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Heaven and Philosophy

Module description

In recent years, analytic philosophers have sought to understand and articulate the Christian doctrine of heaven with greater precision, to assess its plausibility. In this module you will grapple with some of the key questions they have been asking. We will consider what heaven is supposed to be like; how it relates to earthly bodies and time; what the blessed might do there; and, above all, whether you would actually want to go there at all.

Although the topic is theological, the approach is philosophical, so the module would be suitable for students with a good background in philosophy even if they have little background in theology. Students from a more theological background should have at least some experience with analytic philosophy.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The purpose of this module is to extend your knowledge and understanding of philosophical investigation of the doctrine of heaven. More broadly, you will learn to analyse and assess theological doctrines, and different interpretations of those doctrines, using the tools of analytic philosophy. This will develop your skills of comprehension and analysis, as well as critical reflection and argument. You will also reflect upon the relationship between religious belief and philosophical analysis, and critically assess the methodologies used in this module.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate understanding of the claims inherent in the Christian doctrine of heaven.
• 2. Explain how the doctrine of heaven relates to other Christian doctrines, as well as philosophical positions.
• 3. Articulate, distinguish, and critically evaluate different understandings of the nature of heaven.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Critically analyse and assess religious doctrines using the tools of analytic philosophy.
• 5. Reflect critically and in depth upon the relationship between philosophical analysis and religious belief.
• 6. Reflect upon the appropriateness and success of philosophical methodology.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Relate different ideas to each other, considering their consistency with each other.
• 8. Critically analyse and evaluate ideas.
• 9. Present and defend a position orally to a group.

Syllabus plan

While the content of the module may vary, the following are illustrative of the topics covered:

Heaven and boredom

Heaven and earth: physicality, time, and space

Community in heaven: action, morality, and virtue

Heaven and free will

The beatific vision

Becoming God: heaven and theosis

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 50%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Cohn-Sherbok, D. and Lewis, C., eds. 1995. Beyond Death: Theological and Philosophical Reflections on Life After Death. Macmillan
• Bruckner, D. 2012. “Against the Tedium of Immortality.” International Journal of Philosophical Studies 20 (5): 623-44
• Byerly, T.R. and Silverman, E., eds. 2017. Paradise Understood: New Philosophical Essays About Heaven. Oxford University Press
• Finlan, S. and Kharmalov, V. eds. 2010. Theosis: Deification in Christian Theology. Clarke
• Küng, H. 1984. Eternal Life? Life After Death as a Medical, Philosophical, and Theological Problem. Doubleday
• McDannell, C. and Lang, B. 1988. Heaven: A History. Yale University Press
• Pawl, T. and Timpe, K. 2009. “Incompatibilism, Sin, and Free Will in Heaven” in Faith and Philosophy 26:4 pp. 389-419
• Ratzinger, J. 1988. Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life. Catholic University of America Press
• Van Dyke, C. 2014. “Aquinas’s Shiny Happy People: Perfect Happiness and the Limits of Human Nature” in Oxford Studies in the Philosophy of Religion 269-91
• Williams, B. 1973. “The Makropulos Case: Reflections on the Tedium of Immortality.” In Problems of the Self, by Bernard Williams. Cambridge University Press: 82-100

Key words search

Heaven; Life after death; Analytic theology; Philosophy of religion; Philosophical theology