Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in the Philosophy of Religion

Philosophy of Religion investigates the ideas, assumptions, concepts and arguments involved in beliefs about God.

The study of these ideas has more than mere academic interest, for what we believe about the divine and its relation to the world and to us can make a profound difference to our experience of life. Our adopting a religious framework makes a difference to how we regard the turmoil, uncertainty and, sometimes, evil that manifests in the world; it can give us a sense of dignity and self-worth; we may find remedies for our distress, hope for the future, courage in adversity, and joy despite the fact of death.

Objectives:
This program has several related aims:

• to provide candidates with a comprehensive grounding in the main topic areas of the
  Philosophy of Religion,
• by imparting to candidates a good sense of the nature and extent of the subject matter
  of Philosophy of Religion, its methodology, the relation between its main topic areas,
  and their relation to other philosophical issues,
• by introducing candidates to seminal works, both classic and contemporary,
• and developing the necessary reasoning and analytical skills for accomplishing all this.

Graduate students of Philosophy of Religion will deepen their broad humanistic backgrounds,
and will be expected to work independently and aggressively to identify and secure an
understanding of the issues that seem most meaningful, the challenge of which will have the
potential to stimulate the candidate to contribute to new knowledge in the discipline.

This endeavour will be pursued through a process of exploration and discovery that will inform students’ knowledge and further improve their analytical, critical, research and writing skills. A primary goal of graduate study is to facilitate recognition in the wider Humanities of the significance of Philosophy of Religion, and to identify various avenues by which mastery of the discipline might be cultivated.

The graduate program in Philosophy of Religion is suitable for students who intend to develop professional careers in a wide range of settings. The rigorous intellectual training that philosophy provides has value and appeal to employers in areas such as: teaching (most likely at the college level), course development and curricula design, research, civil service, local government, charities, information technology, solicitor’s firms, publishing, journalism, and so forth.

Entry into the PhD program requires a recognised Master's degree (preferably in Philosophy or another of the Humanities). Beyond the general requirements of Warnborough College, no other general pre-requisites are required.

This program is offered via distance learning. Individual programs can be structured in modular formats; can be project/research directed, or can combine both options. At the graduate level, students are expected to be highly self-motivated and capable of independent work.

Students may be exempt from certain modules in the curriculum, based on prior courses taken, and/or demonstrated knowledge of philosophy and related disciplines. Modules taken at any time during the student’s career may be counted, if they fulfil appropriate requirements.

Because of the enormous flexibility of the WU program, students may work with their mentor to structure their program in the context of their individual interests, and professional and academic goals.

Students can work with their mentor to create new modules and expand current modules into customised programs, suited to their interests and capabilities. Read the complete module descriptions for information as well as ideas – think of them as a set of guidelines, rather than rules. They will also give you ideas on areas you may wish to pursue most aggressively, in your graduate program.

120 credits, including a Doctoral Thesis, will be required for the PhD degree. In accordance with Warnborough College regulations, PhD candidates in Philosophy of Religion will need to fulfil the following requirements:

PART ONE: SURVEY OF THE PRIMARY SOURCES (3 credits each)

REL 800: Arguments for God’s Existence
REL 805: Religious Experience
REL 810: The Problem of Evil
REL 815: God’s Attributes
REL 820: Miracles and Revelation
REL 825: Death and Immortality
REL 900: Faith and Reason
REL 915: Science, Religion and Evolution
REL 930: Religious Pluralism
REL 935: Religion and Ethics

PART TWO: RESEARCH PROJECT (30 credits)

REL950: Short Dissertation

PART THREE: RESEARCH PROJECT I (60 credits)

REL960 Thesis

Note: Some candidates may wish to combine the research projects into a single work whose total length will combine the requirements of the Short Dissertation and Thesis, and which will earn 90 credits.

PART ONE: SURVEY OF THE PRIMARY SOURCES

REL 800: Arguments for God’s Existence (3 credits)
A survey of the traditional arguments for the existence of God: the Cosmological Argument, the Teleological Argument, and the Ontological Argument.

REL 805: Religious Experience (3 credits)
Do the accounts of those who have a religious experience justify the belief in a transcendental reality? Examples of religious experience. Mysticism. Responses to claims of religious experience.

REL 810: The Problem of Evil (3 credits)
If God exists and is all-powerful and perfectly good, why does He allow evil to occur? Theodicy – the theory that the existence of God and the fact of evil are not incompatible. Does God have good reasons for allowing evil?

REL 815: God’s Attributes (3 credits)
What attributions does God possess? In Judeo-Christian tradition God is omnibenevolent
(perfectly good), timeless (eternal), immutable (unchanging), omnipotent (all-powerful) and
omniscient (all-knowing). Difficulties and inconsistencies with these attributes. Foreknowledge and human free will. Puzzles concerning omnipotence.

REL 820: Miracles and Revelation (3 credits)
What are miracles, and are they possible? Do miracles necessarily violate the laws of nature? Should miracles be regarded as evidence for God’s existence?

REL 825: Death and Immortality (3 credits)
Is there life after death? Materialist monism – the view that we are identical with our physical
bodies and that life after death is impossible. The Platonic-Cartesian dualist view – that as
immaterial souls we survive the deaths of our bodies. Immortality and resurrection. The Hindu theory of life, death and reincarnation.

REL 900: Faith and Reason (3 credits)
Is religious belief rational? Pragmatic justification of religious belief. Fideism – the view that
objective reason is not appropriate for religious belief. Rationality and justified religious belief.

REL 915: Science, Religion and Evolution (3 credits)
How rational is belief in God in our scientific age? Are science and religion compatible? Science versus religion. The creation-evolution controversy.

REL 930: Religious Pluralism (3 credits)
Is there only one way to God? Should different religions be regarded simply as different paths to the same Ultimate Reality? Religious exclusivism – the view that there is only one true religion. Religious pluralism. The Dalai Lama on the prospects for a World Religion.

REL 935: Religion and Ethics (3 credits)
How do religious ethics differ from secular ethics? Does morality depend on religion? Is religion required for giving meaning to life?

The Process:

· Students acquire knowledge studying from generalised specific areas to special problems, issues and topics· Students utilise their skills in critical and analytical thinking to identify potential areas of interest that will contribute to new knowledge· Students utilise their research skills through supported, self-directed investigations to explore these areas of interest, and to develop methodological approaches. Students demonstrate their ability to identify new and existing relationships and links to their subject matter, through these combined processes

Doctoral Thesis

Students will work with their mentor to establish the parameters for their independent research, the findings and conclusions of which will be the subject of their thesis. The Doctoral Thesis will be completed according to the guidelines and parameters set by Warnborough College.

The PhD in Philosophy of Religion is a comprehensive doctoral program. Students can complete the program in six terms or less. (A term is four months.) Depending upon exemptions, performance and the workload, it may take more or less time. Students should regard six terms as the average length of the program. Students may shorten that timetable by arranging for high-intensity customised research projects.

Upon satisfactory completion of all requirements, students will receive the Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy of Religion degree. There are no other exit points in the program. Students will receive credit for modules they have successfully completed.

Students pursue the PhD in Ancient Philosophy via distance learning. Graduate students are expected to be resourceful, show initiative, and be able to work independently.

Students are required to obtain texts needed for successful completion of program projects, through libraries, on-line resources and/or bookstores.

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Note: All fees listed here refer to tuition only. It does not include ancillary expenses such as required materials (see above), textbooks, internet connections, postage, telephone calls, insurance and printing.

Download Application Form.
View admissions information.
Note: Please specify if you wish to do the program by RESEARCH or by INSTRUCTION (modular).

Program Director: Professor Keith Seddon

Professor Seddon’s area of expertise is Philosophy in general, but specifically Philosophy of Religion, Metaphysics, Ancient Philosophy, Stoic Ethics, Classical Chinese Philosophy (including Taoism), and Applied Philosophy. Until 1996 he was the Director of Studies and editor of The Philosopher for the Philosophical Society of England. He has taught a wide range of Liberal Arts topics in further education colleges and correspondence colleges. Since 1987, he has been actively mentoring students via distance learning for Warnborough College. Professor Seddon has had his work published in books, and has published numerous articles and reviews in several periodicals including: Practical Philosophy, the Volga Journal of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Philosophy Now, and The Philosopher.
Professor Seddon serves on the International Editorial Board of Practical Philosophy and is a Fellow of the Philosophical Society of England.

Please contact Professor Seddon at k.h.s@btinternet.com or admissions@warnborough.edu