Science and Religion

Through an examination of the origin of cosmos, this course will address how science and religion conflict, are independent of each other, may be in dialogue with one another, or may be integrated or consistent with one another. We will lay the groundwork for the course through an examination of a section from Ian Barbour's book, which lays out the different ways in which science and religion can interact. Next, since science and religion are sets of beliefs formed in certain ways, we will briefly look at how beliefs in general are and, perhaps, ought to be formed. We will then look at some ancient attempts to make sense of the cosmos through both supernatural and natural explanation. The final third of the course will be devoted to contemporary issues about the intersection of religion, science, and our views of the cosmos.

This course summarizes anthropological theories on religious systems and ritual systems. It will also examine relationships between religious systems, population density, and environment in pre-industrial societies. Ethnographic studies from pre-industrial Europe, the Near East, Polynesia, and Asia will be included.
(Normally offered alternate years.)

Each course in the Topics in World Literature group will study a selection of literary works that engage the chosen topic--texts of different genres, from historical eras, and from different cultural traditions. The selected readings will present both abstract principles involved in the topic and its immediate, lived realities.
Prerequisite(s): Any First Year Writing course.

One of the distinctive features of Western culture involves the interaction of religion and reason as a basis for understanding. From the Ancient World up to modern times, systems of understanding have rooted themselves in both divine revelation and rational inquiry. This course will explore the origins of such perspectives, and trace their development and interaction from antiquity to the present. The course will focus on reading and evaluating texts which exemplify these modes of thinking from mythologies of the Ancient Near East, to Greek and Roman philosophical writings up to modern debates concerning the sufficiency of religion or science as a basis for understanding. This course may be counted toward fulfillment of the Science and Religion thread, and as a Writing Instructive course.

See Thread Coordinator.

This course will examine the philosophical tradition as manifested in the works of the more prominent Christian, Jewish and/or Islamic philosophers from the 5th century into the 14th century. Selections from the works of the following major figures may be studied: Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus and/or William of Ockham in the Christian tradition; Alfarabi, Avicenna and/or Averroes in the Islamic tradition; and Saadia, Solomon Ibn Gabirol, and/or Maimonides in the Jewish tradition. Topics may include but are not limited to: the roles of faith and reason in belief formation, the nature and existence of God, the nature of human beings, the conflict between human freedom and Divine foreknowledge, and the nature of virtue and sin.
(Normally offered alternate years.)

This course will examine the western philosophical tradition as manifested in the works of prominent European and/or American philosophers of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Philosophers who may be included are Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, Marx, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Pierce among others. Topics may include but are not limited to: issues such as the existence and nature of God, responses to whether or not the mind (or soul) can exist separately from the body, skepticism and doubt, the nature of the self, and the relation of the individual to society.

This is a survey of issues in the philosophy of religion.  The main focus will be on issues found in western religious traditions, especially Christianity, with brief excursions into non-western traditions. These issues may include: arguments for the existence of God, the problem of evil, understanding the divine attributes, miracles, mysticism, religious pluralism, and life after death.

An examination of selected topics in philosophy of science.  Topics may include theories of explanation, confirmation, reduction, laws, the status of theoretical entities, and the epistemological foundations of scientific theories.  This course may be taken more than once with department approval.

An introductory course on the solar system, stars and galaxies.
Three lectures per week.
One laboratory/observation per week.
Prerequisite(s): One year of high school algebra or permission of instructor.
(Normally offered alternate spring semesters.)

This course examines the beginnings of modern theological reflection, following the Reformation, and moves forward, following historical developments in Christian theology, into the first half of the twentieth century. The impact of the Enlightenment on theology characterizes the first third of the course. The rise of nineteenth century liberal theology and varied responses to it characterize the second, while the last third of the course takes up neo-orthodoxy, process, and secular theologies.