Spring 2018/Pasadena
PH505
Mouw
PH505: THEORIES OF HUMAN NATURE (4 Units: 160 hours). Richard Mouw.
DESCRIPTION: A variety of questions have been dealt with in philosophical discussions about human nature, such as questions about the “composition” of a human person, about the “essence” of humanness, about human destiny, and so on. On each of these issues, several philosophical perspectives have been developed. These perspectives have an important bearing on Christian discussions of human nature; different Christian accounts of human nature can be attributed, in many cases, to the influence of different philosophical perspectives. A careful examination of the philosophical questions is crucial for an adequate theological understanding of the human soul and the nature of the afterlife, as well as for the development of a proper Christian perspective on the human sciences. In this course, various philosophical theories will be examined, and the implications of philosophical investigation for theological, cross-cultural and social scientific discussion will be explored.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to (1) define various theological and philosophical theories of human nature; (2) evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the various theories of human nature explored in this course; (3) understand the influences of different philosophical theories of human nature on Christian discussions of human nature and personhood; (4) develop a theological understanding of the soul, the Imago Dei, the afterlife, and engagement with biological and social sciences in relationship to questions about the human person; (5) articulate the relationship between theories of human nature and the resulting embodied practices and beliefs for sympathetic engagement with culture; and (6) describe approaches for Gospel demonstration, articulation of, and invitation to faith in Jesus Christ amidst various theories of human personhood and cultural contexts.
COURSE FORMAT: This class meets once per week for three-hour sessions for a total of 30 hours of classroom instruction for lecture and discussion plus 10 hours of directed learning activities for a total of 40 instructional hours.
REQUIRED READING: 1,115 total pages required.
Coates, Ta-Nehisi. Between the World and Me. Spiegel & Grau, 2015. ISBN: 978-0812993547, Pub. Price $25.00 [152 pp.].
Cooper, John W. Body, Soul, and Life Everlasting. Eerdmans, 2000. ISBN: 978-0802846006, Pub. Price $27.50 [253 pp.].
Hoekema, Anthony. Created in God’s Image. Eerdmans, 1994. ISBN: 978-0802808509, Pub. Price $25.00 [243 pp.].
Van Leewen, Mary Stewart. Gender and Grace. Intervarsity Press, 1990. ISBN: 978-0830812974, Pub. Price $26.00 [201 pp. assigned].
Available on eReserves:
Augustine. 1969. Of True Religion. Trans. J. H. S. Burleigh. Chicago: Henry Regnery Co. [66 pp.].
Bostrom, Nick. 2005. “A History of Transhumanist Thought,” in Journal of Evolution and Technology. 14, no. 1: 1-21. [21 pp.]
Brock, Brian. 2012. “Augustine’s Hierarchies of Human Wholeness and their Healing,” in Disability in the Christian Tradition. Eds. Brian Brock and John Swinton. Eerdmans. ISBN: 978-0802866028 [35 pp.].
Butler, Judith. 2013. “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory,” in Feminist Theory Reader: Local and Global Perspectives. Eds. Carole R. McCann, Seung-Kyung Kim. 3rd ed. London: Routledge. ISBN: 978-0415521024 [11 pp.].
Cullmann, Oscar. 1973. Immortality of the Soul or Resurrection of the Dead? In Immortailty. Ed. Terence Penelhum. Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1973. ISBN: 978-0534003333 [32 pp.].
Jones, Serene. 2000. “Women’s Nature?” in Feminist Theory and Christian Theology: Cartographies of Grace. Guides to Theological Inquiry. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. ISBN: 978-0800626945 [27 pp.].
Mouw, Richard J. 2017. “Of Pagan Festivals and Meta-Narratives: Recovering the Awareness of Our Shared Humanness,” in Scottish Journal of Theology. 70, no. 3: 251–63. [13 pp.].
Plato. 2002.“Phaedo,” in Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo. Ed. John M. Cooper. Trans. George M. A. Grube. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. ISBN: 978-0872206335, [59 pp.].
Sandberg, Anders. 2015. Transhumanism and the Meaning of Life,” in Religion and Transhumanism: The Unknown Future of Human Enhancement. Ed. Calvin R. Mercer. Santa Barbara: Praeger. ISBN: 978-1440833250 [10 pp.].
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the TH5 in the 120 MDiv Program. Meets PHIL in the 144 MDiv and MAT (Winter 2010) Programs.
FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.