UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR
01-07-221-01: Justifying Religious Beliefs
InterCultural Studies (Religion and Culture Section)
Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Fall Semester 2005: Official Outline
Revised October 2005
Dr. B. L. Whitney, B.A., Ph.D.
DrBarryWhitney.com <or> www.uwindsor.ca/whitney
Professor of Christian Philosophy of Religion
University of Windsor, Windsor. Ontario N9B3P4 CanadaOffice: 7104 Lambton Tower
Phone: 253-3000, ext. 2399 (please use email)
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:15–3:45
Email: whitney@uwindsor.ca
NOTE: This is the OFFICIAL OUTLINE for 07-221,FALL 2005, This Outline replaces any and all more general outlines found in the University of Windsor calendar and on its websites. This Official Outline gives much more specific information than is possible in a University calendar since, in theory, courses listed in the calendar might be taught by more than one professor, none of whom has the same expertise: each professor, then, would take a different approach (often radically different) in teaching the course, depending on his/her expertise. [One recent example of this is the 07-228 course (Belief in God in Contemporary Culture): while normally this course is taught by an expert in Christianity and, as such, has a Christian focus, it was taught recently by a Muslim professor who, of course, taught it as a course on Islam. Professors are required to teach in their fields of expertise, and this is obviously beneficial for students.This said, anyone who wants a different kind of course is in the wrong place and should give up his/her seat to someone who wants into the course.]
Thematic Outline
Background for the U of W's religion courses: Tragically, since the Department of Religious Studies was closed in the late 1990s, there is no longer a degree or even a minor available in Religion at the University and the number of Religion courses is decreasing as professors with expertise in Religion retire and are not replaced. The nine professors in the former Religious Studies' department joined new departments, with four of them going to the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures to teach in a section designated as Religion and Culture in the Intercultural Studies area. While two of the four professors have since retired, two experts in Christanity remain: Dr Lage, who teaches courses in Christian History, and Dr Whitney, who teaches courses in Christian Theology and Philosophy of Religion. These courses have had huge enrollments each year and are obviously popular with students. They serve as meaningful option courses and can contribute much to a student's overall education. Many of these courses are accepted by Teacher's College for qualifying in Religion as a teachable subject.
There are a handful of other courses which have religious content in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures: Oriental Studies courses (taught by professors who were once in the Department of Asian Studies -- which no longer exists), courses in a section called Culture and Ideas, courses in Classical Studies (Greek and Roman) and Holocaust courses. Outside the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, there are several other courses with religious content (taught by former Religious Studies department professors). There also are courses offered by two of the University of Windsor's affiliated colleges: Assumption University (Catholic) and Canterbury College (Anglican). The small number of these courses, however, remains alarming. Religion, afterall, is a central aspect of culture and of immense importance.
Introduction to 07-221: "Justifying Religious Beliefs" is one of the Religion and Culture courses which focuses on Christianity. Please be aware of the fact that most of the courses in the Religion and Culture section of Intercultural Studies [1] have a Christian focus since this is the area of the professors' expertise and the area in which they engage in scholarly research and publications. Be aware also that these courses [2] are NOT world religions course, nor [3] do they utilize some vague, generalized definition of religion which tries to cover all religions, ending up blurring them all in to one unrecognizable phenomenon, nor [4] do they engage in the common practice of reducing religion to psychology, sociology or other non-theological fields of study. These Religion and Culture take Religion seriously for what it is, and engage in Christianity as a focus since this is the area in which the professors have expertise.
Courses in Christianity, of course, need no justification in a University system that teaches courses in a wide variety of areas, from women's studies and Italian studies to multicultural studies, and numerous other programs. Christianity, indeed, has a special place in academic study since it is, after all, the religion most familiar to most people in North America, as well as the very basis of our North American culture. Christianity is also the world's largest religion with over 2 billion adherents, including about 85% of the population in North America. Regardless of the individual religious or non-religious preferences of students at the U of W, all students have the right to freely choice to study (or not) an influential religion like Christianity in this historically Christian culture.
The purpose of 07-221, then, is to discuss the manner in which some of the fundamental doctrines and beliefs of Christianity have been defended (justified) by its theologians against the rising tide of skepticism, new age spirituality and religious pluralism. The task of justifying religious beliefs is referred to as "apologetics." Apologetics has both a positive (offensive) and negative (defensive) function: positively, it argues the case for the evidence and rationality of beliefs; defensively, it seeks to refute arguments against such belief. Other courses offered by the professor discuss related issues: Religion and Science (07-232), God and Evil (07-323), God and Atheism (07-322), Religion and Culture (New Age Spirituality: 07-100), Belief in God in Contemporary Culture (07-228), Religion and Literature: the Occult: 07-233, etc.
The goal of 07-221 is to provide students with an understanding of the manner in which fundamental religious beliefs (using Christianity as the test case) can be defended. Students may find that, regardless of their personal religious beliefs, the methodology used in this class will be useful as a means to assess their own religious (or non-religions) beliefs in a similarly informed, critical way. In other words, the methodology undertaken in the class should serve as a model methodology for the exploration of any and all beliefs and worldviews. Critical reflection, rather than unreflective opinion, is the recommended goal. Be aware of the fact that we live in a society where basic beliefs, including especially religious beliefs, are --on the one hand-- accepted by religious people without enough critical reflection and --on the other hand-- rejected by most other academic disciplines without proper theological and philosophical assessment.
Class Protocol
Due to the large number of students, opportunities in class for questions and brief discussions will be available only as time and circumstances permit. The course will be predominantly lectures, and students should be prepared to dig in and concentrate on taking proper lecture notes. It would be a mistake to skip class and rely on the notes of others. It would be a mistake also to think that lecture notes and class discussions are so unimportant that one can attend class as a mere spectator, thinking that reliance on memory about what was said in class or that reliance on the assigned readings alone will be sufficient for achieving a successful grade. The lectures are central to this course, and they will focus on the main points found in the assigned readings, and also on the professor's own elaboration, critical commentary and assessment of those points as essential aspects of the course.
Students are advised to check the web page one or two days after each class for the readings that are assigned each week. These readings should be studied before they are discussed in class.
Please note also:
*Many students have been unable to get into this class, so it makes sense that among those who are enrolled, this class should be taken only by those who have an interest in the subject matter.
*No one need attend this class against his/her will; if the academic study of religion and culture, as represented by the dominant religion in the world and in this Canadian culture, Christianity, does not interest the student or if the student expected or wants a completely different kind of class, please give up your seat to one of the several dozens of students who want to enrol in this class but have been unable to because of the enrolment cap.
*Please note that regular attendance is mandatory. All student who enrol must make a committment to attend every class, to prepare the assigned readings before and after their discussion in class, to keep up with the assigned work, to seek help when needed, and to take (or learn how to take) good lecture notes. This committment is both necessary and mandatory, since past history has shown that students who cannot make or keep this commitment will not be able to keep up with the work, nor properly comprehend the material discussed in class.
*It is not acceptable to distract other students by carrying on conversations when the class is in progress; nor is it acceptable to arrive late for class or to leave the room while the class is in session
*It is not advisable to fall into the ill-fated temptation of skipping the second half of the class. The class meets only once a week, and this means that each class is more than 2 hours long, the equivalent of three 50 minute Mon-Wed-Fri classes. Students should prepare to settle in for 2+ hour classes each week.
*It is not advisable to enrol in this class if it conflicts with job, family or other clases.
This course has been assigned a large room there has always been intense student demand for this and other "Religion and Culture" (Christian) courses. Regrettably, because of the size of the classroom and the number of students, it is unrealistic to expect that this course can be as intimate as much smaller classes. This class, for example, cannot provide the same opportunity for open discussions that one finds in most smaller classes. While the vast majority of students and professors prefer smaller classes (20-30 students), the current reality is that large classes must be tolerated because of the underfunding and the inability of the University to provide more professors to teach popular courses like those in Religion and Culture.
Assigned Texts and Other Reading Materials
1. Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli, Handbook of Christian Apologetics (1994)
2. James Sire, Why Should Anyone Believe Anything at All? (1994)
3. Other texts may be available in the Leddy Library on Reserve
4. Other texts (web documents) are available on the internet, linked on the class website
GradingPlease note that due to past problems with midterm tests, the faculty of Arts and Social Science policy is NOT to permit students who miss tests or final exams to rewrite them cPlease note that due to past problems at the University, the Faculty of Arts and Social Science policy is NOT to permit students who miss tests or final exams to rewrite them. (See the official Policy Statement below)
The final grade is based on the following:[1] MID-TERM TEST (40% of the final grade): October 20. This test will be written in the Ambassador Auditorium, CAW Building, during the regular class time (4:00). Students who miss this exam will not be allowed to rewrite it without the professor's permission, permission which the University defines as based on written proof of extreme medical or personal reasons (as per the Official Grade Policy: see below). The test will consist of multiple choice questions.
[2] CLASS PARTICIPATION (10% of the final grade, based on attendance and short assignments in second half of the course).
[3] FINAL EXAM: (50% of the final grade): December 15, The exam will be written in the Education Building, Room 1101, at 3:30pm. This date and time cannot be changed and students who miss writing the exam will have to prove extreme medical or personal reasons (see per the Official Grade Policy: see below).Please Note: The exam will consist of mulitple choice questions. The midtern text and final exam will cover the assigned readings and the additional information given in class in lectures and class discussions.
Religion Courses at the U of Windsor
Intercultural Studies in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
"Religion and Culture" section (Christian focus)
07-100: Religion and Culture: Dr. Whitney
07-101: Issues in Religion and Culture: Dr. Whitney
07-221: Justifying Religious Beliefs: Dr. Whitney
07-222: Special Topics in Religion and Culture: Dr Lage and Dr Whitney
07-232: Religion and Science: Dr. Whitney
07-233: Religion and Literature: Dr. Whitney
07-322: God and Atheism: Dr. Whitney
07-323: God and Evil: Dr. Whitney
07-225: Christianity and Modern Culture: Dr Lage and Dr. Whitney
07-227: Christianity: The Modern Age: Dr. Lage
07-229: Ancient Christianity: Dr, Lage
07-228: Religious Belief in Contemporary Culture: Dr. Whitney
07-230: Christianity: The Early Church to the Reformation: Dr. Lage
07-231: Christianity: Reformation to the Modern Age: Dr. Lage
07-326: Major Figures in Modern Religious Thought: Dr. Lage and Dr. Whitney
07-360: The Reformation: Dr. Lage
07-371: Religion in the Ancient World: Dr. Lage
"Oriental Studies" section
10-226: Yoga
10-227: Hinduism and Buddhism
10-317: World Religions: Eastern (listed also in the Dept. of Political Science)
"Classical Studies" (Dept. of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures) offers courses in ancient classical religion and culture. The "Culture and Ideas" section (Dept. of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures) offes two courses with religious content, and there are other courses with religious content, for example, the courses in "Holocaust Studies" (07-235 and 07-236).Outside the Department of Langugaes, Literatures, and Cultures, there are only a handful of courses with religious content found in various departmentsor programs. Religion courses are offered on campus also by the Anglican college (Canterbury) and the Roman Catholic University (Assumption).
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Faculty of Arts and Social Science: University of Windsor Regarding Plagiarism, Grading, and Examination Make-up Policies
I. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a very serious academic offense. Students who plagiarize are dishonestly and fraudulently using someone else's work as their own. In the preparation of essays, papers, reports, and any other types of assignments, students must necessarily rely on the work of others. However, the source of any ideas, wording, or data obtained from others must be disclosed and properly acknowledged by citations, quotation marks, and bibliographic references in the proper format. Using the work of others without acknowledgement is plagiarism.
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:
a) Copying material, for example, from the Internet, or purchasing material and submitting it as one's own;
b) Paraphrasing (changing some of the words) the ideas and concepts of others without proper referencing
c) Using a passage or passages of any length from published or unpublished work of others without placing the passage(s) in quotation marks (or using indentation for long quotation(s)) and acknowledging their source;
d) Submitting work to more than one course, unless prior permission to do so has been given in writing;
e) Submitting work completely or largely identical to that of other students, unless group work and joint submissions are explicitly permitted by the instructor.Consequences:
If the instructor finds that plagiarism has occurred, s/he assigns a grade of 0 (F-) to the work in question and reports the case to the Department Head, to the Associate Dean of the Faculty, and to the student(s) involved. Disciplinary proceedings may be initiated pursuant to Senate Bylaw 31, which could result in suspension or expulsion from the University in cases of repeated plagiarism. Students will not be allowed to re-write or re-submit work to compensate for grades assigned as a result of plagiarism. Students can appeal a finding of plagiarism to the Department Head or designate and/or to the Associate Dean of Student and Academic Affairs in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and ultimately to a judicial review panel at the University.
II. Exam Makeup/Late Submission/Aegrotat/Incomplete Policy
The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences requires students to provide acceptable and documented medical (or equivalent compassionate) reasons to allow
make-ups for scheduled tests, midterms, and final exams; the submission of late assignment; grades of Incomplete or Aegrotat.
Acceptable reasons include hospital stays, serious illness, family emergencies (such as serious accidents or illnesses, death) or similar circumstances outside the student's control. Normally, written documentation is required stating specific reasons and dates. Arrangements for make-up exams must be made as soon as possible. The instructor sets the date and format for make-up exams; the format will usually be different than the original exam.
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Plagiarism Policy: July, 2004
III University of Windsor Grading Scale
13 points: A+ 93-100%
12 points: A 86-92.9%
11 points: A- 80-85.9%
10 points: B+ 77-79.9%
09 points: B 73-76.9%
08 points: B- 70-72.9%
07 points: C+ 67-69.9%
06 points: C 63-66.9%
05 points: C- 60-62.9%
04 points: D+ 57-59.9%
03 points: D 53-56.9%
02 points: D- 50-52.9%
01 points: F+ 35-49.9%
00 points: F 0-34.9%
Professor Whitney's webpage