Course Outline of Record

Item	Value
Curriculum Committee Approval Date	11/03/2020
Top Code	150900 - Philosophy
Units	3 Total Units
Hours	54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours	0
Course Credit Status	Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee	No
Basic Skills	Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable	No
Grading Policy	Standard Letter (S),  Pass/No Pass (B)
Local General Education (GE)	GWC Arts, Lit, Phil, Lang (GC)
Diversity Requirement (GCD)	Yes
California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)	Cal-GETC 3B Humanities (3B)
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)	IGETC 3B Humanities (3B)
California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth)	CSU C2 Humanities (C2)

Course Description

This course will examine the key issues and problems for Western Religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, from a Philosophical perspective. Topics to be covered include the nature and significance of religion and belief, arguments for and against the existence of God, the nature of God, the problem of evil, the relation between science and religion, and the role of textual and theological debate in the development of a religious Philosophy. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

1. Course Outcomes
2. Explain the primary components of religious, faith, and religious practice.
3. Assess the various arguments for and against the existence of God.
4. Describe the different conceptions of God presented in the Western philosophical tradition.

Course Objectives

• 1. Compare and contrast differing conceptions of the nature of God.
• 2. Identify and evaluate different reasons for believing in Gods existence.
• 3. Identify and assess differing views of the relationship of reason and faith.
• 4. Define and evaluate alternative accounts of the relation of science and faith.
• 5. Describe differing viewpoints on the significance of religious texts and their historical development in religious belief and practice.

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Lecture Content

Basic Concepts of Religion The Nature of Religion The Idea of God Faith and belief Pluralism and Tolerance Arguments for and against the existence of God The Cosmological Argument The Ontological Argument The Teleological Argument The Problem of Evil Faith and Science Science and the Origins of the Universe and of Life Intelligent Design vs. Evolution The Role of Miracles in Religious Belief The Conflict between Faith and Reason Theological Questions Life after Death Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom Traits of God and possible contradictions Development of Abrahamic Religions The Critical Tradition in Judaism The Debate Over the "Historical Jesus" Understanding the Importance of Differences between the Synoptic Gospels, "Q", and other early Christian texts The Development of Islam and the Koran

Method(s) of Instruction

• Lecture (02)
• DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
• DE Online Lecture (02X)

Reading Assignments

The primary focus should be on core philosophy of religion texts and commentaries on religious belief. These should include, but are not limited to, classic arguments for or against the existence of God and religious belief (such as Pascals Wager and Anselms Ontological Argument), contemporary analyses of these arguments, and writings covering contemporary issues (such as Intelligent Design).

Writing Assignments

Short essay exams, research papers, or analytical papers. There must be some writing assignment in the course.

Out-of-class Assignments

Analytical and/or research papers, optional discussion boards, or exams.

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

1. Analyze primary texts for core concepts.2. Analyze arguments, identifying premises and conclusions.3. Compare and contrast different philosophical viewpoints.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Analysis of problems in the Western tradition in philosophy of religion with an emphasis on conceptual clarity.

Eligible Disciplines

Philosophy: Masters degree in philosophy OR bachelors degree in philosophy AND masters degree in humanities or religious studies, OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Pojman, L., ed. Philosophy of Religion: An Anthology, ed. Chicago: Wadsorth Publishing, 2015 2. Required Levin, Noah (ed). Philosophy of Western Religions: An Open Educational Resource (OER), ed. NGE Far Press, 2019

Other Resources

1. Open Education Resources, such as classical religious texts (ie, Bible, Torah, Koran) and classic commentaries (ie, St. Thomas Aquinas, Maimonides)