General instructions
Write about 1500 words on one of the following topics, or on another topic that you have cleared in advance. Print it out to turn in, using 1.5 or double line spacing. No cover pages or folders, please.
This is a thought project, not a library research project. You are not expected to use more sources than class readings, although if you wish to use additional sources, that is fine.
There is no required outline, or style; however, use standard academic English -- you are not writing a text message. Here is a link to the grading standards, so that you can see what is considered in evaluation of your work.
Here is some general advice about how to do well.
Topics to choose from (choose one)
1. Defend the idea that people have immortal souls against the criticisms made by Linda Badham. Do this by showing where her arguments are mistaken. Use reasons that a person such as Linda Badham should find forceful. Don't make this into a Bible interpretation essay. (You don't need to "prove" that people actually have such souls. You only have to show that Badham's criticisms of souls are not successful.)
2. Hick argued for the conceptual coherence of the idea of a person's being physically resurrected from the dead after a period of time during which the person in no way existed (no continuous soul, spirit, or mind, no continuous body). His intent was to show that the traditional Christian idea of such resurrection could make sense, because the resurrected person could reasonably be considered to be numerically identical to the person who had died years earlier. (The resurrected person would not be a mere replica.) However, there is more to the traditional Christian idea of resurrection into eternal life than Hick discusses. It seems that the traditional Christian idea requires that the physically resurrected person not only be numerically identical to the original person, but also that the resurrected person be able to live forever in harmony with God. This seems to require that the resurrected person be rather dramatically improved psychologically and physically, when compared to how the person was prior to death. But doesn't this mean that the newly composed person is actually quite different from the original person, even in terms of personality? Doesn't this undermine Hick's argument for the idea that the resurrected person is numerically identical to the original person? Would the former family and friends of the old person really think the new person was numerically the same person as the old one? Write about these questions.
3. There are many interesting questions about the theological challenges raised by religious pluralism that could be written about. However, since we are still in the middle of class discussions about this topic, it might be premature to write your essay in this area. If you feel strongly, though, that you would like to try, and you have a specific topic to propose, write a paragraph describing the topic and send it or turn it in for approval before you spend too much time on it.
Important note about quoting things
This essay is to be in your own words. Don't string quotations together to form your essay. It's fine to use quotations, sparingly. All quotations and paraphrases must be marked as such and citations must be provided for each. This is true even for things quoted from class readings.
Follow any standard citation method. If you don't know how to do citations properly, try looking here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/679/01/ and checking out the "Research and Citation" link to one of the standard styles such as APA. It doesn't matter whether you use footnotes or endnotes -- just do SOMETHING.