Philosophy of Religion (Online)



Overview

If you’re interested in delving into the philosophical issues and arguments surrounding the claim that there’s a God, then this is the course for you. Together, we shall look at what, if anything, it is that Jews, Christians and Muslims are agreeing about when they claim that there is a God; and we shall look at what, if any, prospects there are for rationally defending or attacking this claim.

Listen to Dr Tim Mawson talking about the course:

As a student, you will be helped to engage in various activities to stimulate personal reflection; be guided in your reading of some important philosophical texts; find challenge and support as you participate in group discussions; and – above all – be encouraged to think for yourself about the issues raised and arguments deployed. By the end of the course, you should feel more (justifiably) confident in the defensibility of your religious beliefs (or lack of them).

For information on how the courses work, please click here.

Programme details

The areas you will cover in this course are:

  • Introduction – Reason and the Philosophy of Religion.
  • The Concept of God: An introduction to the classical theistic concept of God as a being who is necessarily personal, transcendent, immanent, omnipotent, omniscient, eternal, perfectly free, perfectly good, and necessary; and non-essentially creator of the world and value; revealer of Himself; and offerer of everlasting life. A detailed discussion of each of these properties and the philosophical issues that they raise with a view to determining the overall coherence (or lack of it) and simplicity (or lack of it) of the classical theistic concept of God.
  • Arguing For and Against the Existence of God: A discussion of whether or not belief or the absence of belief in such a God might be the sort of thing that does not rationally require argument and, if not, what the criteria for a good argument for or against such a God’s existence might be. A discussion of the main arguments for and against the existence of God: the Argument to Design; the Cosmological Argument; the Ontological Argument; the Argument from Religious Experience; and the Argument from Apparent Miracles.
  • Conclusion: A discussion of the nature and role (if any) of faith and Pascal’s Wager. An opportunity for each student to discuss what (if anything) he or she feels he or she has gained from the course.

We strongly recommend that you try to find a little time each week to engage in the online conversations (at times that are convenient to you) as the forums are an integral, and very rewarding, part of the course and the online learning experience.
 

Certification

Credit Application Transfer Scheme (CATS) points 

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee for each course you enrol on. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. If you do not register when you enrol, you have up until the course start date to register and pay the £30 fee. 

See more information on CATS point

Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework, but only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education, you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee. 

 

Digital credentials

All students who pass their final assignment, whether registered for credit or not, will be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so. 

Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. 

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £385.00
Take this course for CATS points £30.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

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Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Amna Whiston

Dr Amna Whiston is a philosopher specialising in moral philosophy and the philosophy of mind with a range of philosophical interests, research and teaching experiences that include Kant’s moral philosophy, philosophy of the emotions, Cartesian dualism, Plato, Aristotle, Locke, and Marx. 

Course aims

This course aims to facilitate students in thinking clearly about the following questions: What, if anything, is it that Jews, Christians, and Muslims are agreeing about when they join in claiming that there is a God; and what, if any, prospects are there for rationally defending or attacking this claim?

Course Objectives

  • Introduce students to philosophical thinking in the British Analytical Tradition, particularly as it applies to topics in the Philosophy of Religion.
  • Familiarise students with the key arguments for and against the main positions in the debate about the existence of the classical theistic God.
  • Enable students to think clearly and for themselves about these issues, increasing their understanding of their own religious beliefs (if any) and those of others.

Teaching methods

There will be guided reading of texts and students will be directed to various online resources, including some interactive ones. The main online teaching and learning activity will be the discussion forums, where students gather in their ‘cyber agora’ to be gadflies to one another (in the nicest possible way).

Students will be directed to websites (occasionally as a requirement, otherwise as an optional extra) that have relevant material on a topic-by-topic basis. Students will be encouraged to use the Stanford Online Encyclopaedia of Philosophy

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be expected to understand the main issues and arguments relevant to the classical theistic concept of God; the main arguments for and against the existence of such a being; and, at least better than they did at the start, their own religious beliefs (or lack of them).

By the end of this course students will be expected to have gained or improved their ability to:

  • Describe the main arguments for and against the main positions in the Philosophy of Religion.
  • Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of these positions and critically to assess these arguments.
  • Defend their own answer to the question of whether or not there’s a God of the sort Jews, Christians and Muslims worship.

Assessment methods

You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.

English Language Requirements

We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements please follow this link: https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/english-language-requirements

Application

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment form for short courses | Oxford University Department for Continuing Education

Level and demands

FHEQ level 4, 10 weeks, approx 10 hours per week, therefore a total of about 100 study hours.

IT requirements

This course is delivered online; to participate you must to be familiar with using a computer for purposes such as sending email and searching the Internet. You will also need regular access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support