Weeks 1-5

Part I Biblical Responses to Suffering

Text: Bart Ehrmann’s God’s Problem

Assignments:

Initial reflection due at end of Week 1 (via Moodle) – Fri. 1 pm.

Reading reflection paper 1 due at end of Week 2  (Moodle) – Sat. 5 pm.

Reading reflection paper 2 due at end of Week 4 (Moodle) – Sat. 5 pm.

Formal Paper I due in class on Monday, February 15^th

Week 6-7

Part II Other Religious Responses to Suffering

Indian and Chinese religions

Text: Excerpts from Suffering and the World’s Religions (to be distributed).

Assignments:

Reading reflection paper 3 due at end of Week 6 (Moodle) – Sat. 5 pm.

Week 8

Part III Secular or Atheist Responses to Suffering

Text: Excerpts from The Twilight of Atheism (to be distributed).

Assignments:

Reading reflection paper 4 due at end of Week 7 (Moodle) – Sat. 5 pm.

 SPRING BREAK

Week 9-13

Part IV Tragedy, Memory and Memorialization

Text: Edward Linenthal’s The Unfinished Bombing: Oklahoma City in American Memory

Assignments:

Reading reflection paper 5 due at end of Week 11 (Moodle) – Sat. 5 pm.

This I Believe prompt exercise due in class on Monday, March 15^th.

This I Believe three approaches due Friday, March 26^th by 1 pm (Moodle).

Formal Paper II due in class on Monday, April 19^th

Weeks 14-15

Part V Good and Evil

Text: Phillip Hallie’s Eye of the Hurricane: Tales of Good and Evil, Help and Harm

Assignments:

Reading reflection paper 6 due at end of Week 15 (Moodle) – Sat. 5 pm.

FINAL EXAMS

FINAL: Final Exam for Suffering, Evil and Hope scheduled for Tuesday, May 11^th at 6 pm.

You will present your “This I Believe” essay to your classmates at our final meeting.

Formal Paper III due (on Hallie)

Final version of This I Believe essay due.

Concluding statement due (via Moodle).