Philosophy of Religion and Theology

Program Structure

The PRT area is intentionally flexible in its structure.  Students have considerable freedom to shape their own courses of study in consultation with their advisors.  A rich variety of courses are available each semester covering major issues, move-ments, and thinkers in philosophy or religion and theology.  The offerings by the PRT faculty are further enhanced by relevant courses made available in other areas of the School of Religion as well as in other CGU departments, especially philosophy, and other Claremont Colleges.  Thus the PRT area provides a very distinctive context, broad and pluralistic, for the study of philosophy of religion and theology.

A dual-degree program leading to the M.A. in philosophy and Ph.D. in religion, is also available to interested students; policies and requirements for this program are available in the School of Religion Office.

Qualifying Examinations

The student takes qualifying exams in five areas, four of which are written exams and the fifth the dissertation proposal.  There is an oral exam on all five areas.

It is the responsibility of the student to establish a committee in consultation with his or her advisor and arrange a meeting of the committee, sufficiently in advance,to plan the specifics of the exams, i.e., the exam areas, examiners, dissertation project, and the dates and times for the written exams and the oral in accordance with the following guidelines and the standard procedures in the School of Religion.

 

There are two types of qualifiying exams A and B.  Type A (“Old Quals”) applies to students who enrolled in the program during Fall 2002 semester or earlier.  Type B

 

(“New Quals”) applies to students who enrolled during the Spring 2003 semester or later as well as to those enrolled in Fall 2002 or earlier but opt to take Type B instead of Type A.

In both Exams A and B, it is the responsibility of the qualifyiny examination/ dissertation committee to determine, in consultation with the student, which two classical thinkers are appropriate, whether faculty resources are available to cover the thinkers requested, which area(s) is (are) to be chosen among the period exams, what background exams(s) is (are) relevant, and the appropriateness of the proposed dissertation.

Qualifying Examinations A (“Old Quals”):

1.  The Classical Tradition:

The classical tradition is divided into two periods, the first fifteen centuries and the sixteenth century in the history of Christian thought.  A student emphasizing Western religious thought is responsible for a figure from each period, e.g., Origen, Augustine, Anselm, or Aquinas from the first period, Luther or Calvin from the second.  A student who finds a non-Christian thinker relevant to his or her dissertation may substitute a non-Christian (e.g., Jewish, Muslim, or other Asian thinker or body of thought) for one of the two periods.

2.  Students will take one of the following period exams:

Modern Philosophical and Religious Thought: Decartes to Hume  OR

19th Century Philosophical, Religious, and Theological Thought: from Kant to World War I

Reading lists for both exams are available from the School of Religion.

 

3. and 4. Dissertation Background:

 

These two exams cover the areas considered to be relevant backgrounds for the dissertation.

 

5.  Dissertation Proposal:

 

Students submit a proposal (a minimun of 20 pages) presenting in a concise form the topic, rationale, main issues, sources, and methodology of the proposed dissertation along with an outline of its projected chapters.  The proposal must be submitted two weeks prior to the oral examination.

 

Qualifying Examinations B (“New Quals”)

 

1.  The Classical Tradition: Same as the “Old Quals.”

 

2. and 3. Students are to chose two of the three following exams:

 

·         Modern Philosophical and Religious Thought: Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant

·         19th Century Philosphical, Religious, and Theological Thought:  Hegel, Schleiermacher, Schelling, Kierkegaard, Feuerbach, Newman, Nietzsche, James

·         20th Century Philosophical, Religious, and Theological Thought:  Whitehead, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Barth, Reinhold Niebuhr, Tillich,Rahner

 

Reading lists for these exams are available from the School of Religion Office.

 

4.  Dissertation Background:

 

This exam covers an area considered to be relevant background for the dissertation.

 

5.  Dissertation Proposal: Same as in “Old Quals”

 

PRT Courses Offered                     Recent PRT PhDs