DESCRIPTION: This is a doctoral seminar for PhD and ThM students, which is open to a limited number of advanced MA and MDiv students. While the United States is one of the most religious of Western countries, those with the highest levels of education are most likely to be atheists or agnostics. This seminar will investigate intellectual sources of atheism in the modern Western world: in science, philosophy, and theology, and in more general cultural changes.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY AND COURSE OBJECTIVES: Knowledge: This course should be useful for apologetic purposes, insofar as its first objective is to acquaint students with the intellectual developments that have called religious belief into question. Skills: to increase skills in critical thinking and academic writing. Attitudes: to increase understanding of and appreciation for what Schleiermacher called "the cultured despisers of religion."

COURSE FORMAT: The first session will be an introductory lecture. The remainder of the course will be divided between discussion of assigned readings and lectures introducing the topics to be considered in the following week. The class will meet weekly for three-hour sessions.

REQUIRED READING:

Feuerbach, Ludwig. The Essence of Christianity. Promethius Books, 1989 (ISBN: 0-87975-559-8; 278 pgs.; $13.98).

Hume, David. Dialogues and Natural History of Religion. Ed. J.C.A. Gaskin. Oxford University Press, 1998 (ISBN: 0-19-283876-8; 196 pgs.; $9.95).

Taylor, Charles. A Secular Age. Harvard University Press /Belknap, 2007 (ISBN: 0-674-02676-4; 776 pgs.; $42.00).

Turner, James. Without God, Without Creed. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1985 (ISBN: 0-8018-3407-4; 300 pgs.; $27.00).

Westphal, Merold. Suspicion and Faith. Eerdmans, 1993 (ISBN: 0-8028-0643-0; 288 pgs.; $25.00).

Course reader.