’s temporal standing.
Omnipotence and the challenge of process theology. “Negative” theology. Bultmann’s
“demythologizing.”
1.6-1.10
3/33/15
Arguments for the existence of God.
4.1-4.14;
3/17
Review for midterm.
3/22
Midterm exam.
3/24,
4/54/12
The soul and personal immortality.
3/29,
3/31
No class.
4/144/21
Religious ethics.
4/265/5
Arguments for disbelief.
5/10
Review for final.
5/12
Final exam.
Difficulties in defining religion. Religious belief in relation to opinion and knowledge. The
nature of philosophy in general and the scope of the philosophy of religion. The
fundamental branches of philosophy and their relevance to religion.
7.1-7.4
Can religious beliefs be rationally defended? Do they need to be? Fideism,
foundationalism, evidentialism, and reformed epistemology. Assignment #1 will be
handed out 2/15.
2.1, 2.2;
2.7
The ontological, cosmological and design arguments. The evidence of religious experience. 6.2, 6.3
Assignment #1 due 3/3. Assignment #2 will be handed out 3/15.
6.5-6.7
How essential is belief in an afterlife for religion? The concept of soul and the mind-body
problem. Arguments for and against the existence of an immortal soul as the seat of
personhood. Assignment #2 due 4/12.
3.4-3.8
Virtues emphasized in religious systems of ethics: compassion, forgiveness, nonviolence.
The moral argument for God’s existence. The divine command theory of morality.
Assignment #3 will be handed out 4/19.
The problem of evil: is the existence of natural and moral evil compatible with the
existence of a perfect God? The various attempts at theodicy: Punishment, soul-making,
free will, natural law. Psychological explanations of religious belief. Assignment #3 due
5/5.
5.1-5.10