5.4 PHILOSOPHY

Getting Started GROUP PROJECT

In this part of the workshop, you will continue to work in your group. Each week you will meet with your assigned group to prepare your PowerPoint project that you will submit as a group in connection with Chapters 5 and 6 of the CPJ. The project is due this week.

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

· Explore the relationship between good and evil in philosophy, based on a Christian perspective.

· Create a PowerPoint presentation that synthesizes all findings/answers in the development of a theodicy.

Resources

· Textbook: A Christian Philosophical Journey

· A Standard Translation of the Bible as noted in the syllabus.

Background Information

This activity will help you become accustomed to working with others on philosophical questions, and will introduce the importance of a worldview perspective, as well as some of the most important paradigms in summary of the philosophy of religion.

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. In your textbook, A Christian Philosophical Journey, review:

a. Chapter 5, “The Existence of God”

b. Chapter 6, “The Problem of Evil”

3. Finish your group PowerPoint project by posting on the Group Discussion Forum your logical conclusions about the title and contents of Chapters 5 and 6 in the textbook.

a. Work with your group to synthesize all of your findings/answers to questions and discussions in the previous group discussion threads.

4. Create a PowerPoint presentation on the critical points in philosophy for the Existence of God (Thesis—Part 1) and the Problem of Evil (Antithesis—Part 2). The key point of the presentation is a collective group response (Synthesis—Part 3) in the development of a theodicy (Conclusion).

4. Make sure that you include arguments for the existence of God found in the textbook and provide possible explanations for the origin and problem of evil from the Bible (e.g., Job).

4. As the main concluding question, answer this question as it is proposed in our textbook: How do we explain the existence of evil in light of the existence of God?

4. Create this presentation in a three-part outline form, with a logical list of philosophical statements (this is called the “syllogistic method”).

4. The presentation should be a minimum of 15 slides, with approximately five slides each for each part.

4. You will definitely want to use the Bible in your reasoning to shape your discussion and PowerPoint group presentation. Again, this is not factual proof, but it does illustrate divine revelation about the character of God’s nature.