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Status Reports
Status: Philosophy of Religion (2013 - September)
(Text as at 16/10/2013 20:08:10)
*** THIS IS NOT THE LATEST VERSION OF THIS NOTE ***
(For the live version and other versions of this Note, see the tables at the end)
Rationale for this Project
- See my Christian page and onward links from there for an explanation of how I got in to and out of evangelical Christianity. This is still a live issue for me, and the reason I originally undertook formal philosophical training.
- The connection to my current philosophical researches arises from the standard religious hope that resurrection – or some other form of post-mortem survival – is possible. This is a cornerstone of religious claims and expectations, at least in the Abrahamic religions, from those of suicide bombers to those of more pacific persons. I wish to go back to the considerations that originally motivated Locke and research the metaphysical possibility of resurrection for beings such as us. My current opinion is that resurrection for human beings is metaphysically impossible1, given that substance dualism is false.
- In late September 2010 I started a 2-year part time MA in Philosophy and Religion at Heythrop College (Heythrop College London (Defunct)), University of London. Follow the links for my Personal Statement2, Interview3 Write-up, and Course Outline4. I took the Philosophy of Religion5 Module, but then decided not to proceed with the MA, though I may return6 to Heythrop at some time in the future. I do, however, intend to follow up on the many issues raised.
Summary of Progress during July – September 2013
- Effort on this project collapsed somewhat this quarter.
- Anyway, I spent 57 hours in 3Q13 (305 hours YTD, where for “YTD” – Year to Date – I mean the (academic) year – just completed – commenced in October 2012) on this project. That’s 44% of the planned effort (69% YTD), though not on the tasks planned.
- Key items were:-
- Further details are given in the two lists below.
- Activity between Quarterly Reports can be obtained from the relevant section of the relevant version of my Summary Task List8.
Religion (Total Hours = 35.25)
- "Ata ur-Rahim (Muhammad) - Jesus in Hadith and Muslim Tradition" (Write, 0.5 hours)
- "Ata ur-Rahim (Muhammad), Qur'an - Jesus in Qur'an" (Write, 0.25 hours)
- "Ata ur-Rahim (Muhammad) - Jesus: A Prophet of Islam: Preface" (Write, 0.75 hours)
- "Bible - The Bible in One Year: New International Version" (Read, 24 hours)
- "Cain (James) - The Doctrine of the Trinity and the Logic of Relative Identity" (Read, 0.25 hours)
- "Davis (Richard Brian) - Haecceities, individuation and the Trinity: a reply to Keith Yandell" (Read, 0.25 hours)
- "Douglas-Hamilton (Andrew) - Jesus: A Prophet of Islam: Introduction" (Read, 0.25 hours)
- "Hurtado (Larry W.) - How On Earth Did Jesus Become a God?: Historical Questions About Earliest Devotion to Jesus" (Read, 0.5 hours)
- Moreland (J.P.) & Craig (William Lane) - Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview (Read / Write, 2.5 hours)
... See "Moreland (J.P.) & Craig (William Lane) - An Invitation to Christian Philosophy"
- Peterson (Joseph E.), Lenczewski (Melissa E.) & Scherer (Reed P.) - Influence of Microbial Biofilms on the Preservation of
Primary Soft Tissue in Fossil and Extant Archosaurs (Write, 0.75 hours)
... See "Peterson (Joseph E.), Lenczewski (Melissa E.) & Scherer (Reed P.) - Influence of Microbial Biofilms on the Preservation of
Primary Soft Tissue in Fossil and Extant Archosaurs"
- "Ritchie (Bruce) - Theological Logic" (Read / Write, 3.25 hours)
- "Thomson (Ahmad) - Jesus: A Prophet of Islam: Preface to the Revised Edition" (Write, 1.5 hours)
- Todman (Theo) - Seminar Paper: The Ontological Argument (Read, 0.5 hours)
... See "Todman (Theo) - Seminar Paper: Philosophy of Religion - The Ontological Argument"
Religion Background (Total Hours = 22)
- Religion Background - Admin
- Religion Background - Books Admin
- Religion Background - Discussions (Total Hours = 4.25)
Plans for the Near Future
There was too much on the list, so I’ve segregated it into two. I’ve also restricted the number of items per category, as suggesting any more is unrealistic. Unfortunately, there’s not much time left over for this project in the coming quarter, so progress will probably be meagre.
- Top Priority Items
- Lesser Priority Items
- Origins:
… "Conway Morris (Simon) - Darwin’s Compass: How Evolution Discovers the Song of Creation" (briefly review),
… "Davies (Paul C.W.) - Are We Alone? Implications of the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life" (read / review)
… "Davies (Paul C.W.) - The Fifth Miracle: Search for the Origins of Life" (read / review)
… "Dyson (Freeman) - Origins of Life" (read / review)
… "Johnson (Donald E.) - Programming of Life" (continue reading),
… "Le Fanu (James) - Why Us? How Science Rediscovered the Mystery of Ourselves" (briefly review).
- Resurrection: Continue with:-
… Complete & comment on "Richards (Hubert John) - The First Easter: What Really Happened?",
… "Rawlings (Maurice S.) - To Hell and Back: Life after Death - Startling New Evidence",
… "Zaleski (Carole) - Otherworld Journeys: Accounts of Near Death Experience in Mediaeval and Modern Times".
- Science versus Religion: Read / Review:-
… "Andrews (Edgar) - Who Made God? Searching For a Theory of Everything",
… "Berry (R.J.), Ed. - Real Scientists, Real Faith: 17 Leading Scientists Reveal the Harmony Between Their Science and Their Faith",
… "Davies (Paul C.W.) - The Mind of God - Science and the Search for Ultimate Meaning",
… "Dennett (Daniel) - Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon",
… "Stenger (Victor J.) - God the Failed Hypothesis: How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist".
- Other Controversial Issues:
… "Cohen (A.) - The Parting of the Ways: Judaism and the Rise of Christianity": Write up file-note,
… "Ehrman (Bart D.) - Forged: Writing in the Name of God - Why the Bible's Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are": Write up file-note,
… "Ehrman (Bart D.) - God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question - Why We Suffer",
… "Ehrman (Bart D.) - Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why",
… "Hitchens (Christopher) - God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything": write brief review,
… "Hitchens (Peter) - The Rage Against God"
… "Harris (Sam) - Letter To A Christian Nation",
… "Harris (Sam) - The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason",
… "Phillips (J.B.) - Ring of Truth: A Translator's Testimony": Write up file-note,
… "Stenger (Victor J.) - The New Atheism: Taking a Stand for Science and Reason",
- Background Reading / Writing:
… Comment on "Morris (John) - Contemporary Creed: Reasonable Pathways Through the Problems of Christian Beliefs and Ethics",
… Continue with "Bailey (Kenneth) - Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels",
… Comment on "Vermes (Geza) - Jesus the Jew: A Historian's Reading of the Gospels",
… Comment on "Sanders (E.P.) - The Historical Figure of Jesus"..
- Ontological Argument:
… Continue with reading + essay; ie. Via:-
… … "Oppy (Graham) - Ontological Arguments and Belief in God"
… … Seminar Paper12,
… … Essay13, and
… Consider “existence” via:-
… … "Van Inwagen (Peter) - McGinn on Existence", and (of course) …
… … "McGinn (Colin) - Existence".
- Continue to read up on other aspects of Peter Vardy’s Philosophy of Religion module14.
- Follow up the reading list (supplied by Pete) from John McDade’s Contemporary Christian Thought module15.
Summary of Progress to Date
I’ve hived off the history to a separate document16, which still requires a major update.
In-Page Footnotes
Footnote 1: Or if not strictly impossible – rather unlikely, as the candidates for enabling some sort of physical continuity – from luz bones to “corpse swapping” – have multiple problems.
Footnote 6: Maybe not likely. However, a return is at least possible now I’ve agreed to pay £1,700-worth of unpaid fees for the modules I didn’t attend.
Live Version of this Archived Note
Table of 12 Earlier Versions of this Note (of 49)
Table of 12 Later Versions of this Note (of 50)
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519 (Status: Philosophy of Religion (2013 - September)) |
Status: Summary (2026 - June) |
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