Ian Ramsey Centre: The Deist Controversy - podcast cover

Ian Ramsey Centre: The Deist Controversy

Oxford University•www.specialdivineaction.org
Education
The Deist Controversy was an extended debate that took place first in England and then Continental Europe roughly from the late 1600s through the mid 1700s. The deists, most of whom believed that there was a god worthy of worship who had created the world, denied special divine action beyond creation. Hence they claimed that Christianity as a revealed religion was false or even contemptible. A wide array of scholars responded to the deists and the resulting arguments shaped a landscape of ideas that largely persists to the present day. This podcast series consists of eighteen lectures delivered as a graduate-level online course at Western Michigan University, USA, 11 May - 1 July 2015 by Timothy McGrew, Professor and Chair, Department of Philosophy. The series was produced in collaboration with the Ian Ramsey Centre, Oxford University Faculty of Theology and Religion, as part of the Special Divine Action project, sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation.
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Episodes

Lecture 18: Hume’s “Of Miracles,” Part 2

The final lecture gives an overview of the second part of Hume’s argument in ‘Of Miracles’, with responses from William Adams, George Campbell, Peter Bayne, and John Douglas.

Jun 22, 2017•42 min

Lecture 17: Hume’s “Of Miracles,” Part 1

The second in this series on Hume explicates the details of his argument and gives an explanation of the argument in part one, as well as responses from Hume’s contemporary, William Adam, and the Mathematician Charles Babbage.

Jun 22, 2017•38 min

Lecture 16: David Hume: Introduction to “Of Miracles”

Here begins the discussion of David Hume, especially his essay ‘Of Miracles’ from his Philosophical Essays. This lecture includes differing interpretations for the argument Hume is making in part one of his essay.

Jun 22, 2017•35 min

Lecture 15: Dodwell and his Critics

This lecture wraps up the discussion of Dodwell, containing more of his thoughts, and reactions to them from Philip Doddridge and John Leland, with additional comments on the connection between Dodwell and David Hume.

Jun 22, 2017•30 min

Lecture 14: Annet and Dodwell

This lecture continues Annet’s response to the Tryal of the Witnesses and a rebuttal of him by Charles Moss. Another subject covered is the work of Henry Dodwell Jr and his arguments against using reason as a basis for Christianity.

Jun 22, 2017•32 min

Lecture 13: Thomas Chubb and Peter Annet

This lecture details the ideas of two popular Deists, Thomas Chubb and Peter Annet, as well as responses by Caleb Fleming, Jonathan Edwards, and John Leland.

Jun 22, 2017•31 min

Lecture 12: Butler’s Analogy of Religion

The Anglican Bishop Joseph Butler’s Analogy of Religion, an important and influential work in the Deist controversy, is the content of this lecture.

Jun 22, 2017•47 min

Lecture 11: Tindal, Conybeare, and Foster

This lecture is primarily about the work of the Deist Matthew Tindal, and a possible influence of his in Fleetwood. Also included are his detractors, John Conybeare and James Foster.

Jun 22, 2017•33 min

Lecture 10: Woolston and Sherlock on the Resurrection

The Tryal of the Witnesses of the Resurrection by Thomas Sherlock is the focus of this lecture. Sherlock’s work is a thorough refutation of Woolston’s Sixth Discourse. The Tryal is in the form of a mock trial and was very popular.

Jun 22, 2017•49 min

Lecture 09: Collins and Woolston on Prophecy and Miracles

This lecture continues the discussion of Collins, but also adds the thoughts of Thomas Woolston and his Discourses on the Miracles of Our Saviour. Included also are responses from Chandler and Zachary Pierce.

Jun 22, 2017•34 min

Lecture 08: Anthony Collins on Free-Thinking and Christianity

This lecture focuses on Anthony Collins, one of the major figures in the Deist movement, and includes responses by Bentley, Leland, and Chandler. The modern scholar Richard Hays is discussed as an extension of Chandler’s arguments.

Jun 22, 2017•43 min

Lecture 07: Shaftesbury on Free-Thinking and Religion

This lecture is primarily about the thoughts of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, the Earl of Shaftsbury, with a connection to modern thoughts along the same lines. Also, Shaftesbury’s thoughts are here scrutinized by Brown.

Jun 22, 2017•24 min

Lecture 06: Early Deism: Early Responses; Toland

This lecture continues the early response to Deism with Richard Baxter, including his view of the relationship between faith and reason, plus Locke, Halyburton, and Leslie. The thoughts of the Deist John Toland are also discussed.

Jun 22, 2017•40 min

Lecture 05: Early Deism: Herbert, Spinoza, Blount

This lecture begins a detailed discussion of Deistic thought, starting with the early Deists, Herbert of Cherbury, later plagiarized in Charles Blount’s Reglio Laici, and Baruch Spinoza, with responses from Stillingfleet and Boyle.

Jun 22, 2017•39 min

Lecture 03: Background: History of Science

This lecture is a quick summary of the history of science from Aristotle to Newton. Dr McGrew also includes a brief discussion of why the history of science is important to the Deist controversy.

Jun 22, 2017•22 min

Lecture 01: Introduction: What was the Deist Controversy?

The first lecture gives a brief overview of the Deist controversy, what Deism is, and when the controversy was. This also includes an introduction to some of the major authors involved on both sides of the discussion.

Jun 22, 2017•11 min
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