PHI 5361: CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION: DIVINE PROVIDENCE

Course Syllabus for Spring 2008
Professor: Jonathan L. Kvanvig Office: MH 212
Office phone: 710-6364 Office Hours: by appt.
Email:Jonathan_Kvanvig@baylor.edu WWW: http://www3.baylor.edu/~Jonathan_Kvanvig/
Text: Freedom of the Will Jonathan Edwards
Text: God, Time, and Knowledge William Hasker
Text: Divine Providence Thomas P. Flint

This course will investigate the three primary philosophical accounts of divine providence found in the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Bill Hasker, and Tom Flint. The first defends a version of divine determinism, the second a version of open theism, and the third a version of Molinism.

Policies & Procedures

  1. Class time will consist of lecture and discussion, with primary focus on the latter.
  2. Student responsibilities include weekly summaries of assigned readings together with a seminar paper, a rough draft of which is due the penultimate class meeting.

Outline

  1. Jonathan Edwards, "Freedom of the Will" (5 weeks)
    1. week 2 Part I
    2. week 3 Part II
    3. week 4 Part III
    4. week 5 Part IV
  2. William Hasker, "God, Time, and Knowledge" (5 weeks)
    1. week 6 chapters 1&2
    2. week 7 chapters 3&4
    3. week 8 chapters 5&6
    4. week 9 chapters 7&8
    5. week 10 chapters 9&10
  3. Tom Flint, "Divine Providence: The Molinist Account" (5 weeks)
    1. week 11 chapters 1&2
    2. week 12 chapters 3&4
    3. week 13 chapters 5&6
    4. week 14 chapters 7&8
    5. week 15 chapters 9&10
    6. week 16 chapter 11