Winter 2015/Pasadena
PH510
Dyrness
PH510: CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS (4 Units: 160 Hours). William Dyrness.
DESCRIPTION: This course explores the major challenges that Christianity faces in North America in the beginning of the twenty-first century. The approach is to develop an apologetic framework by (1) surveying the way Christians have defended the faith throughout the history of the church; (2) proposing three models—Classical, Modern, and Postmodern—that have been used to defend the faith; and (3) developing a pastoral strategy for defending the truth of Christianity and thus commending the faith to unbelievers.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Through discussion, reading and writing students will be able to; (1) understand the role the Western philosophical tradition played in the development of Apologetics; (2) develop the ability to think critically and non-defensively about their faith, with a pastoral sensitivity to the intellectual and cultural frameworks people bring to questions of faith; and (3) reflect critically and write clearly and persuasively on some specific apologetic issue.
COURSE FORMAT: This class meets twice weekly for two hour sessions for a total of 40 instructional hours in the classroom for lecture and discussion Assignments involve the following time commitments: Reading (70 hours), midterm (including preparation, 5 hours), book review (15 hours), final project (30 hours), class attendance (40 hours).
REQUIRED READING: 1,200 pp. required.
Descartes, Rene. Discourse on Method. Oxford, 2006. ISBN: 978-0199540075, Pub. Price $8.95 [100 pp.].
Penner, Myron. The End of Apologetics. Baker, 2013. ISBN: 978-08081035982, Pub. Price $19.99 [174 pp.].
Ramachandra, Vinoth. Faiths in Conflict: Christian Integrity in a Multicultural World. IVP, 1999. ISBN: 978-0830815586, Pub. Price $20.00 [200 pp.].
Smith, James K. A. How (not) to be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor. Eerdmans, 2014. ISBN: 978-0802867612, Pub. Price $16.00 [150 pp.].
Van den Toren, Bernard. Christian Apologetics as Cross Cultural Dialogue. T & T Clark, 2011. ISBN: 978-0567169167, Pub. Price $36.95 [75 pp.].
Apologetics Reader including Plato, Einstein, Westphal and others (200 pp.).
RECOMMENDED READING (For projects and critical reviews):
Berger, Peter, ed. The Desecularization of the World. Eerdmans, 1999. ISBN: 978-0802846914, Pub. Price $20.00.
Dawkins, Christopher. The God Delusion. Mariner Books, 2006. ISBN: 978-0618918249, Pub. Price $15.95.
Dennett, Daniel. Darwin’s Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life. Simon and Shuster, 1995. ISBN: 978-0684824710, Pub. Price $18.00.
Edgar, William. Reasons of the Heart: Recovering Christian Persuasion. Baker, 1996. ISBN: 978-0875525952, Pub. Price $12.99.
Grenz, Stanley. A Primer on Postmodernism. Eerdmans, 1996. ISBN: 978-0802808646, Pub. Price $20.00.
Harris, Sam. The End of Faith. W. W. Norton, 2004. ISBN: 978-0393327656, Pub. Price $15.95.
Hitchens, Christopher. God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. Twelve, 2007. ISBN: 978-0446697965, Pub. Price $16.00.
Murphy, Nancey. Theology in the Age of Scientific Reasoning. Cornell University Press, 1990. ISBN: 978-0801481147, Pub. Price $30.50.
Russell, Bertrand. Why I am Not a Christian. Simon and Shuster, 1957. ISBN: 978-0671203238, Pub. Price $16.00.
Stackhouse, John G. Humble Apologetics: Defending the Faith Today. Oxford, 2002. ISBN: 978-0195307177, Pub. Price $14.95.
Westphal, Merold. Overcoming Onto Theology: Toward a Postmodern Christian Faith. Fordham University Press, 2001. ISBN: 978-0823221318, Pub. Price $35.00.
Zuckerman, Phil. Society without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us About Contentment. New York University Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0814797235, Pub. Price $23.00.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: The course grade is dependent on the following:
1,200 pp. of required reading [70 hours].
Mid-term exam (40%) after the first section of the course. [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1] [5 hours].
5–7 page (1,500 word) critical book review (20%) of one of the books in the recommended reading list due during the 8th week of class. [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2 & 3] [15 hours].
12–15 page (3,000 word) paper/project (40%) on a particular apologetic problem, which may be done in learning groups of 3 or 4, due the last day of exam week. [This assignment is related to learning outcome # 3] [30 hours].
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the TH5 or C1 and C3 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program. Meets PHIL in the 144 MDiv and MAT (Winter 2010) Programs.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.