Philosophy & Religion

Is morality a human invention?  Is moral goodness "in the eye of the beholder" or are there objective moral values that apply to all? This course examines fundamental questions about the moral life: how do we decide what is right or wrong? What do we value and why? How should we live? Students will hone their ethical reasoning skills by examining how some of history's most influential thinkers answered these questions and considering how the ideas of those thinkers apply to pressing contemporary moral issues.

Examines fundamental themes of philosophy such as: the possibility and nature of knowledge; whether or not human beings are free; arguments for and against the existence of God; the nature of good and evil; what makes a good life; and mortality.

Examines pressing moral and philosophical questions that have become major political issues of our day. Problems considered include abortion, sexism, racism, drugs, privacy and censorship, civil disobedience, and others of interest to the group. Offered alternate years.

Confronts a number of modern scientific and ethical problems including abortion, genetic testing, genetically modified plants and animals, stem cells, gene therapy, research on humans, and physician-assisted suicide. Biology and biotechnology often confound our notions of right and wrong, and what ethical behavior is. Offered alternate years.

Examines fundamental questions in metaphysics, epistemology, aesthetics and ethics from both a philosophical and a theological perspective. Introduces methods and subjects of study in the disciplines of Philosophy and Religion. Designed and intended for students who are considering a minor in Philosophy and Religion. Offered on demand. (Cross-listed as REL-300)

Skills of reasoning for solving problems found in ordinary language, deductive and inductive formats, and in common fallacies. A brief introduction to symbolic logic, scientific method, and probability.

Examines significant ethical theories such as those based upon duty, the results of actions, virtue, the benefit of actions to self and the benefit of actions to others. We will examine primary texts from thinkers such as Aristotle, Mill, Kant and Nietzsche.

Pressing issues confronting professionals in a technological era. Utilizing the insights of philosophical and religious ethics, the course examines the responsibilities of the professional person in business, medicine, law education, the ministry, and other fields. Problems considered include confidentiality, accountability, whistleblowing, governmental regulation, and ethical codes.

Traces the history of Western thought from its foundations with the Presocratic thinkers, Plato, and Aristotle, to its offspring in Hellenistic thought, and down to Medieval thought. Offered alternate years.

The primary works of thinkers from Descartes to Hegel are analyzed, and the historical relationship between those thinkers and their influence upon the Western world are examined. Offered alternate years.

Concepts and problems associated with theistic faith in the West. Areas of inquiry and reflection include: the relation of philosophy to religion, arguments for and against the existence of God, the problem of evil, the nature of religious experience (including miracles and mystical experience), the purpose and meaning of religious language, and the immortality of the soul. Offered on demand.

Interaction of philosophy and science that affects human understanding of the physical universe, life, the mind, and human values. Investigations are made into methods of research, physical evidence defining our universe, the principle of relativity, the uncertainty principle, predictive knowledge, and related topics. Offered alternate years.

Examines the historical development of environmental ethics in the U.S., major ethical approaches to contemporary environmental issues, and the application of those theories to particular topics such as ecojustice, biodiversity, and global warming. Readings will be drawn from a wide range of sources, from ancient scripture to current news reports.

A broad introduction to the field, familiarizes students with conflict and practical approaches to its transformation. Personal communication and conflict styles, negotiation skills, interpersonal mediation and facilitation of group decision-making and problem-solving strategies are examined. Participation in discussions, exercises, analyses, role-plays and simulations frame the course. In addition to the regularly scheduled meeting times, one Saturday session is included. (Cross-listed as SOC-367)

Provides an opportunity for a student to gain field experience in an area related to the student's program of study or career goals. The learning objectives for internships include connecting academic knowledge and problem-solving processes to experiences and problems in professional settings. A Faculty Sponsor in the relevant academic department must approve a description and an internship learning plan at least eight weeks in advance of the start of the term in which the internship is to be completed. This internship learning plan must be filed with the Director of Internships in the Center for Career Development at least three weeks prior to the start of the internship.  Approval of each application for an internship is made by the Director of Internships based upon approved policies and guidelines. Supervision of the internship experience is provided by an appropriate Bridgewater College Cooperating Professor (who may or may not be the Faculty Sponsor) and by a Site Supervisor at the agency or business in which the student is an intern. Students must complete 40 hours (minimum two weeks)
of internship-related work as well as weekly journal entries and a final reflective paper completed in accordance with approved requirements. Internships are graded by the Cooperating Professor on an S or U basis. A maximum of 12 credits in internships may be applied toward graduation. Students who successfully complete at least three credits of internship at one or more placements may petition the Associate Provost to accept those credits in fulfillment of the FILA general education experiential learning requirement.

Provides an opportunity for a student to gain field experience in an area related to the student's program of study or career goals. The learning objectives for internships include connecting academic knowledge and problem-solving processes to experiences and problems in professional settings. A Faculty Sponsor in the relevant academic department must approve a description and an internship learning plan at least eight weeks in advance of the start of the term in which the internship is to be completed. This internship learning plan must be filed with the Director of Internships in the Center for Career Development at least three weeks prior to the start of the internship.  Approval of each application for an internship is made by the Director of Internships based upon approved policies and guidelines. Supervision of the internship experience is provided by an appropriate Bridgewater College Cooperating Professor (who may or may not be the Faculty Sponsor) and by a Site Supervisor at the agency or business in which the student is an intern. Students must complete 80 hours (minimum four weeks)
of internship-related work as well as weekly journal entries and a final reflective paper completed in accordance with approved requirements. Internships are graded by the Cooperating Professor on an S or U basis. A maximum of 12 credits in internships may be applied toward graduation. Students who successfully complete at least three credits of internship at one or more placements may petition the Associate Provost to accept those credits in fulfillment of the FILA general education experiential learning requirement.

Provides an opportunity for a student to gain field experience in an area related to the student's program of study or career goals. The learning objectives for internships include connecting academic knowledge and problem-solving processes to experiences and problems in professional settings. A Faculty Sponsor in the relevant academic department must approve a description and an internship learning plan at least eight weeks in advance of the start of the term in which the internship is to be completed. This internship learning plan must be filed with the Director of Internships in the Center for Career Development at least three weeks prior to the start of the internship.  Approval of each application for an internship is made by the Director of Internships based upon approved policies and guidelines. Supervision of the internship experience is provided by an appropriate Bridgewater College Cooperating Professor (who may or may not be the Faculty Sponsor) and by a Site Supervisor at the agency or business in which the student is an intern. Students must complete 120 hours (minimum six weeks)
of internship-related work as well as weekly journal entries and a final reflective paper completed in accordance with approved requirements. Internships are graded by the Cooperating Professor on an S or U basis. A maximum of 12 credits in internships may be applied toward graduation. Students who successfully complete at least three credits of internship at one or more placements may petition the Associate Provost to accept those credits in fulfillment of the FILA general education experiential learning requirement.

A survey of religious practices and perspectives regarding the natural world. It considers such questions as: What are the differences between "creation," "the environment," and "biophysical reality"? Is matter more real than spirit? What are the differences and similarities among religious ideas about human-nonhuman relationships? Are religions to blame for environmental degradation, or can they offer resources for sustainable living? Where is the sacred in relation to nature? A selection of Western, Eastern, and indigenous religious perspectives will be included.

Christian beginnings with emphasis upon the literature and thought of the early Christian community. Introduces information and skills necessary for examining the New Testament documents and their relevance in the history of Western culture.

Examines fundamental questions in metaphysics, epistemology, aesthetics and ethics from both a philosophical and a theological perspective. Introduces methods and subjects of study in the disciplines of philosophy and religion. Designed and intended for students who are considering a minor in Philosophy and religion. Offered on demand. (Cross-listed as PHIL-300)

An exploration of the scientific field of archaeology as it relates to the religions, cultures and literature of ancient Israel and early Christianity. Through lectures, extensive video material and a field trip, this course critically examines the history, methodologies, discoveries and controversies of biblical archaeology in the Middle East.

The history, sociology, and archaeology of Palestine as these disciplines relate to the literature, religions, and cultures of ancient Hebrew society and early Christianity. Following the first week of study on campus, two weeks are devoted to visiting sites of biblical and religious importance in Israel and Jordan. Offered on demand.

Examines visionary literature written by women from late antiquity to the 15th century. Steeped in Neo-Platonic philosophical assumptions, it is literature written about religious experience, an attempt to express the inexpressible. As such, it is very unlike the more narrative, expository, speculative or technical styles of writing commonly encountered in the academic setting. Students of visionary literature must continue to think critically while offering unbiased and serious consideration to experiences very unlike their own. Medieval women's devotional literature offers valuable insight into specific gender roles, lifestyles, societal expectations, and religious practices in a time long past. In the same instance, it reaches out across time and addresses the nature of the human condition in any social, cultural or historical setting.

Introduction to Christianity, surveying all three historical traditions: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant. Special emphasis on social and political structures of the church, and issues in theology and ethics from the Apostolic Age to the resent. (Cross-listed as HIST-317)

A critical survey of ethical perspectives ad issues in the thought and practices of several religious traditions.

From its beginning to the present day. Emphasis upon understanding the church today in light of its historical development with a special focus on Brethren doctrines and practices. Offered on demand.

History, literature and faith of the Hebrew people as revealed in the study of specific topics in Hebrew Scriptures. Designated material in the Hebrew Bible will be examined through the insights of literary analysis, archaeology, anthropology and historical criticism with special emphasis on interpretive methods.

Studies literature inspired by the Bible. Reading and writing about how religious ideas are expressed in literature, how authors use specific biblical stories in their novels, and how various authors may differ in their retellings of the same story. Offered alternate years. (Cross-listed as ENG-327W)

Introduction to Christian theology. The central doctrines of the Christian faith examined in the context of their historical development. Various interpretations of those doctrines in contemporary theology are evaluated. Offered alternate years.

The formative period of thought for contemporary Catholic and Protestant Christianity. Thinkers include representative scholastics, the Humanists, Luther, Zwingli and the Anabaptists, Calvin, and the Catholic Reform expressed in the Councils from Constance to Trent. Offered alternate years.

Critical reading and discussion of writings of representative, contemporary, academic theologians (including Barth, Bonhoeffer, Cone, Gutierrez, Kung, and Schussler Fiorenza) with a view to developing and awareness of basic issues and patterns in present theological thinking. Offered alternate years.

Biblical, historical, and social attitudes toward violence and peace including a study of political, social, and scientific factors that affect violence at the interpersonal, and through war at the international levels of human and interfaith experience. A seminar approach is used.

Major living religions of the Near East stressing a sympathetic understanding of the illumination, which is provided the adherents of each for daily living, as well as some of the cultural expressions of each in those societies where they flourish. Religions studied include Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Offered alternate years.

Major living religions of the Far East stressing a sympathetic understanding of the illumination, which is provided the adherents of each for daily living, as well as some of the cultural expressions of each in those societies where they flourish. Religions studied include Hinduism, Buddhism, and native Chinese religion. Offered alternate years.

Personal and social ethical issues from the perspective of contemporary writings of Christian ethicists. Normative and contextual approaches. An examination of the relationship between religion and culture. Offered on demand.

Provides an opportunity for a student to gain field experience in an area related to the student's program of study or career goals. The learning objectives for internships include connecting academic knowledge and problem-solving processes to experiences and problems in professional settings. A Faculty Sponsor in the relevant academic department must approve a description and an internship learning plan at least eight weeks in advance of the start of the term in which the internship is to be completed. This internship learning plan must be filed with the Director of Internships in the Center for Career Development at least three weeks prior to the start of the internship.  Approval of each application for an internship is made by the Director of Internships based upon approved policies and guidelines. Supervision of the internship experience is provided by an appropriate Bridgewater College Cooperating Professor (who may or may not be the Faculty Sponsor) and by a Site Supervisor at the agency or business in which the student is an intern. Students must complete 40 hours (minimum two weeks)
of internship-related work as well as weekly journal entries and a final reflective paper completed in accordance with approved requirements. Internships are graded by the Cooperating Professor on an S or U basis. A maximum of 12 credits in internships may be applied toward graduation. Students who successfully complete at least three credits of internship at one or more placements may petition the Associate Provost to accept those credits in fulfillment of the FILA general education experiential learning requirement.

Provides an opportunity for a student to gain field experience in an area related to the student's program of study or career goals. The learning objectives for internships include connecting academic knowledge and problem-solving processes to experiences and problems in professional settings. A Faculty Sponsor in the relevant academic department must approve a description and an internship learning plan at least eight weeks in advance of the start of the term in which the internship is to be completed. This internship learning plan must be filed with the Director of Internships in the Center for Career Development at least three weeks prior to the start of the internship.  Approval of each application for an internship is made by the Director of Internships based upon approved policies and guidelines. Supervision of the internship experience is provided by an appropriate Bridgewater College Cooperating Professor (who may or may not be the Faculty Sponsor) and by a Site Supervisor at the agency or business in which the student is an intern. Students must complete 80 hours (minimum four weeks)
of internship-related work as well as weekly journal entries and a final reflective paper completed in accordance with approved requirements. Internships are graded by the Cooperating Professor on an S or U basis. A maximum of 12 credits in internships may be applied toward graduation. Students who successfully complete at least three credits of internship at one or more placements may petition the Associate Provost to accept those credits in fulfillment of the FILA general education experiential learning requirement.

Provides an opportunity for a student to gain field experience in an area related to the student's program of study or career goals. The learning objectives for internships include connecting academic knowledge and problem-solving processes to experiences and problems in professional settings. A Faculty Sponsor in the relevant academic department must approve a description and an internship learning plan at least eight weeks in advance of the start of the term in which the internship is to be completed. This internship learning plan must be filed with the Director of Internships in the Center for Career Development at least three weeks prior to the start of the internship.  Approval of each application for an internship is made by the Director of Internships based upon approved policies and guidelines. Supervision of the internship experience is provided by an appropriate Bridgewater College Cooperating Professor (who may or may not be the Faculty Sponsor) and by a Site Supervisor at the agency or business in which the student is an intern. Students must complete 120 hours (minimum six weeks)
of internship-related work as well as weekly journal entries and a final reflective paper completed in accordance with approved requirements. Internships are graded by the Cooperating Professor on an S or U basis. A maximum of 12 credits in internships may be applied toward graduation. Students who successfully complete at least three credits of internship at one or more placements may petition the Associate Provost to accept those credits in fulfillment of the FILA general education experiential learning requirement.