2008/09 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

PHIL1007 Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion

10 creditsClass Size: 300

Module manager: Elizabeth Barnes
Email: E.J.Barnes@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2008/09

Module replaces

PHIL1700 Introduction to Philosophy of Religion

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

Is atheism anymore rational than belief in the existence of God? Is there really such a thing as a miracle? What is evil and can we explain it? Could you survive death either with or without a body? How can we evaluate the competing claims of different religions? If you are interested in exploring these issues further, you should take this module. The module will take you through the key debates in philosophy of religion, from the classic to the contemporary. You will challenge preconceived ideas and learn how to construct rational arguments, by defining your terms and analysing the possible objections and responses to a variety of statements. By the end of the module, you will have gained a critical understanding of religion as a pervasive aspect of human society and you will be able to construct philosophical arguments on topics including religious belief, theodicy, immortality, miracles, atheism, theism and religious pluralism. You will have the opportunity to read texts closely and to familiarize yourself with the works of Aquinas, David Hume, A. J. Ayer, Anthony Flew, Alvin Plantinga, John Hick, Brian Davies and many others. The module is taught with a combination of lectures and tutorials and is suitable for all students who possess a willingness to read, think and discuss analytically issues in philosophy of religion.

Objectives

On completion of this module, students should have a basic ability to:

Understand some central themes and methods in the philosophy of religion;
Critically assess religion as a pervasive aspect of human society;
Practise the general philosophical skills of analysis, argumentation and expression;
Show competence in critical reading of philosophical texts.

Syllabus

The module will typically include an introductory lecture defining philosophy of religion and subsequent consideration of such topics as: religious belief, religious language, religious experience, definitions of God, arguments for theism and atheism, the problem of evil, miracles, life after death, morality and religious pluralism. Discussion of these topics will draw on classic and contemporary literature, for example works by Descartes, Hume and Hick.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Seminar	5	1.00	5.00
Private study hours			84.00
Total Contact hours			16.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			100.00

Private study

Lecture Preparation 30 hours
Seminar Preparation 25 hours
Essay Preparation/Writing 29 hours

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Seminar performance
1x1000 word essay

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	1,000 words	40.00
Essay	1,000 words	60.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 06/05/2009

Disclaimer

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