An Introduction to Philosophy for Theology (AP1000C)

Content

The unit provides an overview of some major concepts and thinkers in the Western philosophical tradition that are relevant for the study of theology. It is suitable both as a preparation for theological studies and as an introduction for students wishing to pursue further philosophical studies. Thinkers studied will include some or all of Plato, Aristotle, Anselm, Aquinas, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, Gadamer, and Heidegger. Themes studied will include some or all of the following: arguments for the existence of God, the classical attributes of God, religious language, natural law, political philosophy, the human person, ethics, the problem of evil, and the nature of scientific knowledge. (This unit may be offered in intensive mode.)

Learning outcomes

Pedagogy

Lectures and discussion of primary texts

Indicative Bibliography

• Allen, Diogenes. Philosophy for Understanding Theology. SCM, 2007.
• Brook, Angus, ed. An Introduction to Philosophy and Theology within Catholic Liberal Education. McGraw-Hill Education, 2017.
• Clark, Kelly J., Richard Lints, and James K. A. Smith. 101 Key Terms in Philosophy and Their Importance for Theology. Westminster John Knox, 2004.
• Dew, James, and Paul Gould. Philosophy: A Christian Introduction. Baker Academic, 2019.
• Falque, Emmanuel, Matthew Farley, and Reuben Shank. Crossing the Rubicon: The Borderlands of Philosophy and Theology. Fordham University Press, 2016.
• Lamb, Matthew L., ed. Theology Needs Philosophy. Catholic University of America Press, 2016.
• Mawson, T. J. Belief in God: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion. Oxford University Press, 2023.
• Neville, Robert C. Strange, Surprising and Sure: Essays in Uncommon Philosophy and Theology. SUNY Press, 2024.
• Rowe, William L., William J. Wainwright, and Robert Ferm, eds. Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, 1998.
• Walsh, Anthony. The Philosophy and Natural Theology of Religion. Ethics International Press, 2024.

Assessment