Philosophy & Moral Theology
| Chair | Holloman, Th.D. |
| Distinguished Professor | Moreland |
| Professors | DeWeese, Geivett, Gomes, Rae |
| Research Professor | Craig |
Objectives
This Th.M. emphasis is for students wanting to do advanced coursework at the interface of philosophy and theology. The emphasis will prepare students to engage in integrated philosophical, theological and biblical reflection on the doctrinal and ethical components of the Christian worldview, in order to equip them to deal with the sophisticated theological and philosophical challenges facing the church.
TTPM 713 - The Nature of God (3)
A detailed application of philosophical analysis to the explication and defense of God's existence and attributes, with special attention to contemporary attempts to reformulate our understanding of the nature of God, such as open theism and process theology. Elective.
TTPM 714 - Incarnation and Atonement (3)
Philosophical reflections on Christology, including issues such as the distinction of substance, essence and subsistence, eternal generation, hypostatic union, and moral categories of the atonement. Elective.
TTPM 715 - Divine Revelation (3)
A critical study of divine revelation under the concepts of act, person and word. Special attention to contemporary theories of revelation and of human capacity to know God. Elective.
TTPM 716 - Philosophy of Language and Hermeneutics (3)
An examination of theories in philosophy of language and linguistics and their bearing on problems posed by post-modern hermeneutical theories, with special reference to biblical hermeneutics. Elective.
TTPM 735 - Worldviews (3)
A study of the notion of a worldview, with a critical analysis of the component parts and the background role a worldview plays in establishing plausibility structures for a culture. Emphasis on practical analysis of salient contemporary worldviews. Elective.
TTPM 744 - Epistemology and Method in Theology (3)
A comparison of the epistemology and methodology of theology, with special consideration of the justification of theological truth claims. Elective.
TTPM 751 - History of Philosophical Theology (3)
An historical survey of the interaction of philosophy and theology. Consideration of the method and contributions of selected figures such as Augustine, Boethius, Anselm, Aquinas, Ockham, Scotus, Molina, Luther, Calvin, Edwards, the Princeton theologians, Brunner, Barth, Bultmann and Pannenberg. Elective.
TTPM 752 - Anselm and Perfect Being
Theology (3)
An investigation of major themes in the philosophical theology of Anselm of Canterbury with special reference to his development of God's existence and nature from the concept of God as a perfect being. Elective.
TTPM 753 - Aquinas and the Metaphysics of Theism (3)
A study of selected portions of Summa Theologiae and Summa Contra Gentiles with emphasis on the metaphysical implications of Christian theism as developed by the greatest thinker of the Medieval period. Elective.
TTPM 754 - Jonathan Edwards and the Freedom of the Will (3)
A study of Edwards's philosophical theology, primarily from The Freedom of the Will, with special reference to the issues of theological determinism, compatibilism, and libertarianism. Elective.
TTPM 767 - God and Morality (3)
A critical study of various theories of the relation between God and human morality, with special consideration of the Divine Command Theory and Natural Law. Elective.
TTPM 768 - Contemporary Moral Issues (3)
An in-depth study of philosophical and theological implications for selected issues currently being debated in business, biomedical, and/or social and political ethics. Elective.
TTPM 812 - Philosophical Theology (3)
An examination of certain philosophical categories upon which theology inevitably relies, including the nature of language (with special reference to theological language), revelation, human persons, God, and divine attributes. Consideration of the use of the tools of analytic philosophy, such as conceptual analysis and modal logic. Elective for Th.M. students.
TTPM 823 - Metaphysics (3)
A topical study of the nature and methodology of metaphysics with emphasis on the nature and ultimate categories of being as well as specific areas (e.g. causation, space and time, the soul, freedom and determinism, personal identity, and essentialism). Special emphasis will be placed on integrating metaphysics with the construction and defense of a Christian worldview. Required for Th.M. students.
TTPM 835 - Philosophical and Theological Apologetics (3)
A broadly interdisciplinary analysis of contemporary culture with attention to appropriate ways of engaging the culture with the Christian message. Special emphasis on the philosophical and theological method of apologetics. Elective. Elective for Th.M. students.
TTPM 843 - Epistemology (3)
A topical study in definition of knowledge and justified belief, problems in skepticism, the nature of epistemic justification and the nature of truth. Application will be made to special epistemological issues in religion, e.g., religious experience, miracles, inerrancy, burden of proof issues. Required for Th.M. students.
TTPM 866 - History and Normative Systems of Ethics (3)
A survey and evaluation of various ethicists and their systems from within a Christian framework. Emphasis will be placed on Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, the utilitarians and Kant, and a study of various issues in metaethics and normative ethics, as well as an investigation of ethical decision-making and case studies. Required for Th.M. students.
TTPM 875 - Seminar in Philosophical Theology (3)
A study of selected topics in philosophical theology. May be repeated for credit with different content. Elective. Elective for Th.M. students.
TTPM 880 - Directed Research (1-3)
Supervised research in selected areas of philosophical and moral theology. Elective for Th.M. students.