PHL3034. Philosophical Theology. Convenor: Dr. Joseph Diekemper

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1 Queens University of Belfast School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy PHL3034 Philosophical Theology Convenor: Dr. Joseph Diekemper Spring Semester Module Convenor: Room: address: Consultation Hours: Tuesdays 11-12; Fridays 3-4 Timetable Seminars: Fridays 11-2 Assessment: Coursework: One essay Deadlines: Friday, 15 March 2013 Examination: 2 hour exam, answering 2 questions out of 6 School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy Student Handbook This module guide should be read in conjunction with the Undergraduate Student Handbook which contains important details of School policies. A copy of the Undergraduate Student Handbook can be obtained from the School Office (25 University Square) or downloaded from the resources section of any PAI or PHL module on Queen s Online. 1

2 MODULE DESCRIPTION This module will provide a systematic, philosophical approach to understanding and engaging with a number of topics in mono-theistic, and specifically Christian, Theology. Topics to be discussed will include divine eternity and God's relationship to time, divine omniscience and the problem of foreknowledge and freedom, theological anthropology, and Christology. In pursuing these topics we will engage primarily with contemporary sources, but the debt to historical sources will be clearly evident. SKILLS This module will assist in developing students skills in a number of important areas. These include: Intellectual skills Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subjectspecific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field Professional and career development skills Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance Organizational skills Assessment Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways The assessment structure for this module is as follows: Coursework: 35% 2

3 Examination: 55% Seminar Participation: 10% Aside from formal assessment, students will also be provided with preliminary feedback on their progress in Week 3 of the course. There will be a short, written seminar quiz in Week 3. This will involve answering two questions in a given time limit. This exercise does not count towards assessment for the course and should be seen as a feedback exercise to guide further learning. 1. Attendance and Tutorial Participation Students must attend one three-hour seminar per week Students will receive a mark out of 10 for their participation and general contribution to seminars on this module. This mark will count as 10% of the overall mark for the module. Marks will be awarded for individuals not groups. No more than 5% of tutorial marks should be allocated for tutorial presentations, should these be used by the tutor. For further details, see the School s Undergraduate Student Handbook. This module is worth 10 credits on the ECTS scale (equivalent to 20 Queen s University CATS points, Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme). This is calculated by the University as the equivalent of 200 hours academic study over the course of the semester (12 teaching weeks plus the three week examination period). Students should therefore expect to spend on average at least 13 hours each week undertaking academic study associated with this module. 2. Coursework Assignments A coursework component worth 35% of the overall assessment should be words in length. The word count shall include all references in the text, all footnotes and all endnotes, but exclude the bibliography. The word count shall be indicated following the title of assignment. Where the word count exceeds the upper limit of the specified range a penalty shall be imposed. Where the word count exceeds the upper limit of the specified range: - by up to 25% a penalty of 10 percentage points shall be imposed; - by up to 50% a penalty of 15 percentage points shall be imposed; - by up to 75% a penalty of 20 percentage points shall be imposed; - by up to 100% a penalty of 25 percentage points shall be imposed; - by more than 100% a penalty of 30 percentage points shall be imposed. The submission deadline is: 1200 noon on Friday 15 March 2013 The successful submission of assignments is a two stage process: 1. You must upload an electronic copy of your assignment onto the TurnitinUK website 3

4 prior to the deadline indicated. 2. A single copy of each assessed assignment must be submitted to the School Office (25 University Square) on or before 1200 noon on the due date indicated. When submitting this paper copy, you must complete and sign an Essay Cover Sheet, available from the School Office. TurnitinUK: A link to this website is also provided in the School webpages (see Education ) To upload your coursework you will need: the password: pisp (all lower case) and The Class ID no.: Examination An examination worth 55% of the overall assessment which will be of two hours duration and involve the student answering two questions from six. Marks cannot be awarded twice for the same piece of work: Exam answers must not repeat answers already submitted as essays. Any answer reproducing work previously submitted for assessment will be awarded a mark of ZERO. The module convenor will be happy to clarify what constitutes unacceptable repetition of module material. Important note: Resit examinations will take place from Monday 12 August Saturday 31 August Students should bear this in mind when making work, holiday, or other plans for the summer period. Assignment Questions Please choose ONE of the following questions for your essay topic: 1. Can a timeless God know what time it is now? 2. If God was in time before Creation, why did he create at the time that he did? 3. Does God have propositional knowledge? Submission of assignments A single copy of each assessed assignment must be submitted to the School Office (25 University Square) on or before 1200 noon on the due date indicated above. 4

5 When submitting an assessed assignment, you must complete and sign an Essay Cover Sheet available from the School Office. The School uses a system of anonymous marking so do not include your name on the assignment. All assignments are retained by the School for scrutiny by internal and external examiners. All assignments submitted after the deadline will be penalized 5 percentage points per day after 12 noon. Conceptual Equivalents Marking Scale The School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy uses the University s conceptual equivalent marking scheme for all undergraduate assessment. Individual pieces of work are allocated a discrete mark. For further information on the University s conceptual equivalent marking scheme and the marks used, see the School s Undergraduate Student Handbook. This is available from the School Office and will be posted on the resources page on QOL for each module. This is University s conceptual equivalent marking scale can also be accessed on line at: Feedback Students should note that feedback on their academic progress is available in a variety of forms, not just in terms of written feedback on set assignments: Students can approach course convenors and other teaching staff in their set Office Hours (available from the School Office), or otherwise by appointment, to talk about their academic progress, issues relevant to the course, or to discuss in more detail the written feedback that they receive on set assignments. Students should meet with their Personal Tutors to discuss their overall academic progress at least once a semester. Bringing assignment marksheets to these meetings may help in discussing ways of improving assignment performance and preparing for exams. The school is introducing a feedback day at the end of January where staff will be available to discuss assignments The School is committed to return written feedback on set assignments to students within three weeks of the deadline for submission of coursework. It is important that students who submit their essays by the deadline receive feedback in a timely fashion so that they can properly prepare for their exams or further assignments. Students can therefore expect to receive feedback on their essays within no later than three weeks of the submission deadline (this policy does not apply to students who submit their coursework after the deadline). The module convenor will contact all students advising them when hardcopies of their essay report sheets are available to collect in the Main Office, 25 University Square. If students have not received feedback within three weeks of the deadline, they should contact their module convenor directly. Students who wish to discuss their grade should do so with the convenor during his or her office hours. 5

6 Plagiarism The School takes a very severe line on students who plagiarise work. Students who attempt to pass off another s work as their own will receive a mark of ZERO. In some cases, acts of plagiarism can result in the student failing the entire degree. Remember, plagiarism includes information from books, newspapers, journals and the Internet. All suspected cases of plagiarism will be investigated in line with University procedures. For details of University Regulations on Academic Offences, see: The page also provides a link to guidance on how to identify and so avoid plagiarism. Please also refer to the School s Student Handbook Guide for more information about referencing and plagiarism, as well as general advice on essaywriting: Seminar Schedule Week Date Topic 1 (28 Jan.-1 Feb.) 1 Feb Introduction and Administration 2 (4-8 Feb.) 8 Feb Divine Eternity I 3 (11-15 Feb.) 15 Feb Divine Eternity II 4 (18 22 Feb.) 22 Feb Divine Omniscience 5 (25 Feb.-1 March) 1 Mar Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom 6 (4-8 March) 8 Mar Theological Anthropology I 7 (11-15 March) 15 Mar Theological Anthropology II 8 (18-22 March) 22 Mar The Trinity Easter Break (25 March- No Lectures, Seminars or Tutorials 12 April) 9 (15-19 April) 19 Apr Christology I 10 (22-26 April) 26 Apr Christology II 11 (29 April-3 May) 3 May Summary and Conclusion 12 (6-10 May) Reading Week No Lectures, Seminars or Tutorials Seminar Topics and Readings We will be making use of a wide range of texts, most of which will have multiple copies available in the Short Loan Collection in The McClay Library. Some are also available as ebooks. In what follows, locations of readings will be indicated by SLC for the Short Loan Collection and QOL for Queen s Online. These are the required readings for the module, and it is imperative that you come to each seminar having thoroughly read the listed readings for that seminar. Additional readings will be recommended in class. 6

7 WEEK TWO, 4-8 Feb. Divine Eternity I By the end of the seminar, students should understand the problematic issues surrounding the nature of divine eternity. They should also have a grasp on the attempts to make sense of divine timelessness. 1. Craig, W.L., Divine Eternity in Flint, T. and Rea, M. (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Theology, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009: Ch. 7 (QOL) 2. Helm, P., Divine Timeless Eternity in Ganssle, G. (ed.) God and Time: Four Views, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press (2001): Ch. 2 (QOL) WEEK THREE, Feb. Divine Eternity II By the end of the seminar, students should understand some of the arguments against divine timelessness. They should also understand how the divine temporalist might deal with the issue of time before creation. 1. Wolterstorff, N., God Everlasting in Steven M. Cahn & David Shatz (eds.), Contemporary Philosophy of Religion, Oxford: Oxford University Press (1982) (QOL) 2. Leftow, B., Why didn't God Create the World Sooner?, Religious Studies 27 (1991): [available online: 3. Swinburne, R., The Divine Properties: Eternal in The Christian God, Oxford: OUP (1994): Ch. 6, pp (QOL) WEEK FOUR, Feb. Divine Omniscience By the end of the seminar, students should understand the issues surrounding divine omniscience. Students should also be acquainted with some different ways of conceiving of the objects of God s knowledge. 1. Wierenga, E., Omniscience in Flint, T. and Rea, M. (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Theology, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009: Ch Alston, W., Does God Have Beliefs?, Religious Studies 22 (1986): [available online: 7

8 WEEK FIVE, 25 Feb.-1 Mar. Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom By the end of the seminar, students should understand the assumptions and issues that motivate theological fatalism, and they should be conversant with the various ways of trying to avoid the dilemma. 1. Pike, N., Divine Foreknowledge and Voluntary Action, The Philosophical Review 74(1) (1965): [available online: 2. Zagzebski, L., The Dilemma of Freedom and Foreknowledge, New York: Oxford University Press (1991): Ch. 1 (QOL) WEEK SIX, 4-8 Mar. Theological Anthropology I By the end of the seminar, students should understand the different ways of conceiving of human persons and the relation between these conceptions and Christian theism. 1. Zimmerman, D. Three Introductory Questions in Zimmerman, D. and van Inwagen, P. (eds.) Persons: Human and Divine, Oxford: Oxford University Press (2007): Ch. 1 (ebook) 2. Baker, L.R., Need a Christian Be a Mind/Body Dualist? in Rea, M. (ed.) Oxford Readings in Philosophical Theology v. 2, Oxford: Oxford University Press (2009): Ch. 17 (ebook) WEEK SEVEN, Mar. Theological Anthropology II By the end of the seminar, students should have a grasp on various Christian based arguments for and against materialism. 1. Plantinga, A., Against Materialism in Rea, M. (ed.) Oxford Readings in Philosophical Theology v. 2, Oxford: Oxford University Press (2009): Ch. 19 (ebook) 2. van Inwagen, P, A Materialist Ontology of the Human Person in Zimmerman, D. and van Inwagen, P. (eds.) Persons: Human and Divine, Oxford: Oxford University Press (2007): Ch. 8 (ebook) WEEK EIGHT, Mar. The Trinity By the end of the seminar, students should be aware of the various ways of conceiving of the triune nature of God. They should also understand the problems involved, and some of the possible solutions. 8

9 1. Leftow, B., A Latin Trinity in Crisp, O. (ed.) A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology, London: T & T Clark (2008) (QOL) 2. van Inwagen, P, Three Persons in One Being in Rea, M. (ed.) Oxford Readings in Philosophical Theology v. 1, Oxford: Oxford University Press (2009): Ch. 3 (ebook) WEEK NINE, Apr. Christology I By the end of the seminar, students should understand the problematic nature of the incarnation and some classical solutions to those problems. 1. Morris, T., The Metaphysics of God Incarnate in Rea, M. (ed.) Oxford Readings in Philosophical Theology v. 1, Oxford: Oxford University Press (2009): Ch. 10 (ebook) 2. McCord Adams, M., Christ as God-Man, Metaphysically Construed in Rea, M. (ed.) Oxford Readings in Philosophical Theology v. 1, Oxford: Oxford University Press (2009): Ch. 12 (ebook) WEEK TEN, Apr. Christology II By the end of the seminar, students should understand the motivation for, and one theory of, kenosis. They should also understand the connection between the nature of human persons and the doctrine of the incarnation. 1. Davis, S., The Metaphysics of Kenosis in Marmodoro, A. and Hill, J. (eds.) The Metaphysics of the Incarnation, Oxford: Oxford University Press (2011) (QOL) 2. Merricks. T., The Word Made Flesh: Dualism, Physicalism, and the Incarnation in Zimmerman, D. and van Inwagen, P. (eds.) Persons: Human and Divine, Oxford: Oxford University Press (2007): Ch. 12 (ebook) Student Experience Bursary Students wishing to purchase books using the Student Experience Bursary can do so using their Student Card at the "Pop-Up" Blackwell s bookstore at the Students Union during the first five weeks of the spring semester. Students can also purchase books with the Student Experience Bursary by using their Student Card at Blackwell s online site which may be accessed through the student portal. Summary of Module Review ( ) New module, no prior module review. 9

10 INTERESTED IN FURTHER STUDY? The School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy offers masters programmes in the following: MA Comparative Ethnic Conflict MA European Union Politics MA International Relations MA Irish Politics MA Legislative Studies and Practice MA Political Philosophy MA Politics MA Violence, Terrorism and Security For further details, see: 10