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Status Reports

Status: Philosophy of Religion (Summary of Progress to Date)

(Text as at 18/12/2010 19:58:05)

(For earlier versions of this Note, see the table at the end)

This report summarises progress to date on my “Philosophy of Religion” project. I produce a monthly report¹, but I intend to update this one annually, on change of “Academic Year”. This one is as at end September 2009.

• My magnum opus in this regard, namely Tractatus Christianus, is still on hold, and has been for over 18 years. The version I’m taking forward is at this link², where it has been converted to the new “hyperlinked Notes” format. I have not yet had time seriously to re-read it nor to update it in the light of my philosophical training. It will also need updating in the light of recent discussions.
• Biographical Notes produced of why I became³, and eventually ceased⁴ to be, a Christian.
• Blog undertaken with Simon⁵. Awaiting Simon for further comment (promise received 30^th September 2007).
• Account completed of my Carthusian experiences, in response to an enquiry⁶.
• Very extensive correspondence initiated and iterated with Sylvia⁷.
• Survived an attempt at re-evangelisation from Jack⁸.
• Conceived of a sub-project to re-read through the Bible (and Koran) and record all those passages that are either remarkable or odd. Unfortunately, I haven’t got much further than the early chapters of Genesis⁹.
• Vacation in Madeira with Mike and Sylvia in October 2007. We had many interesting discussions, though since they were not blogged they will be lost in the mists of time.
• Read "Carrier (R.C.) - The argument from biogenesis: Probabilities against a natural origin of life"; passed annotations¹⁰ on to Sylvia, and received feedback¹¹.
• Raised with Sylvia the issue of Authority¹².
• Discussed Tiahuanaco¹³ with Sylvia.
• Read "Price (Huw) - Starving the Theological Cuckoo".
• Brief investigation¹⁴ into / debunking of the supposedly miraculous Loretto Chapel staircase in response to a pious audio-visual forwarded by a Bridge friend.
• Discussion (face to face, followed by emails – no permission to blog) about reincarnation with Frank, a friend from my Cambridge days.
• Wrote a blog¹⁵ entry on a couple of pop videos by Coldplay. Discussed with Sylvia.
• Review – only reading – of "Smith (Peter) - Religion and the Philosophy of Religion: Blog on Murray & Rea's 'An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion'". Received feedback from Sylvia, relevant (inter alia) to the discussion on “mad bad or God”.
• Read "Fuller (Steve) - Standing Up For What You Don't Believe".
• Read "Mishnah, Talmud - Talmud - Wikipedia Entry", and completed cataloguing and obtaining downloads of the Soncino Talmud (both English translations, and the Hebrew/Aramaic original).
• Read "Grayling (Anthony) - Origin of the Specious" & "Fuller (Steve) - Against the Faith".
• I’ve completed a course of lectures published by Yale - "Hayes (Christine) - Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible)".
• Read "Barr (James) - The Garden of Eden and the Hope of Immortality".
• Attended a day conference in October 2008, put on by the Open Bible Trust, An Introduction to the New Testament, held in Julie’s church in Billericay.
• Read "Kasser (Rodolphe), Wurst (Gregor) & Meyer (Marvin) - Gospel of Judas" as part of my general catch-up on background reading; on the Gnostics this time.
• Read "Josephus (Flavius), Whiston (William) - The Life of Flavius Josephus".
• Wrote a “Jamie Bulger” Blog¹⁶ entry in response to an email petition received by Julie, though I wish I’d not started it.
• Wrote a Blog¹⁷ entry in response to an email received on Philos_List seeking the “World’s Worst Argument” and suggesting a creationist video on U-Tube (concerning the design of the banana) as a prime candidate.