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Philosophy and Religion in the West
36 half hour lectures on 18 cassettes in three cases with three booklets.
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First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 20, 2021
Professor Cary’s 32 lecture course, Philosophy and Religion in the West, was much better the second time even than the first and I recall enjoying it very much the first time through. This time I had the benefit of having read one of the cited texts, Martin Buber’s I and Thou. Mostly, however, it was just easier for me to follow which could be the repetition factor or interim experience/supplemental reading.
Cary does an excellent job keeping the course focused on the sister disciplines of Philosophy and Religion. He shows how the relationship fared under ideal circumstances, when each had respect for the other, as well as more recent times when Philosophy—or certain philosophers anyway—turned its/their back on Religion as outdated and irrelevant if not altogether a huge hoax or worse. Throughout this long history, which begins with Plato’s Socrates, we see how human beings have wrestled with their notions of God, and how to think, feel, relate, worship, talk about and respond to the world around them as a result of these concepts. In a certain sense it could be called flattering/positive that we humans have expended so much effort and for so long to understand/discover this mystery we call God. Or anyway, it seems one hopeful sign amidst so much that others can claim is wrong and evil.
Cary’s background is traditional Christian yet each lecture is balanced, giving pros and cons for the philosopher’s ideas and how they did/didn’t further understanding of religious and philosophic thought. New understandings often led back to modifications of previous ones which were breakthroughs at their time.
Some things I appreciated the most:
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May 21, 2017: There are not many books I reread, nor courses I retake. But I notice from my earlier review Cary recommends listening to the lectures at least twice and I felt that would not be sufficient for me. So here I go again...
August 20, 2013: Professor Phillip Cary has compiled a fascinating series of 32 lectures which bring together some of the greatest minds in the worlds of Philosophy and Theology. From the beginning he recommends listening to each lecture at least twice. Three times was insufficient for some of the talks and I suspect I would never have much success if I were to attempt to read some of these authors in the original. However, what I did understand was excellent. Overall, I was inspired to reread the book, The Story of Philosophy, which I first read years ago and to read/study Immanuel Kant, Kierkegaard, and Karl Barth.
I especially appreciated Professor Cary's awareness of and sensitivity to many different approaches to the Divine, religion and philosophical thought.
Most highly recommended.
Cary does an excellent job keeping the course focused on the sister disciplines of Philosophy and Religion. He shows how the relationship fared under ideal circumstances, when each had respect for the other, as well as more recent times when Philosophy—or certain philosophers anyway—turned its/their back on Religion as outdated and irrelevant if not altogether a huge hoax or worse. Throughout this long history, which begins with Plato’s Socrates, we see how human beings have wrestled with their notions of God, and how to think, feel, relate, worship, talk about and respond to the world around them as a result of these concepts. In a certain sense it could be called flattering/positive that we humans have expended so much effort and for so long to understand/discover this mystery we call God. Or anyway, it seems one hopeful sign amidst so much that others can claim is wrong and evil.
Cary’s background is traditional Christian yet each lecture is balanced, giving pros and cons for the philosopher’s ideas and how they did/didn’t further understanding of religious and philosophic thought. New understandings often led back to modifications of previous ones which were breakthroughs at their time.
Some things I appreciated the most:
Learning about Nietzsche in a way that made sense of the man and why he was the way he was; he was protesting his pious Victorian largely-female upbringing.I look forward to doing another Teaching Company course by Cary soon, Augustine: Philosopher and Saint
Finding out that some ideas thought of as religious actually come to us from philosophy, such as the soul departing the body at death. We get this in Socrates’ last speech to his friends before he dies.
Discovering and actually understanding the different conceptions of God.
Explanation of “reformed” epistemologists defending the reasonableness of ordinary people continuing to hold their beliefs even when they cannot give arguments for them. As was pointed out—not everyone is a Doctor of Theology.
Concur with his belief that Philosophy and Religion are best when they can give and take critical assessments to/from each other. Such openness promotes healthy dialogue, growth and peaceful understanding.
Cary’s overall respect for all religious traditions, practices and beliefs. There is much more but that is enough for flavor.
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May 21, 2017: There are not many books I reread, nor courses I retake. But I notice from my earlier review Cary recommends listening to the lectures at least twice and I felt that would not be sufficient for me. So here I go again...
August 20, 2013: Professor Phillip Cary has compiled a fascinating series of 32 lectures which bring together some of the greatest minds in the worlds of Philosophy and Theology. From the beginning he recommends listening to each lecture at least twice. Three times was insufficient for some of the talks and I suspect I would never have much success if I were to attempt to read some of these authors in the original. However, what I did understand was excellent. Overall, I was inspired to reread the book, The Story of Philosophy, which I first read years ago and to read/study Immanuel Kant, Kierkegaard, and Karl Barth.
I especially appreciated Professor Cary's awareness of and sensitivity to many different approaches to the Divine, religion and philosophical thought.
Most highly recommended.
November 4, 2022
4.5 stars
This is a very good course for those interested in the main interactions between philosophy and religion (mainly Christianity.) Dr. Cary is lively and interesting, and rather than just repeating the information he actuality engages with it. I would categorize those interactions in three ages:
1. Ancient philosophy trying to reason to a god and spiritual things.
2. Medieval theologians trying to integrate Christianity and philosophy.
3. Reformers coming up with new (biblical) answers to the big questions, while the enlightenment-to-modern philosophers wanting to reason away from the God of the Western world.
The reason I take off half a star is due to Dr. Cary’s lack of understanding in some areas. He does not rightly comprehend Luther’s focus on the gospel and grace (nor Paul’s teaching on this in Scripture.) His short discussion of Calvin is better, but Dr. Cary simply cannot conceive of the idea that predestination (as the Reformers described) is good news. Also, Dr. Cary makes some remarks about possible “pagan sources” of the Bible. This is a surprising statement coming from someone in the Anglican tradition who holds to other doctrines taught in Scripture. Additionally, he states, “There’s no legalism in Judaism” and that this is a misreading of Paul. Yet both the New Testament and the Mishna show that indeed many Jews did seek to merit salvation through works of the Law.
Overall this is a good course and many good conclusions are described and arrived at by the professor.
This is a very good course for those interested in the main interactions between philosophy and religion (mainly Christianity.) Dr. Cary is lively and interesting, and rather than just repeating the information he actuality engages with it. I would categorize those interactions in three ages:
1. Ancient philosophy trying to reason to a god and spiritual things.
2. Medieval theologians trying to integrate Christianity and philosophy.
3. Reformers coming up with new (biblical) answers to the big questions, while the enlightenment-to-modern philosophers wanting to reason away from the God of the Western world.
The reason I take off half a star is due to Dr. Cary’s lack of understanding in some areas. He does not rightly comprehend Luther’s focus on the gospel and grace (nor Paul’s teaching on this in Scripture.) His short discussion of Calvin is better, but Dr. Cary simply cannot conceive of the idea that predestination (as the Reformers described) is good news. Also, Dr. Cary makes some remarks about possible “pagan sources” of the Bible. This is a surprising statement coming from someone in the Anglican tradition who holds to other doctrines taught in Scripture. Additionally, he states, “There’s no legalism in Judaism” and that this is a misreading of Paul. Yet both the New Testament and the Mishna show that indeed many Jews did seek to merit salvation through works of the Law.
Overall this is a good course and many good conclusions are described and arrived at by the professor.
April 15, 2023
I finished this Great Course class and book from Phillip Cary after quite a few hours of work. While it was a ton of work, I feel like it was worthwhile in the end. Each chapter of this book points to further reading in primary sources for the discussion throughout and the Bibliography alone is worth it.
July 16, 2024
a very good, detailed course of lectures from a Yale-trained philosopher who specializes on St. Augustine. Fittingly, the early lectures on through Middle Ages are excellent, the middle stuff (Kant/Hegel/Kierkegaard/Marx/Freud) is perfectly acceptable, and the series becomes good again when Cary starts in on Karl Barth (clearly an influence/someone he admires, and Barth's "Epistle to the Romans" is indeed a great work), Levinas, neo-orthodoxy, &c. A good commute listen, and recommended if you're someone intent on keeping a finger in this particular pie (given the places where I publish, it's wise to do so).
November 8, 2017
Short Review: I like Cary as a lecturer. His History of Christian Theology course I think is my favorite of the Great Courses. This was one was good as well. I think the later lectures were more helpful than the earlier, but they needed the whole course to build on one another. And the later lectures were helpful to me to round out the modern philosophy course that I listened to earlier this year.
my slightly longer review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/philosophy-and-relig...
my slightly longer review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/philosophy-and-relig...
January 17, 2018
Very helpful studying for General Ordination Exam. He establishes context well, repeats key phrases, doesn’t linger on anything too long. I can imagine keeping this handy and listening to individual lectures again when questions arise and I need clarification.
November 30, 2022
1. Introduction—Philosophy and Religion as Traditions
2. Plato's Inquiries—The Gods and the Good
In Plato's early dialogue Euthyphro, Socrates tries to get the title character to think critically about the question "What is piety?" In later dialogues, Plato suggests what kind of things might supply an answer. His thinking will play an enormous role in Western religion.
3. Plato's Spirituality—The Immortal Soul and the Other World
Plato's philosophy is inherently religious and has had a deep influence on Western spirituality.
4. Aristotle and Plato—Cosmos, Contemplation, and Happiness
Plato and Aristotle attempted to trace the movement of the heavens back to a divine starting point or first principle. Aristotle conceived of God as Prime Mover and also as Divine Mind in which our minds participate. The world is thus inherently purposeful, naturally ordered toward the good and ultimately toward God.
5. Plotinus—Neoplatonism and the Ultimate Unity of All
Plotinus saw four levels of being, the lowest of which is the visible, material world of change, division, and death. Plotinus's spirituality is based on the desire for ultimate unity.
6. The Jewish Scriptures—Life With the God of Israel
In the religion of Israel, God is not a principle or concept, but a person. The ancient Israelites identified specific places where their God could be met and told stories about how he was met. The foundational story is told in the book of Exodus.
7. Platonist Philosophy and Scriptural Religion
Referring to the three levels of Plotinus's view of the divine, this lecture compares Platonist spirituality with biblical portraits of God and his people, and begins examining how these two traditions came to be combined in Western thought. Whether it is wise to combine them is a central and recurrent question for Jewish and Christian theology.
8. The New Testament—Life in Christ
In contrast to the Platonist view of the immortality of the soul, the New Testament speaks of the bodily resurrection of the dead, beginning with Jesus Christ. Hence for Christians, Jesus' body is the holy place where God is to be met: this is the root of the Christian teaching that Christ is God incarnate.
9. Rabbinic Judaism—Israel and the Torah
The religion we now know as Judaism arose after the Romans destroyed the temple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E. The resulting tradition focuses on the importance of Torah study as the "place" of God's gracious presence in Israel.
10. Church Fathers—The Logos Made Flesh
While the rabbis were forming orthodox Judaism, the Church fathers were forming the central doctrines of orthodox Christianity.
11. The Development of Christian Platonism
The early, more radical Christian Platonists focused on souls escaping bodies (Gnosticism) or falling into bodies (Origen). In orthodox Christian Platonism, however, souls remain embodied, receiving divine light from above or within.
12. Jewish Rationalism and Mysticism—Maimonides and Kabbalah
Jewish thought in the Middle Ages moved in two directions. Rationalists like Maimonides interpreted the Scriptures as a figurative expression (suitable for the many) of Aristotelian metaphysics. The mystical direction was represented by the texts of Kabbalah.
13. Classical Theism—Proofs and Attributes of God
The view of God that was worked out by medieval theologians and philosophers has come to be called "classical theism."
14. Medieval Christian Theology—Nature and Grace
The universe of classical theism is inherently good—not perfect like God, but oriented toward God. However, in the Christian version of that universe, human nature, which God created good, has been corrupted by the Fall and needs to be restored by grace.
15. Late-Medieval Nominalism and Christian Mysticism
What spelled the beginning of the end for medieval thought?
16. Protestantism—Problems of Grace
Protestantism inherits the Augustinian conception of grace and wrestles with two problems that result from it.
17. Descartes, Locke, and the Crisis of Modernity
Modern philosophy is born amid a crisis of authority, especially religious authority. The moderns "turn to the subject," seeking the sources of belief and certainty in the self.
18. Leibniz and Theodicy
In Leibniz's panpsychism, every atom (or monad) of the physical world has a kind of "inner self" that is alive. Using his theory of monads, in combination with his logic of possible worlds, Leibniz constructs a theodicy (an attempt to answer "the problem of evil").
19. Hume's Critique of Religion
David Hume was perhaps the most astute critic of religion in the highly critical period of Western history known as the Enlightenment.
20. Kant—Reason Limited to Experience
With the thought of Kant, the modern "turn to the subject" attains a new depth and fullness. He argues that the very possibility of experience (and, hence, of empirical knowledge and the natural sciences) presupposes certain subjective conditions.
21. Kant—Morality as the Basis of Religion
Kant set limits to theoretical reason in order to make room for practical reason. He argues that popular notions such as "duty" point toward a purely rational (a priori) foundation for morality, grounded in a principle of conduct that all rational beings recognize they should follow, regardless of inclination.
22. Schleiermacher—Feeling as the Basis of Religion
Religious thinkers after Kant wanted to find an approach to God based neither on theoretical reason nor on pure morality. What they found was feeling. This finding lies at the root of Romanticism and liberal theology.
23. Hegel—A Philosophical History of Religion
Hegel held that history unfolds dialectically, according to a divine and necessary logic. For Hegel, Christianity provides a powerful but mythical image of this process.
24. Marx and the Hermeneutics of Suspicion
Marx interprets cultural phenomena (including religion) in terms of the hidden interests they serve. Freud offers a psychological version of this.
25. Kierkegaard—Existentialism and the Leap of Faith
Søren Kierkegaard, the 19th-century Danish Christian famous for his notion of the "leap of faith," is also widely regarded as the first existentialist. His aim was to nourish authentic individual faith in the paradox of Christ.
26. Nietzsche—Critic of Christian Morality
Nietzsche is one of the few critics of Christianity bold enough to criticize its morality and propose his own substitute.
27. Neo-orthodoxy—The Subject and Object of Faith
Neo-orthodoxy reacted against the liberal Protestant attempt to base theology on religious experience and then branched off in two very different directions.
28. Encountering the Biblical Other—Buber and Levinas
The 20th-century Jewish thinkers Martin Buber and Emanuel Levinas draw upon concepts implicit in the Hebrew Bible to conceive of human relationships in ways that elude the Greek and German philosophical traditions.
29. Process Philosophy—God in Time
Process philosophy expresses the pervasive 20th-century dissatisfaction with the metaphysics of an unchanging God. As initially formulated by A. N. Whitehead, it was based on an ontology of events (where "what happens" is more basic to reality than "what is").
30. Logical Empiricism and the Meaning of Religion
The modern "turn to the subject" reached a point of special intensity in the early 20th century. Yet logical empiricism in the English-speaking countries and phenomenology on the continent unraveled into various forms of "postmodernism."
31. Reformed Epistemology and the Rationality of Belief
"Reformed" epistemology is a recent philosophical movement that defends the rationality of religious beliefs. Here you'll learn about three of its leaders: Nicholas Wolterstorff, Alvin Plantinga, and William Alston.
32. Conclusion—Philosophy and Religion Today
Philosophy has often criticized religion, but also has often supported it. Here we ask why religion should be grateful to philosophy, and what religion offers that philosophy does not.
2. Plato's Inquiries—The Gods and the Good
In Plato's early dialogue Euthyphro, Socrates tries to get the title character to think critically about the question "What is piety?" In later dialogues, Plato suggests what kind of things might supply an answer. His thinking will play an enormous role in Western religion.
3. Plato's Spirituality—The Immortal Soul and the Other World
Plato's philosophy is inherently religious and has had a deep influence on Western spirituality.
4. Aristotle and Plato—Cosmos, Contemplation, and Happiness
Plato and Aristotle attempted to trace the movement of the heavens back to a divine starting point or first principle. Aristotle conceived of God as Prime Mover and also as Divine Mind in which our minds participate. The world is thus inherently purposeful, naturally ordered toward the good and ultimately toward God.
5. Plotinus—Neoplatonism and the Ultimate Unity of All
Plotinus saw four levels of being, the lowest of which is the visible, material world of change, division, and death. Plotinus's spirituality is based on the desire for ultimate unity.
6. The Jewish Scriptures—Life With the God of Israel
In the religion of Israel, God is not a principle or concept, but a person. The ancient Israelites identified specific places where their God could be met and told stories about how he was met. The foundational story is told in the book of Exodus.
7. Platonist Philosophy and Scriptural Religion
Referring to the three levels of Plotinus's view of the divine, this lecture compares Platonist spirituality with biblical portraits of God and his people, and begins examining how these two traditions came to be combined in Western thought. Whether it is wise to combine them is a central and recurrent question for Jewish and Christian theology.
8. The New Testament—Life in Christ
In contrast to the Platonist view of the immortality of the soul, the New Testament speaks of the bodily resurrection of the dead, beginning with Jesus Christ. Hence for Christians, Jesus' body is the holy place where God is to be met: this is the root of the Christian teaching that Christ is God incarnate.
9. Rabbinic Judaism—Israel and the Torah
The religion we now know as Judaism arose after the Romans destroyed the temple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E. The resulting tradition focuses on the importance of Torah study as the "place" of God's gracious presence in Israel.
10. Church Fathers—The Logos Made Flesh
While the rabbis were forming orthodox Judaism, the Church fathers were forming the central doctrines of orthodox Christianity.
11. The Development of Christian Platonism
The early, more radical Christian Platonists focused on souls escaping bodies (Gnosticism) or falling into bodies (Origen). In orthodox Christian Platonism, however, souls remain embodied, receiving divine light from above or within.
12. Jewish Rationalism and Mysticism—Maimonides and Kabbalah
Jewish thought in the Middle Ages moved in two directions. Rationalists like Maimonides interpreted the Scriptures as a figurative expression (suitable for the many) of Aristotelian metaphysics. The mystical direction was represented by the texts of Kabbalah.
13. Classical Theism—Proofs and Attributes of God
The view of God that was worked out by medieval theologians and philosophers has come to be called "classical theism."
14. Medieval Christian Theology—Nature and Grace
The universe of classical theism is inherently good—not perfect like God, but oriented toward God. However, in the Christian version of that universe, human nature, which God created good, has been corrupted by the Fall and needs to be restored by grace.
15. Late-Medieval Nominalism and Christian Mysticism
What spelled the beginning of the end for medieval thought?
16. Protestantism—Problems of Grace
Protestantism inherits the Augustinian conception of grace and wrestles with two problems that result from it.
17. Descartes, Locke, and the Crisis of Modernity
Modern philosophy is born amid a crisis of authority, especially religious authority. The moderns "turn to the subject," seeking the sources of belief and certainty in the self.
18. Leibniz and Theodicy
In Leibniz's panpsychism, every atom (or monad) of the physical world has a kind of "inner self" that is alive. Using his theory of monads, in combination with his logic of possible worlds, Leibniz constructs a theodicy (an attempt to answer "the problem of evil").
19. Hume's Critique of Religion
David Hume was perhaps the most astute critic of religion in the highly critical period of Western history known as the Enlightenment.
20. Kant—Reason Limited to Experience
With the thought of Kant, the modern "turn to the subject" attains a new depth and fullness. He argues that the very possibility of experience (and, hence, of empirical knowledge and the natural sciences) presupposes certain subjective conditions.
21. Kant—Morality as the Basis of Religion
Kant set limits to theoretical reason in order to make room for practical reason. He argues that popular notions such as "duty" point toward a purely rational (a priori) foundation for morality, grounded in a principle of conduct that all rational beings recognize they should follow, regardless of inclination.
22. Schleiermacher—Feeling as the Basis of Religion
Religious thinkers after Kant wanted to find an approach to God based neither on theoretical reason nor on pure morality. What they found was feeling. This finding lies at the root of Romanticism and liberal theology.
23. Hegel—A Philosophical History of Religion
Hegel held that history unfolds dialectically, according to a divine and necessary logic. For Hegel, Christianity provides a powerful but mythical image of this process.
24. Marx and the Hermeneutics of Suspicion
Marx interprets cultural phenomena (including religion) in terms of the hidden interests they serve. Freud offers a psychological version of this.
25. Kierkegaard—Existentialism and the Leap of Faith
Søren Kierkegaard, the 19th-century Danish Christian famous for his notion of the "leap of faith," is also widely regarded as the first existentialist. His aim was to nourish authentic individual faith in the paradox of Christ.
26. Nietzsche—Critic of Christian Morality
Nietzsche is one of the few critics of Christianity bold enough to criticize its morality and propose his own substitute.
27. Neo-orthodoxy—The Subject and Object of Faith
Neo-orthodoxy reacted against the liberal Protestant attempt to base theology on religious experience and then branched off in two very different directions.
28. Encountering the Biblical Other—Buber and Levinas
The 20th-century Jewish thinkers Martin Buber and Emanuel Levinas draw upon concepts implicit in the Hebrew Bible to conceive of human relationships in ways that elude the Greek and German philosophical traditions.
29. Process Philosophy—God in Time
Process philosophy expresses the pervasive 20th-century dissatisfaction with the metaphysics of an unchanging God. As initially formulated by A. N. Whitehead, it was based on an ontology of events (where "what happens" is more basic to reality than "what is").
30. Logical Empiricism and the Meaning of Religion
The modern "turn to the subject" reached a point of special intensity in the early 20th century. Yet logical empiricism in the English-speaking countries and phenomenology on the continent unraveled into various forms of "postmodernism."
31. Reformed Epistemology and the Rationality of Belief
"Reformed" epistemology is a recent philosophical movement that defends the rationality of religious beliefs. Here you'll learn about three of its leaders: Nicholas Wolterstorff, Alvin Plantinga, and William Alston.
32. Conclusion—Philosophy and Religion Today
Philosophy has often criticized religion, but also has often supported it. Here we ask why religion should be grateful to philosophy, and what religion offers that philosophy does not.
November 9, 2018
This is an excellent (6 star) course but I shall need to listen to it at least 10 times to absorb all the information!! These courses are more informative than anything else I have ever tried, so I would recommend them to anybody who really wants to learn.
July 12, 2014
Carey is well read and balanced in his views. Great series!
December 12, 2022
This course provides a historical overview of philosophical and religious traditions in the West. The focus is on the relationship between philosophy and religion. Concerning God, philosophy asks about God’s nature and how we understand God, while religion focuses on our relationship with God.
The lectures started with the separate origins of philosophy and religion. Early Greek thinkers Plato, Aristotle, and Plotinus started the philosophical tradition by rationally understanding the ideal, the God, and the soul. To the Greek thinkers, there is a “form,” which is unified and unchanging. Our world is either a poor reflection of the Form (Plato) or manifested from the Form (Aristotle). And the Form is equated to God, an entity that we try to understand and unite with. Thus, to the Greeks, God is not personified. God has no will and makes no choice. God is just a higher form of existence.
On the contrary, the Jewish religious tradition emerged at about the same time. The Jewish God has a personality and interacts with people. The Bible is God’s message and is treated as the foundation of the religion. While Plato and Aristotle are free to form their world views as long as they are convincing and coherent, the Jewish is constrained to the Logos, or God’s words.
The lectures then examine the medieval thoughts that unify philosophy and religion. The project’s primary goal is to explain Christianity concepts with rational arguments from Greek philosophy. St. Augustine (Classical Theism) and later Thomas Aquinas (the Scholastic System) are leading figures. They attempt to answer the questions about God’s existence, the source of our knowledge about God, our relationship with God (Grace), and our role in the world (free will). This project was later debunked by Occam, who considers the notion of God superfoods. And Luther’s reformation sets the conversation on a different ground.
Early modern period thinkers attempted to continue the deliberation based on modern logic and scientific knowledge. Descartes and Locke approached the questions from rationalist and empiricist points of view. However, they share a common trait: the Bible is no longer the source of authority. We humans construct the concept of God not based on God’s words.
The third part of the lecture covers later classical thinkers who view God as a human construct. Kant claims that we cannot understand the world purely through experiences because we need first principles to organize our experiences and extract meanings from them. He then claims one of the first principles is our universal morality: we want moral principles that apply to everyone. These principles become our duty if we want to remain rational. And God is our construct to uphold the moral standard. Hegel went even further. To Hegel, God is not an individual construct but a social one. It is a stage of self-realization in human historical development. Marx and Nietzsche held similar views: men created religion to serve some social functions.
On the other hand, Kierkegaard rejects the attempt to understand religion through reason. He thinks all knowledge, including those about God, stems from the human need to exist. We must have a coherent worldview, some control over our surroundings, and life goals. God represents the “essential world,” with which we strive to unite.
The lectures then turn to the post-modern period, where multiple diverging views roam. Today, the question about God and its relationship with humanity is still stimulating philosophers and inspiring religious followers.
The lectures started with the separate origins of philosophy and religion. Early Greek thinkers Plato, Aristotle, and Plotinus started the philosophical tradition by rationally understanding the ideal, the God, and the soul. To the Greek thinkers, there is a “form,” which is unified and unchanging. Our world is either a poor reflection of the Form (Plato) or manifested from the Form (Aristotle). And the Form is equated to God, an entity that we try to understand and unite with. Thus, to the Greeks, God is not personified. God has no will and makes no choice. God is just a higher form of existence.
On the contrary, the Jewish religious tradition emerged at about the same time. The Jewish God has a personality and interacts with people. The Bible is God’s message and is treated as the foundation of the religion. While Plato and Aristotle are free to form their world views as long as they are convincing and coherent, the Jewish is constrained to the Logos, or God’s words.
The lectures then examine the medieval thoughts that unify philosophy and religion. The project’s primary goal is to explain Christianity concepts with rational arguments from Greek philosophy. St. Augustine (Classical Theism) and later Thomas Aquinas (the Scholastic System) are leading figures. They attempt to answer the questions about God’s existence, the source of our knowledge about God, our relationship with God (Grace), and our role in the world (free will). This project was later debunked by Occam, who considers the notion of God superfoods. And Luther’s reformation sets the conversation on a different ground.
Early modern period thinkers attempted to continue the deliberation based on modern logic and scientific knowledge. Descartes and Locke approached the questions from rationalist and empiricist points of view. However, they share a common trait: the Bible is no longer the source of authority. We humans construct the concept of God not based on God’s words.
The third part of the lecture covers later classical thinkers who view God as a human construct. Kant claims that we cannot understand the world purely through experiences because we need first principles to organize our experiences and extract meanings from them. He then claims one of the first principles is our universal morality: we want moral principles that apply to everyone. These principles become our duty if we want to remain rational. And God is our construct to uphold the moral standard. Hegel went even further. To Hegel, God is not an individual construct but a social one. It is a stage of self-realization in human historical development. Marx and Nietzsche held similar views: men created religion to serve some social functions.
On the other hand, Kierkegaard rejects the attempt to understand religion through reason. He thinks all knowledge, including those about God, stems from the human need to exist. We must have a coherent worldview, some control over our surroundings, and life goals. God represents the “essential world,” with which we strive to unite.
The lectures then turn to the post-modern period, where multiple diverging views roam. Today, the question about God and its relationship with humanity is still stimulating philosophers and inspiring religious followers.
December 15, 2023
This 32 lecture course covers the intersection between philosophy and religion in the Western world. It focuses on the religions of Judaism and Christianity. This is the 5th course that I have listened to all the way through from Professor Phillip Cary. The other courses I have listened to from Professor Cary are 1) St. Augustine-Philosopher and Saint 2)Martin Luther 3)History of Christian Theology and 4) Great Minds of the Western Intellectual Tradition, where he was a co-teacher. In comparison, this one wasn't as good as my favorite Cary course, History of Christian Theology, which is magnificent, or the Luther course. It was on par with the Great Minds of the Western Intellectual Tradition, but better than the Augustine course. Obviously, I like Cary's lectures a good deal or I wouldn't bother to keep listening to what he has to teach.
This course begins with several lectures about ancient Greek philosophy, particularly Plato. Professor Cary makes the point that the idea of the eternal soul belonging in a perishable body comes from Plato but was adopted by Christian theologians. Professor Cary sees several Platonic ideas absorbed into Christian theology. When we get to the Medieval scholastics, the need for philosophers to come up with proofs for the existence of God became an academic litmus test in a way. As the lectures get to more current times, there are several lectures on the influence of Kant, Hegel, and Marx in how philosophers looked at the religious beliefs that shaped the Western world. There is more emphasis in this course on philosophy's interaction with Christianity than with Judaism, but that makes sense says Professor Cary because Judaism is not built on theology as much as Christianity is, Judaism relies more on tradition and practice.
This course is fairly deep. I will be listening to this course again in the future. There is a lot to chew over. I enjoy thinking about the ideas of philosophy and religion and how they interact. Professor Cary is well spoken and easy to listen to. My biggest criticism is that he can get into patterns where he repeats himself at times. Still, this is an excellent course and I would highly recommend it to those who have any interest in these areas.
This course begins with several lectures about ancient Greek philosophy, particularly Plato. Professor Cary makes the point that the idea of the eternal soul belonging in a perishable body comes from Plato but was adopted by Christian theologians. Professor Cary sees several Platonic ideas absorbed into Christian theology. When we get to the Medieval scholastics, the need for philosophers to come up with proofs for the existence of God became an academic litmus test in a way. As the lectures get to more current times, there are several lectures on the influence of Kant, Hegel, and Marx in how philosophers looked at the religious beliefs that shaped the Western world. There is more emphasis in this course on philosophy's interaction with Christianity than with Judaism, but that makes sense says Professor Cary because Judaism is not built on theology as much as Christianity is, Judaism relies more on tradition and practice.
This course is fairly deep. I will be listening to this course again in the future. There is a lot to chew over. I enjoy thinking about the ideas of philosophy and religion and how they interact. Professor Cary is well spoken and easy to listen to. My biggest criticism is that he can get into patterns where he repeats himself at times. Still, this is an excellent course and I would highly recommend it to those who have any interest in these areas.
January 12, 2024
I listened to this work by Dr. Cary via an Audible recording of 32 lectures.
I found Carey's lecture style and way of presenting the admittedly wide sweep of the subject matter very helpful. Taking the critique and history from Moses and Socrates through to our current place in post-modernism in such a way that you can follow the thread of the evolution of both philosophy and theology is no small feat. Dr. Carey does this very well, while maintaining focus on the Western framework and effects on the culture (to include global perspectives into this series would have been to much at once, although I would like to see a similar series on Philosophy and Religion in the East).
Deeper than a "drive-by" overview, and with plenty to consider and grow your reading list even further.
I highly recommend this work.
I found Carey's lecture style and way of presenting the admittedly wide sweep of the subject matter very helpful. Taking the critique and history from Moses and Socrates through to our current place in post-modernism in such a way that you can follow the thread of the evolution of both philosophy and theology is no small feat. Dr. Carey does this very well, while maintaining focus on the Western framework and effects on the culture (to include global perspectives into this series would have been to much at once, although I would like to see a similar series on Philosophy and Religion in the East).
Deeper than a "drive-by" overview, and with plenty to consider and grow your reading list even further.
I highly recommend this work.
January 1, 2022
Very satisfying course. I think I'll listen at least one more time to help solidify concepts, names, and themes. Cary is a knowledgeable, engaging instructor. Great as a deeper general overview, and a launching point for deeper engagement on one's own.
July 5, 2020
Absolutely wonderful!! It is a bit dense in places and I had to replay the same passage a few times but well worth it.
April 29, 2021
Truly excellent, very informative. You know it’s a great teacher when you disagree with their opinions, but that doesn’t get in the way of learning from them.
December 20, 2015
I enjoyed these lectures, they definitely further entrenched me in my belief that biblical theology, though completely antithetical the timeless, immutable, impassible, ineffable First Principle of the Greek philosophers, was thoroughly amalgamated by the platonic church fathers. The church fathers, though rejecting parts of Greek thought, adopted much and whatever was accepted became the Procrustean bed--anything in the bible that didn't fit perfectly with the Greek presupposition had to be stretched or hacked, and anyone who dared to disagree on biblical grounds, even into modern times, have been labeled heretical.
I learned some stuff I hadn't heard before, for example, the differences of Plato's early, mid and late dialogs, now I really want to read Plato's early dialogs and hopefully get a better picture of Socrates the questioning skeptic, rather than the Socrates that does nothing but spew Plato's philosophy, which is all I've read in Plato's latter dialogs . I appreciated the focus on the religious views of the philosophers, there is so much that could be said concerning, say Plato or Aristotle, but Cary only focused one what was most interesting to me.
Now as far as being an anti-Calvinist and the lecturer being part of the reformed tradition, I was definitely put off occasionally. It is just something how Cary recognizes and rejects aspects of Platonism in Christianity, such as the body-soul dualism and the soul going to heaven, leaving the body behind, yet how is it that Cary doesn't also reject the barbaric classical doctrine of eternal conscious torment, which also has its basis in Plato's doctrine of the immortality of the soul? Plato said the soul couldn't die, perish or be destroyed, the bible states the soul of the wicked will die, perish and be destroyed, yet ones like the church father Tertullian despite his "Free the church from Athens" rhetoric, accepted the view that the soul was immortal and formulated the idea that the saint would glory and find great pleasure in watching the wicked being burned alive for all eternity. And how can Cary recognize how the Greek view of the impassible, immutable and timeless God flies in complete opposition to the Hebraic conception of God from wince Christianity sprung, and still hold fast to Classical Theism with it's insistence upon a view of God, which makes God out to be a timeless cosmic unblinking stare?
But all of this is nothing compared to my last complaint.. What is completely incomprehensible to me is how anyone could accept compatibilism, this one really works me up and boils my blood, Cary somehow seems to buy into the idea, that God predetermines our every wicked desire and God made us so we can ONLY do what we desire, but now get this, because we "want to" do the evil that God made us want to do, WE are guilty of sin, because WE wanted to do it, and somehow God isn't guilty because, we are the ones who did the evil that God determined we'd want to do! And now, get this, Cary thinks we have "free will" because we get to do whatever we "want" to do and at the same time, God is sovereign and meticulously controls everything, because he determines what we want!!!! AAHHHH!!!!And thus freewill and God's meticulous micromanagement are compatible?! Oh did I just throw up in my mouth??!!! how could anyone with an ounce of intelligence accept this convoluted absurdity????? I don't even know what to say, this is like intelligent and godly people sincerely saying torturing babies for fun is loving and righteous, how does one even respond this atrociousness???? But now, of course, when one believes in compatibilism, there is NO hope of getting a good theodicy, something Cary pretty much acknowledges. To believe what Cary does, one somehow must just trust that God is good and trustworthy, even though He predetermined Hitler would have his wicked desires and designed Hitler so he could only do what he desired, and did all this, simply so he could remain completely sovereign and glorify his wrath in torturing Hitler for all of eternity for doing what God predestined him want to do. Cary didn't mention it, but it seems Calvinist typically believe everything God does is good, merely because he did it, if Jesus molested children, tortured babies, raped woman and murdered elderly men, then this would be righteous, just and good, because God did it, and we shouldn't question, God is God, he does what he wants, anything he does is automatically good and I don't have any right to question God and be a judge of right and wrong.
But yeah, to me it is just tragic that someone who can recognize the influence of Greek philosophy on classical theism, could buy into Calvinism which is merely the logical outflow of the Greek view of God and which makes God "worse than the devil" as Wesley famously said.
I learned some stuff I hadn't heard before, for example, the differences of Plato's early, mid and late dialogs, now I really want to read Plato's early dialogs and hopefully get a better picture of Socrates the questioning skeptic, rather than the Socrates that does nothing but spew Plato's philosophy, which is all I've read in Plato's latter dialogs . I appreciated the focus on the religious views of the philosophers, there is so much that could be said concerning, say Plato or Aristotle, but Cary only focused one what was most interesting to me.
Now as far as being an anti-Calvinist and the lecturer being part of the reformed tradition, I was definitely put off occasionally. It is just something how Cary recognizes and rejects aspects of Platonism in Christianity, such as the body-soul dualism and the soul going to heaven, leaving the body behind, yet how is it that Cary doesn't also reject the barbaric classical doctrine of eternal conscious torment, which also has its basis in Plato's doctrine of the immortality of the soul? Plato said the soul couldn't die, perish or be destroyed, the bible states the soul of the wicked will die, perish and be destroyed, yet ones like the church father Tertullian despite his "Free the church from Athens" rhetoric, accepted the view that the soul was immortal and formulated the idea that the saint would glory and find great pleasure in watching the wicked being burned alive for all eternity. And how can Cary recognize how the Greek view of the impassible, immutable and timeless God flies in complete opposition to the Hebraic conception of God from wince Christianity sprung, and still hold fast to Classical Theism with it's insistence upon a view of God, which makes God out to be a timeless cosmic unblinking stare?
But all of this is nothing compared to my last complaint.. What is completely incomprehensible to me is how anyone could accept compatibilism, this one really works me up and boils my blood, Cary somehow seems to buy into the idea, that God predetermines our every wicked desire and God made us so we can ONLY do what we desire, but now get this, because we "want to" do the evil that God made us want to do, WE are guilty of sin, because WE wanted to do it, and somehow God isn't guilty because, we are the ones who did the evil that God determined we'd want to do! And now, get this, Cary thinks we have "free will" because we get to do whatever we "want" to do and at the same time, God is sovereign and meticulously controls everything, because he determines what we want!!!! AAHHHH!!!!And thus freewill and God's meticulous micromanagement are compatible?! Oh did I just throw up in my mouth??!!! how could anyone with an ounce of intelligence accept this convoluted absurdity????? I don't even know what to say, this is like intelligent and godly people sincerely saying torturing babies for fun is loving and righteous, how does one even respond this atrociousness???? But now, of course, when one believes in compatibilism, there is NO hope of getting a good theodicy, something Cary pretty much acknowledges. To believe what Cary does, one somehow must just trust that God is good and trustworthy, even though He predetermined Hitler would have his wicked desires and designed Hitler so he could only do what he desired, and did all this, simply so he could remain completely sovereign and glorify his wrath in torturing Hitler for all of eternity for doing what God predestined him want to do. Cary didn't mention it, but it seems Calvinist typically believe everything God does is good, merely because he did it, if Jesus molested children, tortured babies, raped woman and murdered elderly men, then this would be righteous, just and good, because God did it, and we shouldn't question, God is God, he does what he wants, anything he does is automatically good and I don't have any right to question God and be a judge of right and wrong.
But yeah, to me it is just tragic that someone who can recognize the influence of Greek philosophy on classical theism, could buy into Calvinism which is merely the logical outflow of the Greek view of God and which makes God "worse than the devil" as Wesley famously said.
March 31, 2015
This is an excellent course on the long, intimate relationship between philosophy and religion. Cary begins with Greek philosophy (Plato, Aristotle) and “classical theism” (Plato’s metaphysics and Biblical religion). From there he discusses the “modern” philosophers who moved religion away from authority and revelation (e.g., Kierkegaard’s personal, faith-based commitment; Locke’s demand for empirical evidence) toward a world that increasingly needed God less (Hume’s empiricism) or not at all (Nietzsche’s “God is dead” and “Christianity is Platonism for the masses”). Many contemporary religious thinkers, Cary says, seek to separate religious thought from its tie to philosophy as they “worry that philosophical concepts (e.g., of Platonist spiritually) have sometimes replaced the native beliefs of their religious traditions.”
Cary does not mention that many philosophers today seem to separate Plato’s religious elements from his philosophy. Cary does this himself in Part I of his lectures when he refers to Plato’s thoughts on transmigration as “mythical language” about a “metaphorical heaven.” In the same vein, Cary calls for an “Interreligious Dialogue” in the “Spirit of Socrates” where we put ourselves at risk: “if I criticize other people’s views, it is only fair to listen to the criticism of my views.” The risk is a “Socratic or cognitive repentance” where the possibility exists “that my beliefs are based on ignorance or error.” While Cary reiterates a mainstream view, this could be a significant recasting of the Socratic dialogue. Socrates is not likely to admit of “ignorance or error” since he has absolute truth on his side and those who disagree with him are “ignorant.” Socrates’ dialoguers are not true dialoguers but vehicles for Plato to make his points.
Cary does not mention that many philosophers today seem to separate Plato’s religious elements from his philosophy. Cary does this himself in Part I of his lectures when he refers to Plato’s thoughts on transmigration as “mythical language” about a “metaphorical heaven.” In the same vein, Cary calls for an “Interreligious Dialogue” in the “Spirit of Socrates” where we put ourselves at risk: “if I criticize other people’s views, it is only fair to listen to the criticism of my views.” The risk is a “Socratic or cognitive repentance” where the possibility exists “that my beliefs are based on ignorance or error.” While Cary reiterates a mainstream view, this could be a significant recasting of the Socratic dialogue. Socrates is not likely to admit of “ignorance or error” since he has absolute truth on his side and those who disagree with him are “ignorant.” Socrates’ dialoguers are not true dialoguers but vehicles for Plato to make his points.
January 16, 2013
If I could memorize this lecture series, especially Parts 1 and 2, I would have further need of accomplishment in my life. To say the least, these lectures are jam packed with insight and a concise history of philosophy, how it interacts with religion and how it has progressed through the ages in the Western tradition.
May 31, 2016
Overall a good introduction to philosophy and religion in the west. Most helpful in seeing the interaction between the two, including both the tension and also the borrowing of philosophy by religion. A bit ambitious of a topic to cover to introduce so much information though, namely the introduction of so much philosophy in as few lectures as were allotted though. I'd give it 3 and 1/2 stars.
August 28, 2015
A good introduction to philosophy and how it impacted and influenced Western Religion.
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