Spring 2013/Pasadena

PH848/548

Murphy

PH848/548: THEOLOGICAL USES OF POSTMODERN PHILOSOPHY. Nancey Murphy.

DESCRIPTION: This is a doctoral-level seminar, open at the 500-level to a limited number of advanced master’s students. The modern period has been a difficult one for theologians, largely due to modern philosophical presuppositions. It is the thesis of this course that Anglo-American philosophy itself has undergone a quiet revolution since the 1950s, and that the new philosophical climate offers exciting possibilities for theologians. We will read representative works by ‘revolutionaries’ in epistemology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and complex systems theory, and look at their consequences for theology, biblical studies, and theological ethics.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Many battles fought in both liberal and conservative churches are products of modern thought. This course should help future church leaders put the old issues into perspective. More importantly, it should provide a more helpful framework for creative and productive theological scholarship.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who complete this course will have demonstrated: (1) knowledge of modern and (Anglo-American) postmodern philosophy, and some of the consequences of both for theological scholarship; (2) increased skills in critical thinking and academic writing; (3) confidence in their abilities to address intellectual problems facing the church and Christian academia; and (4) appreciation for scholars and church members whose views differ from their own.

COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet weekly for a three-hour session, with class time divided between short lectures and discussion of the readings.

REQUIRED READING:

Cary, Philip. Augustine’s Invention of the Inner Self . Oxford, 2003. ISBN: 978-0195158618, Pub.price $40.00 [232 pp.].

Cilliers, Paul. Complexity and Postmodernism. Routledge, 1998. ISBN: 978-0415152877, Pub.pric $42.95 [148 pp.].

Juarrero, Alicia. Dynamics in Action: Intentional Behavior as a Complex System. MIT, 1999. ISBN: 978-0262600477, Pub.price $29.00 [288 pp.].

Kerr, Fergus. Theology after Wittgenstein. SPCK, 1997. ISBN: 978-0281050635, Pub.price $29.99 [238 pp.].

Lindbeck, George. The Nature of Doctrine. Westminster John Knox, 1984. ISBN: 978-0664246181, Pub. Price 30.00 [142 pp.].

MacIntyre, Alasdair. Three Rival Versions of Moral Enquiry. Notre Dame, 1990. ISBN: 978-0268018771, $25.00 [241 pp.].

McClendon, James and James M. Smith. Convictions: Defusing Religious Relativism, 2002. ISBN: 978-1592441174, Pub.price $25.00 [223 pp.].

Murphy, Nancey. Anglo-American Postmodernity. Westview, 1997. ISBN: 978-0813328690, Pub.price $41.00 [208 pp.].

Rorty, Richard. Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature. Princeton, 1979. ISBN: 978-06091020167. Pub.price $23.00 [394 pp.].

Wittgenstein, Ludwig. The Blue and Brown Books. Macmillan, 1953. ISBN: 978-0061312113, Pub.price $14.99 [185 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: Careful reading of texts; regular attendance; class participation. (Shortened reading assignments for 500-level students will be listed in the class schedule.) All students will write three 4-page (1200-word) papers, including a three-page synopsis of the reading for the day and one page dedicated to critique, application, or other commentary on the reading designed to provoke discussion. PhD and ThM students will also write a 20-25-page (6,000-7,500 words) paper; 500-level students, 12-15 pages; due at the end of the term. Grades will be based 30% on average of short papers, 70% on final paper.

PREREQUISITES: For master’s-level students: previous course work in philosophy; Fuller GPA of 3.5; permission of student’s advisor.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective. (May fulfill core PHIL requirement for students with undergraduate major in philosophy.)