Imagine There IS a Heaven: The Power and Endurance of Religion

• Week 1: Our secular age 
  Surveys reveal that religious belief is on the decline, especially in the West. We will examine the factors leading to this decline and ask “what is lost” and “what is gained” as secularism becomes increasingly dominant. We will focus on the very influential objections to religion offered by Marx and Freud. How valid are these objections? 
• Week 2: The most ancient forms of religion
  What do anthropologists see as the central impulse for religion, noted in the first civilizations? What do we know about religion in pre-civilization? What forms did it take and what roles did it play? What role did religion play for the ancient Persians (Zoroastrianism), Hebrews and Greeks? Are human beings “naturally” religious beings?
• Week 3: The rise of Christianity
  How do we account for Christianity’s rise? How did it come to been seen as “superseding” its original source, Judaism? What is the main source of its attraction? When and why did it become the “official” state religion of the Roman Empire? What effect did this have on Western civilization? What were the famous “proofs” of God’s existence offered by Thomas Aquinas?
• Week 4: The artistic influence of Christianity
  How has Christianity inspired the greatest art, dramatic and music traditions of the West, especially as seen in European art, and the settings of the Mass, the oratorios and cantatas of Bach and Italian opera?
• Week 5: The Enlightenment—religion under attack 
  Why did religion become deprecated by 18^th-century sceptical philosophers, by the forces behind the French Revolution and, later, by Asian and Russian communism? Is there any relationship between the rise of capitalism in the 18^th century and the fall of religion? And why did the greatest philosopher of the Enlightenment, Immanuel Kant, feel that philosophy must not attempt to dismiss religion?
• Week 6: Religion in our time and in the future
  Can religion survive the horrors of the 20^th century, such as the Holocaust and other atrocities? What are the main conclusions of the “New Atheism”? What role can we expect religion to play in the lives of our descendants? Can we, should we, try to live without religion? Are there signs religion is on the rebound, or will organized religion continue to fade out? What role has social media played in public opinion of religion?

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Reflect on the enduring power of religion in Western society despite the predominance of secularism
• Examine factors leading increases and decreases in religious behaviour and observance
• Consider the future of religion in an increasingly technological world

• Lectures
• Participation in discussions
  
• Supplementary resources accessed through Canvas
  
• Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)

No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.