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This series of eight lectures delivered by Dr T. J. Mawson at the University of Oxford in Hilary Term 2011, introduces the main philosophical arguments pertaining to the Western monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Each lecture has an associated hand-out (two for the first lecture).Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Western monotheism philosophical foundations • God’s essential and accidental attributes • arguments for God: ontological, cosmological, design • religious experience and miracles • arguments against: problem of evil • faith and Pascal’s WagerThis podcast is an academic lecture series from the University of Oxford in which Dr. T. J. Mawson introduces central topics in the philosophy of religion as they arise in the Western monotheistic traditions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Across the lectures, the focus is on philosophical analysis of what it means to talk about God, how divine attributes might be understood, and what kinds of arguments have been offered for and against God’s existence.
A significant portion of the series examines conceptions of God’s properties, distinguishing between essential attributes typically taken to be necessary to divinity and other, more contingent or “accidental” features sometimes ascribed to God. Building on this foundation, the podcast surveys several classic theistic arguments. It covers prominent forms of reasoning such as the ontological and cosmological arguments, along with the design argument, treating them as attempts to justify belief in God through logic, metaphysics, and observations about the world.
The lectures also explore evidential and experiential considerations, including appeals to religious experience and reported miracles, addressing how such phenomena might function as support for religious belief and what philosophical issues they raise. Counterarguments are represented through discussion of major objections to theism, especially the problem of evil as a challenge to the existence of an all-powerful and perfectly good God.
The series concludes by turning to questions about faith and rational decision-making in religious commitment, including the kind of pragmatic reasoning associated with Pascal’s Wager. Overall, the podcast presents a structured overview of key debates and argumentative strategies that shape philosophical reflection on monotheistic religion.
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8. Faith and Pascal's Wager 2012-May-02 39 minutes |
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7. Arguments against the Existence of God - The Problem of Evil 2012-May-02 40 minutes |
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6. Arguments for the Existence of God - Religious Experience and Miracles 2012-May-02 42 minutes |
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5. Arguments for the Existence of God -The Design Argument 2012-May-02 40 minutes |
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4. Arguments for the Existence of God - The Ontological and Cosmological Arguments 2012-May-02 41 minutes |
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3. The Accidental Properties of God 2012-May-02 43 minutes |
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2. The Essential Properties of God (continued) 2012-May-02 45 minutes |
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1. The Essential Properties of God 2012-May-02 41 minutes |