THE COURSE

What is Philosophy of Religion with Rob Lovering?

Philosophy of Religion with Rob Lovering is an online course conducted live through Zoom in which students learn about a wide variety of issues, concepts, positions, and arguments constitutive of philosophy of religion: the philosophical study of the nature and value of religion. Taught by Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Philosophy Department at CUNY - College of Staten, Rob Lovering (Ph.D.), Philosophy of Religion with Rob Lovering is the perfect course for those who seek independent instruction on the various philosophical questions regarding religion—specifically the classically theistic sort—such as: Does the appearance of design in the natural world indicate that God exists?  Must the universe have been caused to be and, if so, does this indicate that God exists?  Is it true that if God is the greatest possible being, then God must exist?  Do the variety and profusion of evils in this world give us reason to believe that God does not exist?  Does the existence of nonresistant nonbelievers indicate that God does not exist?  Evidence aside, is it acceptable—intellectually or morally—to have faith that God exists?  Are we ever justified in believing that a miracle has occurred?  Is morality based on God’s commands?  Is immortality desirable?

Why take this course?

Religion, especially those that are classically theistic, are not only globally popular (roughly half the world claims adherence to one of three classically theistic religions: Christianity, Judaism, or Islam) but enormously influential on morality, culture, society, and politics. Much is at stake, then, when it comes to religion and, specifically, religious belief, both at the individual level and the societal level. (This is precisely why religious issues tend to generate intense moral and political discussions and movements.) This course will help students better understand the various philosophical dimensions of a wide variety of religious issues and, in turn, increase the likelihood that they make more informed judgments and decisions when it comes to such issues.   

What does the course cover?

The issues covered in this course are as follows.

  • Whether there is reason to believe that the god of classical theism, God, exists.

  • Whether there is reason to believe that God does not exist.

  • Whether it is prudent to believe that God exists.

  • Whether having faith that God exists is morally or intellectually acceptable.

  • Whether morality depends in any way on religion.

  • Whether it is ever rational to believe that a miracle has occurred.

  • Whether immortality is desirable.

What are the sources of the course material?

The material covered in the course is drawn from important academic articles and books written by well-regarded philosophers of religion—both contemporary and historical—including William Paley, Thomas Aquinas, Anselm of Canterbury, William Rowe, J. L. Mackie, J. L. Schellenberg, Blaise Pascal, David Hume, Nicholas Everitt, and more.

For whom is the course suitable?

This course is suitable for a wide range of people, ranging from high schoolers to retirees. Students are placed in courses consisting of their epistemic peers—high schoolers are placed in a course consisting entirely of high schoolers, college students are placed in a course consisting entirely of college students, and college graduates and other adults are are placed in a course consisting entirely of adults. Accordingly, though the subject matter remains the same in every course, the level of discourse about it varies.

How is the course taught?

As indicated above, the course is conducted live through Zoom. Professor Lovering leads discussions of the subject matter with the use of PowerPoint slides that are screen-shared with the students. (Access to all of the slides outside of class sessions is included with the course. For examples of the PowerPoints slides, click here.) Professor Lovering also seeks student participation during class sessions by encouraging each student to ask questions, make observations, provide insights, respond to comments made by their fellow students, share course-relevant anecdotes, and more. Such participation is crucial to developing and honing their ability to think critically about the issues. All of this is done within a context of mutual respect for each other.

When is the course taught?

The days and times of class sessions are agreed upon by Professor Lovering and the student(s) enrolled in the particular section of the course. Each class sessions lasts 1 hour and there are 12 class sessions.

Is the purchase of a textbook (or anything else) required?

No. All you need to do is read through each class session’s PowerPoint slides before it begins and participate in the class discussions.

How much does the course cost?

Individual (One-on-One) Rate: $3,000

Group (Two-to-Eight Students) Rate: $2,000 per student

Payment for the course may be made through PayPal (Rob Lovering) or Venmo (@RobLovering).