1. Unit 2: The God Unit Questions to Guide our Studies

2. Major Themes of the Unit  Theism: Belief in Higher Power  Polytheism  Monotheism  Atheism: Belief there is no Higher Power  Agnosticism: Unsure if a Higher Power exists  Polytheism/Monotheism

3. Concept of God  Transcendent: God is outside this world & is distinct from our universe.  Immanent: God is identical to the cosmos as a whole.  Pantheism: God is everything  Universal Spirit: God is the emotional connection inside all humans  Process: God must be understood as a continual process (constantly self-creating)  Transcendent Creator: God made world & left  Leap of Faith: God can only be known through Faith

4. What is God?  Is God a force or presence?  Is God an idea created by humans?  Does God change over time?  Could you describe God?

5. Arguments for God  Cosmological Argument  Argument from Design  Ontological Argument  Moral Argument  Pascal’s Wager  Irrational Faith

6. Are Holy Books from Divine origin?  Is the Book written by God?  Can human-translation of the text change the Word?  How can a follower deal with contradictions in the text?

7. Non-Overlapping Magisteria?  Stephen J. Gould asserted that Science and Religion were two separate, non- overlapping magisteria.  Science, Gould felt, is empirical study; whereas religion is the study of ultimate meaning and morality.  Do you believe Science and Religion are studying separate phenomena?  Do they ever overlap and address the same issues? Which issues?

8. Will Religion End?  When, Why and how will religion end?  If not, why not?  Will this be a good/bad event?  Does this imply religion is necessary or superfluous?

9. What should this unit teach you?  1). To understand the logical and faith- based frameworks for Theism.  2). How to engage in meaningful discussion about religion with people that disagree.  3). To recognize how philosophy and the study of religion have influenced one another.