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Canyon College

COURSE SYLLABUS: Epistemology and Religious Belief

Course Title:	RL530 - Epistemology and Religious Belief
Department:	Religious Studies
Instructor:	Don E. Peavy, Sr., Ph.D. E-Mail Vita
Prerequisites:	None

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE

Welcome to RL 530 Epistemology and Religious Belief. Have you ever wondered how is it that we can know anything? For instance, if I asked you how you know what your name is, you might cite your state driver’s license or some other “official” document. And yet, such documents are forged all the time. Perhaps you would say you know who your parents are and they told you what your name is. Again, I could point out that children are bought and sold and stolen all the time. How do you know your parents are really your parents? These questions are neither superficial nor silly. They point to a concern that is very deep and critical. Again, how can we know anything? Particularly, how can those who claim to be religious know whether the claims made within their religious traditions are “true?” What is truth? Unfortunately, we will not venture into the troubled land of truth claims per se. What we will do in this course is to explore how people can know anything and how religious people support their religious claims. We will not inquire as to whether or not those claims are true. For ultimately, the very nature of religion is such that we cannot approach it from a “scientific” perspective with the rigors of scientific investigation for at best science can tell us what happens and sometimes even why, but science can never get behind what causes the why. Science can not pierce the cloud that Aristotle called “the unmoved Mover.”

INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE

Students should strive to use inclusive language in their writings. By inclusive language is meant language that is not gender specific and which attempts to include as many people as possible. For instance, instead of writing that "God wills that every man obeys His will," inclusive language would require us to write, "God wills that everyone obeys Gods will."

REQUIREMENTS

1. Readings. The required texts are: Online Bookstore
   
   Religion A Search for Meaning by Margaret D. Huff and Ann K Wetherlit. McGraw Hill (2004/2005). ISBN13: 9780072862171 ISBN: 0072862173
   
   There are other editions of this classic work available but this is the preferred edition. This work may also be available free on the Internet.
   
   The Sociology of Religion, by Max Weber. Beacon Press (1993). ISBN13: 9780807042052 ISBN: 0807042056
   
   There are other editions of this classic work available but this is the preferred edition. This work may be available free of charge on the Internet.

2. Conferences. Students may schedule no more than two Internet conferences between the student and the professor. These should be scheduled as necessary by the student. Of course, students may ask questions of the professor at any time by sending an E-mail to the address at the link above or by posting them to the message board.

3. Exams. There will be no exams in this course.

4. Papers.There will be a short paper of at least two single-spaced pages or 1,250 words (not counting end-notes and bibliography), due at the end of each week=s readings in which students will answer the discussion questions and give a reaction to their readings. There is a mid-term paper due of between 1500 and 2500 words. These papers are to be e-mailed to the professor. Those who do not feel comfortable with e-mailing the papers can contact the professor for a mailing address. Papers should conform to the form and style outlined in Kate L. Turabian=s "A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations," 6th ed. Students should use end notes instead of footnotes. Finally, the papers are intended to be reflection papers and not research or the "author said" papers. Students should indicate their understanding of the texts and this cannot be done merely by quoting the authors.

5. Grades. Course work will be weighted as follows:
   
   

   Papers	60%
   Midterm Paper	40%

6. Grading Scale
   
   

   90 - 100%	A - Excellent
   80 - 89%	B - Above Average
   70 - 79%	C - Average
   60 - 69%	D - Below Average
   59% or below	F - Failing Grade

   
   
   A = Clearly stands out as excellent performance. Has unusually sharp insight into material and initiates thoughtful questions. Sees many sides of an issue. Articulates well and writes logically and clearly. Integrates ideas previously learned from this and other disciplines. Anticipates next steps in progression of ideas.
   
   B = Grasps subject matter at a level considered to be good to very good. Is an active listener and participant in chats, message boards, e-mails and conferences. Speaks and writes well. Accomplishes more than the minimum requirements. Work is of high quality.
   
   C = Demonstrates a satisfactory comprehension of the subject matter. Accomplishes only the minimum requirements, and displays little or no initiative. Communicates at an acceptable level for a college student. Has a generally acceptable understanding of all basic concepts.
   
   D = Quality and quantity of work is below average and barely acceptable.
   
   F = Quality and quantity of work is unacceptable.

WEEK ONE

Read Lecture Epistemology I.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Watch the movie “The Land Before Time” (1989). What is the manifestation of the sacred? Does the tree star into which Little Foot sees her reflection and hears her mother=s voice represent a hierophany, an epiphany, or a theophany?
2. Does it matter whether one approaches the study of religion from a psychological or sociological perspective? In other words, ought we to choose between William James and Durkheim?
3. Most of the earlier study of religion had to do with trying to pinpoint the origin of religion. Do we need to know the origin of religion in order to understand it? Why or why not.

WEEK TWO

Read Lecture Epistemology II.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Watch “Frailty” or “Joan of Arc: Messenger of God.” What is the difference between faith, intuition and “gut feelings”?
2. How do the father and sons in “Frailty” or Joan of Arc know that God is speaking to them? How trustworthy is revelation?
3. How do you distinguish the case of Andrea Yates from that of Joan of Arc, if you do? Both of these women claimed to have received messages from God. If you are not familiar with Andrea Yates, you can do a Yahoo search on her name.
4. Returning to the movie, “The Land Before Time,” when Little Foot asks Mother how does she know the Great Valley exists and Mother replies that some things one knows by seeing and some things one knows in one’s heart, Littlefoot is asking a question of epistemology. Mother’s answer represents one way of knowing. How does Mother know that the Great Valley exists?

WEEK THREE

Read Huff/Wetherlit Part I and James’ essay “The Will to Believe” which can be downloaded at: http://www.philosophyonline.co.uk/pages/will.htm.

Mid-Term Paper:

Please write a paper based upon the following. Your paper is to be between 1500 and 2500 words and be a coherent essay in proper Turabian or APA format.

You are to watch the movie “AI” (Artificial Intelligence). Give a synopsis of the movie and then answer the following questions in a coherent essay:

• A. What does the movie say about the origin of religion?
• B. In his seminal essay, “The Will to Believe,” William James writes that, “There must be a pre-existing tendency to believe,” in a thing before one can give one’s life over to it. Is there a pre-existing tendency in David to believe in the Blue Fairy? Discuss David’s belief in light of James’ comment.
• C. What need does David have that gives rise to his belief in and search for the Blue Fairy? For instance, why doesn’t David believe in Dr. No or the church he is taken to by Gigolo Joe?

WEEK FOUR

Read Huff/Wetherlit Part III.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. “Different kinds of knowledge, then, are intended for different purposes.” (p. 185) What does this statement mean? Give an example of something that is better known by one kind of knowledge as opposed to another.
2. A person comes up to you and says, “Don’t you know the United States has never put a man on the moon?” After an initial moment of incredulity, you respond that you are convinced that the United States has put a man on the moon. The person responds, “How do you know the US has done so?” What is your response?
3. It is said that God is beyond human understanding. Can anything be beyond human understanding? If God is beyond human understanding, how then can humans ever know whether God exists or not?

WEEK FIVE

Read Huff/Wetherlit Part IV and Epilogue.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Watch the movie “Leap of Faith” starring Steve Martin. How do we know the character played by Steve Martin healed the boy? Or, was the boy healed by some other force or entity or not healed at all?
2. Why does Steve Martin’s character get angry when the boy is healed?
3. Medical trials report that oftentimes people who have a particular illness are given a placebo and told it is a new drug which will heal them. The people believe the placebo is a new drug and they get healed. How do you explain this phenomenon? Is the power of belief a function of the mind or a blessing of religion? How can we ever know which?