Catalog 05-07 - Biola University

Theology —
Philosophical & Moral Theology
Faculty
Director: ...................................................................Garrett DeWeese, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor: ...........................................................Moreland
Professors:.....................................................................Geivett, Gomes, Rae
Associate Professor: ......................................................................DeWeese
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.
Courses (TTPM)
ttPm 713 The nature of God ..................................................................3
A detailed application of philosophical analysis to the explica-
tion 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 & 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 & hermeneutics......................3
An examination of theories in philosophy of language and
linguistics and their bearing on problems posed by post-mod-
ern 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 world-
views. Elective.
ttPm 744 epistemology & 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 Princ-
eton theologians, Brunner, Barth, Bultmann and Pannenberg.
Elective.
ttPm 752 anselm & “Perfect Being” Theology ..................................3
An investigation of major themes in the philosophical theol-
ogy 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 & 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 & 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 & 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 implica-
tions 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 metaphys-
ics with emphasis on the nature and ultimate categories of
being as well as specific areas (e.g. causation, space and time,
2005 – 2007 C ATA LO G Talbot School of Theology 243