Advanced Philosophy of Religion

1. Understand the concept of miracles and magic.
2. Analyze the problems of religious language.
3. Explore the causes and effects of religious crises.
4. Discuss theories about the nature of religion.
5. Examine the relationship between religion and politics.

13 weeks, about 52 hours in total. Yours will differ.

1. Week 1Module 1: Miracle

   • Unit 1: The Concept of Miracle · 4 hours

     Understand the etymological meaning of miracle.. Analyze miracles as events contrary to the usual course of nature.. Examine miracles as events surpassing the powers of nature.. Discuss miracles as violations of the laws of nature.. Differentiate between miracle and magic..

2. Week 2Module 1: Miracle

   • Unit 2: Religious Views on Miracle · 4 hours

     Discuss Christian views on miracles, focusing on Jesus' miracles and the role of faith.. Examine Hindu perspectives on miracles, emphasizing spiritual liberation.. Explore Buddhist views on miracles, including stories and relics.. Analyze Islamic views on miracles, defining them as supernatural interventions.. Discuss Jewish perspectives on miracles, citing examples from the Tanakh and Torah..

3. Week 3Module 1: Miracle

   • Unit 3: Arguments for Miracle and their Criticisms · 4 hours

     Analyze deductive arguments for miracles, focusing on Paley's argument and Hume's critique.. Examine criteriological arguments, including Leslie's criteria and their limitations.. Discuss explanatory arguments, such as the 'minimal facts' argument for Jesus' resurrection.. Evaluate probabilistic arguments, focusing on eyewitness testimony and Bayesian probability..

4. Week 4Module 1: Miracle

   • Unit 4: Arguments against Miracle and their Criticisms · 4 hours

     Examine impossibility arguments against miracles, focusing on Spinoza's argument and Voltaire's objection.. Analyze incredibility arguments, including Hume's and Flew's perspectives.. Discuss arguments from inauspicious conditions and their dismissal.. Evaluate arguments from ignorance and barbarism, and arguments from emotionalism..

5. Week 5Module 1: Miracle

   • Unit 5: Bases of Miracle · 4 hours

     Discuss God's existence as a basis for miracles, examining the relationship between God and natural laws.. Analyze God's attributes (omnipotence, omniscience, omni-benevolence) as bases for miracles.. Explore how miracles can serve as confirmation for God's existence..

6. Week 6Module 2: Magic

   • Unit 1: Defining Magic · 4 hours

     Define magic, exploring its etymological roots and various interpretations.. Examine the brief history of magic, covering ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary periods.. Discuss the relationship between magic and religion, comparing and contrasting their characteristics..

7. Week 7Module 2: Magic

   • Unit 2: Nature, Scope and Principle of Magic · 4 hours

     Understand the nature and scope of magic, including divination, witchcraft, sorcery, astrology, incantations, and alchemy.. Examine the principles of magic, focusing on Frazer's law of sympathy.. Analyze various types of magic, including homeopathic and contagious magic..

8. Week 8Module 2: Magic

   • Unit 3: Theories of Magic · 4 hours

     Underpin the theories of magic, including those of Tylor, Frazer, Durkheim, Mauss, Malinowski, Freud, Pritchard, and Levi-Strauss.. Understand psychological, anthropological, and sociological perspectives on magic.. Examine various theories of magic, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses..

9. Week 9Module 2: Magic

   • Unit 4: Magic and Society · 4 hours

     Understand magical practices among the Trobriand Islands, Igbo, and Azande societies.. Examine the role of magic in these societies, including garden magic, divination, and healing.. Promote societal values by analyzing the cultural significance of magic..

10. Week 10Module 3: Problems of Religious Language

    • Unit 1: Understanding Religious Language · 4 hours

      Define religious language and understand its importance in religious communication.. Examine the role of language in expressing religious beliefs and experiences.. Discuss the various ways religious language is used, including literal, metaphorical, and analogical..

11. Week 11Module 3: Problems of Religious Language

    • Unit 2: Difference between Religious Statements and Scientific Statements · 4 hours

      Distinguish religious statements from scientific statements, focusing on their different methodologies and scopes.. Analyze the battle for truth between religion and science.. Understand the background of problems associated with religious language..

12. Week 12Module 3: Problems of Religious Language

    • Unit 3: Problems of Religious Language: Positions on the Validity and Invalidity of Religious Language · 4 hours

      Know the contentions surrounding religious language, including arguments for and against its validity.. See how conflicting positions constitute problems of religious language.. Critically take a position on the validity of religious language..

13. Week 13Module 3: Problems of Religious Language

    • Unit 4: Critical Evaluation of Thomas Aquinas' Christian Perspective · 4 hours

      Know Thomas Aquinas' arguments for religious language, focusing on analogy.. See its relevance to the Christian religion and other similar monotheistic ones.. Take cognizance of the strengths and weaknesses of his position..